Computer-guided planning and placement of dental implants.

The goal of dental implant therapy is the accurate and predictable restoration of a patient’s dentition. These goals are best achieved when all members of the surgical and restorative team are working together on diagnosis, planning, and reconstruction. The recent introduction of new 3dimensional (3D) diagnostic and treatment planning technologies in implant dentistry have created an environment for the team approach to the planning and placement of dental implants, according to a restoratively driven treatment plan. The team can now start with the end result, the planned tooth, and then place an implant into the correct position according to the restorative plan. The accurate and predictable placement of implants according to a computer-generated virtual treatment plan is now a reality, transferring the virtual plan from the computer to operative treatment. Third-party proprietary implant software and associated surgical instrumentation, in combination with 3D imaging technologies, has revolutionized dental implant diagnosis and treatment. This development has created an interdisciplinary environment in which communication between the team members leads to better patient care and outcomes.