Digital design of a hybrid bone and tooth-supported surgical guide in patients with unilateral few remaining natural teeth: a dental technique

Abstract

A technique for the design of a hybrid tooth and bone-supported implant drilling guide is described. The patient was scanned using cone beam computed tomography and an optical intraoral scanner. The dicom file was segmented according to the area of interest composed of bone and the remaining natural teeth. The Standard Tessellation Language (STL) file was trimmed to only the teeth providing support, followed by merging between the bone and teeth files in one STL. The implant drilling guide was designed with the Real Guide software program, and the file was 3-dimensionally printed in clear surgical guide resin. This technique offers an accurate, cost-effective digitally designed implant placement guide for patients with long-span distal extension edentulous areas and few remaining natural dentitions providing distal bone support. It can also be used in patients with hemi maxillectomy for zygomatic implant placement. This type of surgical guide provides more accuracy in implant surgeries that require flab elevation by gaining more support from the remaining natural dentition.