Background: Dental implant placement requires precise planning with regard to anatomic limitations and restorative goals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the match between the positions and axes of the planned and placed implants using stereolithographic (SLA) surgical guides.
Methods: Ninety-four implants were placed using SLA surgical guides generated from computed tomography (CT) between 2005 and 2006. Radiographic templates were used for all subjects during CT imaging. After obtaining three-dimensional CT images, each implant was virtually placed on the CT images. SLA surgical guides, fabricated using an SLA machine with a laser beam to polymerize the liquid photo-polymerized resin, were used during implant placement. A new CT scan was taken for each subject following implant placement. Special software was used to fuse the images of the planned and placed implants, and the locations and axes were compared.
Results: Compared to the planned implants, the placed implants showed angular deviation of 4.9 degrees +/- 2.36 degrees, whereas the mean linear deviation was 1.22 +/- 0.85 mm at the implant neck and 1.51 +/- 1 mm at the implant apex. Compared to the implant planning, the angular deviation and linear deviation at the neck and apex of the placed maxillary implants were 5.31 degrees +/- 0.36 degrees, 1.04 +/- 0.56 mm, and 1.57 +/- 0.97 mm, respectively, whereas corresponding figures for placed mandibular implants were 4.44 degrees +/- 0.31 degrees, 1.42 +/- 1.05 mm, and 1.44 +/- 1.03 mm, respectively.
Conclusion: SLA surgical guides using CT data may be reliable in implant placement and make flapless implant placement possible.