Guide Implantology
What is a guide?
A guide is someone or something that helps you find the right way. In implantology, a guide implant refers to the material and components used to guide the construction of the implant. Dental implants have become a widely used treatment option for replacing missing teeth in today's world. Whether due to age or accidents that result in tooth loss, filling the gaps and restoring our aesthetic appearance is a desired outcome for everyone. This demand has led to the development of dental implants. The advancement and success of dental implant technology has created a significant demand from patients. Implant-supported intraoral restorations are actively used in partially or fully edentulous patients, as well as in patients with severe bone loss and deficiency. In addition, this procedure, which was previously considered unsuitable, has now become a widely used treatment option by providing effective solutions.
How are implants placed?
The success of dental implants depends largely on proper patient assessment and treatment planning. Dentists often prioritise placing implants in areas of the jaw with the highest amount of bone, rather than focusing on the placement of the final prosthetic restoration. However, the placement of guide implants is not always as precise and accurate as intended. It is more challenging than placing natural teeth and even minor deviations can lead to complications and difficulties in the final restoration. Failures can result from inadequate preoperative planning and insufficient consideration of the superstructure. Precise positioning of the guide implants in the bone is required to achieve the best functional and esthetic outcome. As the oral space is limited, a high degree of accuracy in the placement of the guide implants is critical to the success of the prosthesis. This can be achieved by using a surgical guide that provides sufficient information about the edentulous area during implant placement and surgery. Without a guide, there may be uncertainty about where to proceed. The use of a guide allows accurate positioning and selection of the most appropriate prosthesis.
Guide implant fabrication: Guide implants are usually determined using panoramic radiographs (two-dimensional images). Although this method often provides satisfactory results, two-dimensional radiographs may not fully reveal the anatomical structure and condition of the bone. In such cases, the treatment plan may be inaccurate. This is where the need for a guide implant arises. Regardless of the dentist's experience, three-dimensional imaging is essential for guided implant surgery. It provides comprehensive information about the structure, position and condition of the bone. Successful surgery and precise implant placement can only be achieved with this approach.
Why is a guide (implant) needed in implant surgery?
Incorrect implant placement can lead to serious surgical problems. This is why dental tomography is used in dentistry. Dental tomography provides detailed information about the dimensions and volume of the bone. With the help of supporting software, it enables accurate implant placement within the bone. This is where the dental guide comes into play. Despite the dentist's manual skills and surgical precision, implants may not be placed optimally and accurately without a surgical guide. The dental drill guide facilitates precise implant placement within the bone and helps prevent errors during implant surgery.
What do we use and how do we make a surgical guide?
There are several types of surgical guides. One method that is not used is the integration of Sirona Cerec Omnicam and Sirona 3D tomography for planning. After scanning the implant site with Sirona Omnicam, the site is digitally designed as a tooth using Cerec Premium software. With the aid of supporting software, the digital data is then sent to the implant guide programme, which is integrated with Sirona tomography. This enables precise planning and design of the implant placement. Once the implants have been identified and placed, the necessary coordinates are planned and sent back to the Cerec Premium software. The prepared surgical guide is then produced by milling the required designs and is ready for the surgical procedure.