3D Guided Implant Surgery simply means that the surgical procedure (like in our case insertion of dental implants) is guided three-dimensionally with the help of a preexistent CT scan.
3D guided implant insertion is of absolute precise accuracy and makes safe implant placement feasible even in difficult anatomical situations. It does not only reduce the risk of damaging important neighbouring anatomical structures plus decreases the time for surgery, but also shows much less post-operative complications because it is the least invasive kind of surgery.
First, a CT scan of the patient’s jaws needs to be performed and the exact position of the dental implants in the bone are determined on the patient’s CT scan. Secondly, a 3D surgical guide is fabricated in the laboratory which then functions like a drilling template during surgery.
Once all data is sent to the laboratory, it usually takes 7-10 working days for production of the individual 3D guide. So, the overall time span from first visit to dental implant insertion needs approximately 2 weeks.
In the hands of an experienced surgeon, 3D guided surgery will only be proposed when the patient shows difficult anatomical situations and when the dental restoration is of rather extensive and complex character. Very unlikely guided surgery will need to be used for a single dental implant insertion.