Cast-based guided implant placement: a novel technique

One of the most challenging aspects of implant placement is the correct spatial positioning of the dental implant in the bone. Surgical guides of various configurations have been proposed to aid implant placement. If a fully limiting surgical guide is used, the encoded information should be reliable, as deviations are not possible during surgery. This article describes a combination of analog techniques, including bone sounding and periapical radiographs used to study the available bone volume. A simplified casting protocol is proposed, and the implant platform position of the implant analog is transferred to a surgical guide composed of a stiff vinyl polysiloxane material. This surgical guide is used in a conventional flapless guided implant surgery protocol. This combination of techniques allows precise placement of a dental implant, abutment, and provisional restoration in a minimally invasive manner.