Cone Beam Computed Tomography-Based Evaluation of the Accuracy of Implant Surgery with Conventional (Free Hand) Implant Placement vs Computer Fabricated 3D Guide Implant Placement.

INTRODUCTION: Dental implants have been used in a variety of conventional technique-based forms for many years which had its own drawbacks. With the advent of cone beam CT, proper surgical and prosthetic planning is possible now a days. To achieve ideal implant placement, good prosthetic fabrication and overall successful prognosis computer fabricated guide aided surgery have been developed.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the accuracy of implant placement in partially edentulous patients with conventional free hand technique and computer fabricated guide of implant placement by comparing pre- and post-CBCT data.

METHODS: The present split mouth study design was conducted with forty sample size on twenty randomly selected patients who were treated with bilateral partially edentulous sites requiring dental implants. Patients were treated with both conventional (free hand) technique and computer fabricated 3D guide aided technique of implant placement. Comparison of accuracy of implant placement was done by comparing the pre- and postoperative CBCT data in terms of mean coronal deviation, mean apical deviation and mean angular deviation.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results showed that there is no statistically significant difference between mean coronal deviation, mean apical deviation and mean angular deviation of planned and placed implants in both conventional technique (free hand technique) and computer fabricated 3D guide aided implant placement technique. Hence, this study concluded that conventional technique of implant placement is equally efficient in comparison with computer fabricated guide aided surgery in terms of accuracy of implant placement.