Dr Fabrizia Luongo, DDS, MS, Periodontist, Rome, Italy
Introduction
The evolution of digital dentistry and the development of a digital workflow has concentrated on digital planning with the use of Cone Beam CT scanning as well as using digital restorative tools to combine DICOM (Digital Imaging Communication in Medicine) and .stl (stereolithography) files to virtually plan, place and restore implants before using this plan to treat patients. The resulting benefits are reduced chair time, high precision and predictable aesthetic results often with immediate fixed provisional restorations available at time of surgery and corresponding high levels of patient satisfaction.
Intra-oral scanning to create digital ‘virtual impressions’ is also becoming more prevalent with the information being stored in the .stl file format. This information can be utilised by appropriate CAD/CAM (computer-aided design and computer aided manufacturing) software to design and manufacture a dental restoration (either by milling or 3D printing).
One area that is sometimes overlooked is the use of digital technology in occlusal analysis and adjustment of the restored dental implant. The following case study examines the occlusal management of a conventionally placed implant.
Dr Fabrizia Luongo, DDS, MS, Periodontist, Rome, Italy
Introduction
The use of Cone Beam Computerised Tomography (CBCT) scanning is becoming more commonplace in today’s implant dentistry. These scans combined with increasingly sophisticated software technology has led to greater accuracy in digital planning and guided surgery and is gradually being adopted across general practice. Furthermore, the restorative planning can be digitised and combined with the CBCT data in appropriate planning software.
In conjunction with these technology advances, dental implant design has evolved to incorporate the latest concepts of biomechanical design, which include sophisticated thread profiling, platform switching and a Morse locking taper on the implant/abutment interface.
The following case details brings these advances in implants and digital technologies together.
Dr Fabrizia Luongo, DDS, MS, Periodontist, Rome, Italy
Introduction
There has been a considerable evolution in implant dentistry over recent years that has seen the design of dental implants adopt sophisticated thread profiles which leads to a better primary stability. Simultaneously these new geometries aid cortical bone maintenance through to platform-switching capabilities again designed to minimise bone loss. When combined with improved implant-prosthetic connections such as a Morse-locking conical connection it contributes to a good long-term prognosis and an aesthetic outcome.
Concurrent with this evolution in implant design have been substantial advances in digital technologies across the field of dentistry. These digital advances include Cone-beam CT scanning combined with appropriate 3D planning software, navigated surgery technology, 3D intra-oral scanning to create a ‘virtual impression’ and 3D printing technologies. These digital technologies can minimise the number of appointments found in a conventional treatment protocol as well as enabling greater accuracy and will be considered in this case study.
