Abstract

The use of medical imaging techniques to make a very precise surgical guide for implant placement is described. This template is the combination of a currently used template and a very simple mechanical system designed to transfer a preoperatively defined implant position onto the surgical site. With the planning software, the practitioner determines the implant position according both to the ideal position dictated by the final restorative prosthesis and the available volume of bone. The surgical template then communicates the actual implant position to the surgical site. The template can be used not only in critical anatomical situations but also in placing the implant in an ideal position on bone because it eliminates possible manual placement errors and matches planning to prosthetic requirements.