Computer guided implant surgery, facts and myths
Iyad Abou-Rabii
International Association of Dental Research, USA
: Dent Health Curr Res
Abstract
The application of computed tomography (CT) and the use of computer software for dental implant therapy have significantly increased during the last several years. Individualized protocols and specific instrumentation are employed under this approach to CT-based implant surgery. The purpose of this article is to expand on previous publications related to the use of prosthetically directed implant placement using computer software to ensure precise placement and predictable prosthetic outcomes. The use of surgical templates can benefit the patient as well as the dental team (restorative dentist, surgical specialist, and laboratory technician). The work performed can be more accurate and less invasive than in traditional cases. The ability to transfer the desired three-dimensional position of implants from the virtual model to the mouth has improved the dental implant treatment outcome by supporting the patient’s gingival architecture and by allowing him or her to function with an aesthetic restoration while healing. However, the computer guided surgery is never a problem free process. It is important to be able to utilize these methods in actual clinical settings by improving the various problems, including the considerations of patient mouth opening limitations, surgical guide preparation and fixation. The aim of this presentation is to discuss the facts and the myths about the advantage of this method. Clinical case reports are presented to explain the advantage of computer guided implant placement and the drawbacks and problems that the dentist would face by employing it.
Biography
Abou-Rabii has extensive experience in Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery and Implant Dentistry. He has received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1991 and his Post-graduate Diploma in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 1993. He has obtained his Master of Research in Biology and Medicine from Joseph Fourier University in France in 1998 and his PhD in Dental Pharmacology from Auvergne University (France) in 2004. He has Practiced Implant Dentistry and Oral Surgery for more than 27 years. He is a former Course Director of the MSc of Implant Dentistry of the University of Warwick, a fellow of The Academy for Dental Facial Esthetics (IADFE) and a former President of the PTT group in the International Association of Dental Research (IADR).
