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Updated: Feb 23, 2026
Designing CAD/CAM Surgical Guides for Maxillary Reconstruction Using an In-house Approach
Published on: August 24, 2018
How Accurate Are Implant Surgical Guides Produced With Desktop Stereolithographic 3-Dimentional Printers?
George R Deeb1, Riley K Allen2, V Patrick Hall3
1Associate Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.
Purpose:
The use of tooth-supported static stereolithographic guides has greatly improved the ability to ideally place implants. This study was designed to determine the accuracy of in office-printed implant surgical guides.
Materials And Methods:
Using 3shape Implant Studio, a treatment plan for implant placement for tooth 8 was developed using a digital intraoral scan from a Trios scanner and cone-beam computed tomography. Ten stereolithographic guides were printed using a Form2 3-dimensional printer. Pre- and post-implant insertion digital scans were used to determine distance and angulation differences in the mesiodistal and faciolingual positions of the implants compared with the planned position.
Results:
The mean difference in mesiodistal direction at the alveolar crest between planned implants and placed implants was 0.28 mm (range, 0.05 to 0.62 mm) and the difference in the faciolingual direction was 0.49 mm (range, 0.08 to 0.72 mm). The mean mesiodistal angulation deviation was 0.84° (range, 0.08° to 4.48°) and the mean faciolingual angulation deviation was 3.37° (range, 1.12° to 6.43°).
Conclusions:
In-office fabricated stereolithographic implant surgical guides show similar accuracy to laboratory- or manufacturer-prepared guides. This technique provides a convenient and cost-effective means of assuring proper implant placement.
