GUIDED IMPLANT SURGERY
Implant dentistry has benefited hugely from technological advances
Computer-guided dental implant surgery has now become the standard of care for implant dentistry. At Wayside, we are providing cutting-edge dental implant treatment using the X-Guide to patients in Harpenden, St Albans and Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas.
At Wayside all our dental implants are placed using computer guided surgery using a Cone Beam CT scan of the area where the implant is to be placed. In addition, in most cases, we use the X-Guide 3D Navigation, a system that allows Dr Robin Horton to accurately plan where to place your implant and, from a computer screen, guide the implant into exactly that position.
WHAT IS X-GUIDE IMPLANT SURGERY?
A revolution in implant surgery, improving the precision and accuracy of implant placement.
- Dr Robin Horton is one of the first dentists in the UK chosen to be trained in and to use in his practice the X-Guide 3D Dynamic Navigation Implant System. This revolutionary new implant system is made by X-Nav using technology developed for guided missiles, and is supported and sold by Nobel Biocare, the world leaders in dental implants.
- The X-Guide surgical navigation system is used to seamlessly transfer the position of the implants from your digital treatment plan into your mouth. In this way it takes implant dentistry to new level and makes implant surgery far more accurate, within 0.2mm of accuracy and under 1 degree of angular deviation, and so is safer than ever before.
- It effectively provides the surgeon with 3D navigation meaning during surgery Robin can see precisely where the drill is during the preparatory stage, and where the implant is during placement. The X-Guide uses cameras to continuously track and guide every motion during your surgery.
- The software allows the surgeon to pre-plan where to place the implant and provides a route for them to follow. The dynamic software can be used to make temporary teeth via a 3D printer and final restorations (teeth) via a milling machine. Robin now teaches implant dentists X-Guide for Nobel Biocare.
HOW DOES THE X-GUIDE DIFFER FROM OTHER TYPES OF COMPUTER GUIDED IMPLANT SURGERY?
Not all implant surgery is the same…
Some dentists still place dental implants freehand, without knowing exactly where the implant is being placed, or what is underneath the gum and must trust their judgement. At Wayside, we have been using Cone Beam CT scans and computer guided surgery for many years as this method is extremely safe and precise.
Both Computer Guided Surgery and the X-Guide require a CBCT scan and pre-planning. However, with the X-Guide surgery the scan is taken with a smart clip in place which captures all the information required to talk to the drill during surgery, so the surgeon knows exactly where the drill is under the gum line.
Unlike Computer Guided Surgery, the X-Guide doesn’t require a drilling guide to be made as it shows the surgeon the pre-planned path to follow on the computer. It also gives real time feedback on the angle, path and depth of the drill and implant. The X- Guide’s advanced technology allows the surgeon to make the most precise adjustments, if necessary, during surgery for a better outcome.
Computer Guided Surgery
If we can’t use the X-Guide, we still use a Cone Beam CT scan to plan where to place the implant. Once we have planned where we want it to go, we send the image to a laboratory to make a drilling guide. This drilling guide is like a mouthguard with a hole in it which is worn during surgery. It is not possible to know exactly where the drill is once it goes beyond the guide, but it is an enormous improvement on placing dental implants freehand with no CBCT scan and no guide.
Cone Beam CT scanner
At Wayside we are fortunate to have our own in-house CT scanner for our patients in Harpenden, St Albans and Hertfordshire, which we use to produce a highly exact 3D image of the jawbone, prior to all of our implant surgery.
We employ this scan to accurately determine the quantity and quality of your bone, and where vital structures are located, to plan precisely where to place the implant. This ensures we use the best bone and, crucially, avoid nerves and sinuses. This in turn makes the procedure safer, predictable and allows for an improved aesthetic result.
What is involved in having Cone Beam CT scan?
The Cone Beam CT scan itself is comfortable, hassle and pain free as well as a very quick procedure. It is also very safe as it emits very small amounts of radiation – 80 to 100 times less radiation than a traditional medical CT scan of the same area.
- You stand in the scanner.
- We carefully position your head and ask you to keep still while we take the scan.
- The scanner moves around your head in a circle.
- Each scan takes less than a minute.
Frequently Asked Questions on X-Guided Dental Implant Surgery
It is the most precise way to place dental implants and it provides the surgeon with turn-by-turn directions so they can see what needs to be done before we do it. We use it at Wayside Dental for our patients in Harpenden, St Albans and Hertfordshire, because it is faster and more comfortable with no need to open the gum.
It is minimally invasive as so soft tissues are preserved and the implant crown looks like it is naturally emerging from the gum.
Surgery can be performed sooner as there is no need to wait for a surgical guide to be created and it allows for same day surgery. We start at the finish so can plan how we want the final restoration to look and plan to achieve this result. In addition X-guided surgery reduces the need for bone grafts as it allows for the maximum use of bone.
As we can visualise the virtual placement of the teeth, before we place the implant, the aesthetic and functional outcomes are improved.
Studies now show that dental implants placed accurately in good quality bone and at the correct angulation are much less likely to fail.
Yes and because we also use dental lasers during implant surgery, this allows surgery to be even more minimally invasive and of course, there is less inflammation, bruising and significantly faster healing.
We believe that our continual investment in new technology and training greatly enhances our patients’ dental implant experience and treatment outcome.
If you have missing or failing teeth and have been thinking about dental implant treatment or have any questions, please contact us today to book a dental implant consultation. We’re here to help.
