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Freehand vs. Guided Dental Implants: Understanding the Difference

September 21, 2021

Filed under: Uncategorized — edisonpros @ 3:03 pm
Implant being placed during guided dental implant surgery

The decision to get dental implants is in Edison is one that has the potential to change your life in numerous beneficial ways. Before you can enjoy the advantages of a restored smile, however, you will have to undergo dental implant surgery. Different dentists and specialists employ a variety of tools and techniques to accomplish this procedure. Some of them use freehand techniques, while others favor guided dental implant surgery. Which is better? Below, we briefly compare these two approaches.

Guided Implant Surgery

Guided dental implant surgery involves a highly detailed planning process. It requires the use of a CBCT scanner (sometimes called a cone beam scanner), 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.

The only real downside to guided implant surgery is that it may make your total treatment time a bit longer and add to your overall costs. However, most patients would agree that the benefits of guided surgery make it worth the time and money.

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.

Meet the Prosthodontist

Dr. Vrajesh Shah is an experienced prosthodontist and dental implant dentist. He is trained to provide guided dental implant surgery, and he uses the advanced Densah® system to make each implant procedure as easy and low-risk as possible. If you would like to learn more about the process of replacing your lost teeth with dental implants, Dr. Shah would be pleased to speak with you. Contact our office at 732-906-0077.