Freehand vs. Guided Dental Implants: Understanding the Difference
Guided Implant Surgery
Guided Implant Surgery
Guided dental implant surgery involves a highly detailed planning process. It requires the use of a CBCT scanner (3D Xray), which captures three-dimensional images of your teeth, jawbone, and other oral structures. A dental laboratory uses the CBCT scans and communicates with your dental implant dentist to create a custom surgical guide.
The guide is then used during surgery. It helps the doctor who is performing your surgery to ensure that your implants are placed at the correct location, depth, and angle. Guided surgery may allow patients to enjoy a shortened healing time and an extremely low risk of complications.
Prosthodontists Specialize in Guided Surgery. Dr. Tchorbajian uses both your digital scan and Cone Beam CAT/SCAN (3D xray) to design the guide during implant Surgery,
Freehand Surgery
The term “freehand” might be a little misleading. A dentist who uses this technique will still carefully plan your surgery with X-Rays and perhaps CBCT scans. However, they will not go back and forth with a laboratory to create a precise guide for use during the procedure.
Before CBCT scanners and guided surgery techniques became popular, freehand dental implant placement was the norm. It has a success rate of over 95%, and freehand techniques are still widely used. This is especially true of cases where just one dental implant is being placed and the risks of surgical complications is low to begin with.
Which Is Better for You?
A study published in 2018 compared treatment results from 20 dental implant patients. Half of them underwent computer guided surgery, and half underwent freehand surgery. All of the patients were happy with the way their implants looked and functioned. However, two dental implant failures occurred in the freehand group, while none occurred in the guided group.
While freehand surgery isn’t necessarily “bad,” it undeniably carries a higher risk than guided surgery. It may be especially wise to seek guided surgery if you are having multiple implants placed or there are other factors present that make your case somewhat complex. The doctor who will perform your surgery will be happy to help you compare your treatment options.4
