Digital Implant Surgery

The digital workflow for surgical rehabilitation with dental implants can help prevent complications, achieve more predictable outcomes, and render implant surgery more accessible for dentists and patients alike. The digital workflow for implant surgery consists of three steps, image acquisition, virtual planning, and implant placement using surgical guides. Digital images acquired by cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) and intraoral scanning can help recreate the patient’s condition in the computer. This information is then used to plan for optimized implant placement. The digital plan is then executed clinically with the aid of a digital surgical guide, a template that help the clinician place the implants at the exact site as planned in the computer. This chapter explains in details how implant surgery is planned and executed using a digital workflow.