Advancements in surgical templates in dental implantology

OBJECTIVES: Expansion of three-dimensional (3-D) printing technology and improvements in planning software have led to increased accuracy and precision in dental implant positioning and new applications for surgical templates in implantology. The objective of this report is to demonstrate the application of in-practice CAD/CAM surgical templates in various dental implant surgeries and site development procedures. METHODS: Patients in this report were referred to the Department of Periodontics, Army Postgraduate Dental School, Postgraduate Dental College, Fort Eisenhower, Georgia, for replacement of missing or hopeless teeth using dental implants. All surgeries were planned virtually and completed using customized surgical templates printed within the facility. The presented cases demonstrate creative application of 3-D printing to simplify surgery across a wide spectrum of clinical scenarios—placement of multiple adjacent implants, immediate implant placement, immediate provisionalization, sinus elevation in dentate and edentulous patients, alveoloplasty to increase interarch distance, and removal of a retained root fragment in conjunction with implant surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Specialized surgical templates can be designed with varying degrees of restriction for surgeons performing implant-related surgeries. These guides have the potential to reduce the duration of surgery, limit patient morbidity, enhance communication among clinicians, and simplify the restorative phase of therapy. IMPLICATIONS: Accessibility to new technology has allowed implant surgeons to move beyond the era of accurate implant placement into a period characterized by creative solutions to clinical problems. Routine use of in-practice CAD/CAM technology may improve clinical and patient-reported outcomes in implantology. Further advancements may be just around the corner as artificial intelligence is integrated into medicine and dentistry.