CBCT With Galileos® Facilitates Prosthetically Driven Implant Planning and Placement
As one of the first doctors to adopt fully guided, prosthetically based implant surgery, Jay Reznick, DMD, MD, is a strong advocate for digital dentistry and the adoption of new techniques and materials. This belief is present in how he runs his oral and maxillofacial surgery practice in Tarzana, California, where he stays at the forefront of new technologies to provide the best treatment options for his patients, including the use of 3-dimensional (3D) cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).
"The big thing that CBCT has enabled us to do is embrace the concept of prosthetically driven implant planning and implant placement," Reznick explains. "Before CBCT, we would get a 2D image of the patient's bony anatomy, and possibly some study models-then we would need to flap the site open in surgery, and we would place the implant in the bone." That process, however, leaves room for error, he says, because if the practitioner begins working and discovers that the shape of the bone is not ideal, the position of the implant would need to be modified on the spot, and that might make prosthetic restoration challenging or less than ideal.
With CBCT, the dentist can do all the planning up front and determine where the final prosthesis will be, first by bringing in either CAD/CAM data or a radiopaque scanning template; thus, the position of the final restoration is known. "CBCT really has changed the game in that it is now much more predictable for the practitioner to be able to plan the case completely through and, more importantly, anticipate any anatomical challenges ahead of time," Reznick says.
Because of these benefits, Reznick believes 3D technology is now a staple in the offices of many specialists. In his office, he favors the use of Dentsply Sirona's Galileos® Implant software. In this treatment process, he can scan the patient using the Galileos Comfort Plus, map the nerve using the Galileos Implant tools, merge the CEREC® data, and digitally select and position the implant. This seamless workflow, he suggests, is one of the standout qualities of working with Dentsply Sirona products.
In Reznick's experience, Dentsply Sirona is different from other manufacturers because the company, he says, becomes a partner with the clinician during the total treatment process. "For example, if you're a specialist working with a restorative dentist who is not as experienced as you are, the representatives from Dentsply Sirona Implants will be readily available to assist the restorative dentist to help ensure that the patient has a successful outcome," he says. "This is critically important. If you are going to place implants, you want to align yourself with a company that gives you a lot of support."
In addition, Reznick appreciates the number of bone regeneration products the company offers to dentists, including freeze-dried cortical and cancellous bone, particulate bone, and allogeneic bone; xenografts, such as those comprised of bovine bone or equine bone; and various resorbable or nonresorbable membranes. "Based on both your preference as a clinician and the indication of what you're trying to achieve, Dentsply Sirona has virtually everything in its product line to allow you to effectively complete the treatment plan for the case, place the implants successfully, and eventually have a positive restorative outcome for the patient," he says.
Much has changed and developed in implantology and will continue to do so as researchers discover even better ways to place and integrate implants. "You want to partner with a company that is constantly looking to improve its product," Reznick says. "Dentsply Sirona is constantly searching for new ways to streamline processes and improve the implant planning and restorative process, and looking to see how it can enhance its implants for better long-term success." In working with Dentsply Sirona, he sees a partnership that will strengthen as implantology progresses forward.
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