X-Guided Implant Surgery
Implant dentistry has benefited hugely from technological advances
At Wayside we have moved from physical printed guides (where we drill through pre-made holes in a plastic tray) to X-Guide 3D Navigation where cameras allow us to follow the drill on a screen from incision to placement. This achieves an accuracy not possible with any other method and should be the standard of care for implant dentistry.
Wayside is the first dental practice in the UK to be a Centre of Excellence for X-Guide. Robin has been using this for 7 years and teaches digital dentistry at Nobel Biocare’s experience centre in Zurich.
WHAT IS X-GUIDE IMPLANT SURGERY?
A revolution in implant surgery, improving the precision and accuracy of implant placement.
- Dr Robin Horton is one of the first dentists in the UK chosen to be trained in and to use in his practice the X-Guide 3D Dynamic Navigation Implant System. This revolutionary new implant system is made by X-Nav using technology developed for guided missiles, and is supported and sold by Nobel Biocare, the world leaders in dental implants.
- The X-Guide surgical navigation system is used to seamlessly transfer the position of the implants from your digital treatment plan into your mouth. In this way it takes implant dentistry to new level and makes implant surgery far more accurate, within 0.2mm of accuracy and under 1 degree of angular deviation, and so is safer than ever before.
- It effectively provides the surgeon with 3D navigation meaning during surgery Robin can see precisely where the drill is during the preparatory stage, and where the implant is during placement. The X-Guide uses cameras to continuously track and guide every motion during your surgery.
- The X-Guide now has photogrammetry software which maps where your implants are after placement. This is currently used when we are replacing multiple teeth but will soon be used for taking impressions of single implants. This is because it is way more accurate than any other scan. In All-on 4 or Teeth in a Day cases, it can be merged with your CBCT scan and intra-oral scan to allow a technician to design your teeth. We then import the design into our software to 3D print your perfectly fitting teeth, ready for you to have them in just a few hours after surgery.
HOW DOES THE X-GUIDE DIFFER FROM OTHER TYPES OF COMPUTER GUIDED IMPLANT SURGERY?
Not all implant surgery is the same…
Some dentists still place dental implants freehand, without knowing exactly where the implant is being placed, or what is underneath the gum and must trust their judgement. At Wayside, we have been using Cone Beam CT scans and computer guided surgery for many years as this method is extremely safe and precise.
Both Computer Guided Surgery and the X-Guide require a CBCT scan and pre-planning. However, with the X-Guide surgery the scan is taken with a smart clip in place which captures all the information required to talk to the drill during surgery, so the surgeon knows exactly where the drill is under the gum line.
Unlike Computer Guided Surgery, the X-Guide doesn’t require a drilling guide to be made as it shows the surgeon the pre-planned path to follow on the computer. It also gives real time feedback on the angle, path and depth of the drill and implant. The X- Guide’s advanced technology allows the surgeon to make the most precise adjustments, if necessary, during surgery for a better outcome.
Cone Beam CT scanner
At Wayside we are fortunate to have our own in-house CT scanner for our patients in Harpenden, St Albans and Hertfordshire, which we use to produce a highly exact 3D image of the jawbone, prior to all of our implant surgery.
We employ this scan to accurately determine the quantity and quality of your bone, and where vital structures are located, to plan precisely where to place the implant. This ensures we use the best bone and, crucially, avoid nerves and sinuses. This in turn makes the procedure safer, predictable and allows for an improved aesthetic result.
What is involved in having Cone Beam CT scan?
The Cone Beam CT scan itself is comfortable, hassle and pain free as well as a very quick procedure. It is also very safe as it emits very small amounts of radiation – 80 to 100 times less radiation than a traditional medical CT scan of the same area.
- You stand in the scanner.
- We carefully position your head and ask you to keep still while we take the scan.
- The scanner moves around your head in a circle.
- Each scan takes less than a minute.
Frequently Asked Questions on X-Guided Dental Implant Surgery
It is the most precise way to place dental implants and it provides the surgeon with turn-by-turn directions so they can see what needs to be done before we do it. We use it at Wayside Dental for our patients in Harpenden, St Albans and Hertfordshire, because it is faster and more comfortable with no need to open the gum.
With the X-Guide, we pre-plan where we are going to place the implant so do not have to peel away your gum to look for the best site. We also use dental lasers which are highly precise and extremely gentle. The amount of cell death around the site when we use the laser is infinitesimal compared to a scalpel.
Because we have pre-planned the surgery, it is very quick and minimally invasive while being unbelievably accurate.
These are improved as we have planned to place the implant at the best angle and depth for optimal stability and aesthetics and we have done a digital mock up in the planning stage. The gentle laser helps keep all your tissues around your tooth too which is vital for a natural appearance- gum shrinkage significantly impacts aesthetics.
Studies now show that dental implants placed accurately in good quality bone and at the correct angulation are much less likely to fail.
Yes and because we also use dental lasers during implant surgery, this allows surgery to be even more minimally invasive and of course, there is less inflammation, bruising and significantly faster healing.
We believe that our continual investment in new technology and training greatly enhances our patients’ dental implant experience and treatment outcome.
If you have missing or failing teeth and have been thinking about dental implant treatment or have any questions, please contact us today to book a dental implant consultation. We’re here to help.
