Utilization of 3D/Dental software for precise implant site selection: clinical reports

Preoperative planning is an essential aspect of endosteal implant placement. Three-dimensional imaging allows the surgeon and restorative dentist to accurately visualize potential implant receptor sites relative to adjacent vital structures. This information is correlated with the planned occlusion, and transferred to the patient by means of a surgical prosthetic guide, which is developed on the diagnostic cast. The steps involved in planning and placing implants in an atrophic mandible in the first case illustrates the value of three-dimensional scanning in treating patients with limited bone volume. The second case presented with a mandibular bilateral distal extension partial denture, which was ultimately replaced with two implant-supported fixed prostheses. The use of three-dimensional imaging showed the location of the inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle which allowed utilization of all of the bone above it without encroaching on the nerve. The third case illustrates an edentulous maxilla where visualization of the osseous contour allowed for implant placement at an optimal angulation to provide support for the planned prosthesis.