Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 18, 2026
Dynamic Navigation for Dental Implant Placement
Published on: September 13, 2022
Effect of Drill Handle Force Applied to Digital Surgical Guides on Implant Deviation: An In Vitro Study
ChengI Chu1, Youming Luo1, Xueyuan Li2
1State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Oral Implantology, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Introduction:
This in vitro study evaluated how different forces applied to the dental drill handle during static computer-assisted implant surgery influence surgical guide deformation and implant placement accuracy.
Methods:
Twenty-four virtual implants were divided into six groups (0-10 N, in 2 N increments). Surgical guides were scanned under loaded conditions, and deviations were quantified by superimposition with the baseline model.
Results:
At high forces (≥ 8 N), buccal and palatal deformations increased markedly, with the 10 N group showing the largest displacement and angular deviation. Apical deviations (up to 1.554 mm) exceeded platform deviations (0.720 mm), and angular changes reached 9.595°. Under low forces (2-4 N), deformations were minimal, and anterior regions showed greater stability than posterior regions.
Conclusion:
Forces above 6 N approach or exceed clinically acceptable thresholds, while 0 to 4 N produced the most precise outcomes. A single overload (≥ 8 N) can jeopardize surgical precision and long-term implant stability, underscoring the importance of controlling drill handle force. Clinicians are therefore advised to limit applied forces to ≤ 4 N to preserve surgical accuracy and minimize guide distortion.
