Computer-Assisted Implant Surgery: Patients' Experience and Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Surgical Technology
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Computer-assisted implant surgery (CAIS) enhances dental implant placement precision.
• Limited documentation exists on CAIS's impact on patient experience and outcomes.
• Assessing patient-reported benefits is crucial for understanding CAIS value.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate CAIS's effect on patient understanding, confidence, preferences, and experiences.
• To explore CAIS's impact on long-term patient-reported outcomes and oral health-related quality of life.
• To synthesize current evidence and expert opinions on CAIS and patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of clinical studies up to November 2024.
• Synthesis of existing evidence with expert opinions and best practices.
• Analysis of patient-reported outcomes related to CAIS.

Main Results:

• No evidence found that CAIS improves patient engagement or confidence.
• Comparative studies show no difference in intra- and postoperative experience with CAIS.
• The impact of CAIS costs on patient perceptions remains unexplored; many studies subsidize costs.

Conclusions:

• Current research on CAIS patient outcomes may not capture the technology's full potential.
• Benefits like reduced complexity and faster treatment execution need evaluation within entire workflows.
• Future studies should focus on patient-reported outcomes across complete digital treatment workflows involving CAIS.