Digital bar prototype technique for full-arch rehabilitation on implants

The aim of the authors in this case report was to describe a new approach to using the digital bar prototype technique for complete digital full-arch implant rehabilitation. Two combinable structures were used during the same visit as prototypes to simultaneously test the implant locations and the prosthetic parameters. Then the structures were joined together to form the final prosthesis.

After the implant integration with the immediate provisional restoration, 3 sets of digital impressions were obtained to obtain a master digital model (MDM). A stereolithographic model with implant analogs was printed on the basis of the MDM. A titanium bar with implant connections and a functional resin structure were milled on the basis of the MDM and used as prototypes. To check the accuracy of the implant impression, the titanium prototype was tried in, and clinical and radiographic tests were performed. Then the resin prototype was slid into the positional prototype and fitted to the patient, and the esthetic and occlusal properties were evaluated and refined. Definitive restoration was obtained by luting the 2 prototypes together and finalizing the prosthesis with pink resin.

The prototypes allowed the clinician to simultaneously verify the accuracy of the digital impressions and test the prosthetic parameters in 1 visit. Moreover, they were used to create the final restoration. The digital bar prototype technique also allowed for the reduction of clinical and laboratory time in a full-arch rehabilitation on implants. Nevertheless, obtaining a full-arch impression in an edentulous arch can be challenging, and further studies are necessary to evaluate the long-term success of this technique.