Current Digital Workflow for Implant Therapy: Advantages and Limitations

The use of digital technologies is a revolution in all fields of dentistry, especially for dental implant-related procedures. Since its introduction in the nineties, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) has been used to investigate anatomical structures in three-dimension (3D). It is not until the invention of digital impressions that clinicians can plan clinicians plan implant locations and print surgical guides out of the superimposed CBCT and intraoral scan images in a full digital flow fashion. Advantages of digital flow include a higher patient satisfaction, reduction of working time, and improved accuracy, compared to conventional impressions. Recently, 3-D printing technologies have been experiencing a rapid growth offering numerous advantages in the area of computer-guided surgery, e.g., treatment time reduction, high accuracy, and overall cost reduction. The present chapter will focus on the basic concepts of digital workflow for implant therapy from perspectives of imaging acquisition, computer-aided design, and computer-aided manufacturing. Clinical applications of the digital workflow will be presented and the accuracy of the fully digital workflow will be discussed.