Implant dentistry has become the face of modern dentistry for replacing missing teeth. The stability and longevity of implants has revolutionized the industry and allowed dentists to provide better options to patients in need of prosthetic restoration. There are two approaches to computer-guided implant placement: static guidance and dynamic navigation systems. The static guidance system is a free-hand technique for implant placement, while the dynamic navigation system uses computer imaging to guide placement.
Researchers from the Vinshu Dental College in Andhra Pradesh, India, and the Sahyog Maxillofacial Center in Maharashtra, India, recently published a study in Journal of Oral Implantology to evaluate the use of the static guidance system compared to the dynamic navigation system. Lead author Gautami S. Penmetsa, MDS, and colleagues state, “Computer-assisted implants, a more recent innovation in implantology, have a limited research literature. Therefore, there is an urgent need to conduct this research to evaluate the accuracy and predictability results of conventional and dynamic navigation methods.”
Penmetsa et al. conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial in 40 patients requiring cheek implants. Twenty patients were randomly assigned to a control group using the static guidance system and 20 to the dynamic navigation system. Inclusion criteria included patients with good physical and oral health. Exclusion criteria included poor health, smoking, restricted mouth opening, and history of head/neck radiotherapy. During implant placement, researchers compared inlet, apex, and angular deviations between the two treatment groups.
The results showed statistically significant mean deviations at the entry point in the dynamic navigation group. At the top, there was more variation in the static group and a higher level of accuracy was found in the dynamic group in terms of angular deviation. The researchers also compared both groups’ right- and left-sided accuracy and precision, finding better predictability for the dynamic group.
This clinical test shows that the dynamic navigation system outperformed the static guidance system in entry, apex and angular deviation. These findings lead Penmetsa and colleagues to conclude: “Dynamic navigation technology has proven to be more effective in precision and accuracy, emphasizing that computer-assisted implantology will be the future of implant dentistry.” They also note, “Despite the cost and learning curve associated with dynamic navigation technology, its superior predictability in accuracy and precision makes it essential for clinicians to master.”
The full text of the article, “Comparative Evaluation of the Accuracy of Dynamic Navigation and Freehand Methods in Zygomatic Implant Placement: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” Journal of Oral ImplantologyVol. 50, No. 5, 2024, is available at https://doi.org/10.1563/aaid-joi-D-23-00096.
About the Journal of Oral Implantology
THE Journal of Oral Implantology is the official publication of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry and the American Academy of Implant Prosthodontics. It provides valuable information to general dentists, oral surgeons, prosthodontists, periodontists, scientists, clinicians, laboratory owners and technicians, manufacturers and educators. THE JOI is distinguished as the first and oldest journal in the world devoted exclusively to implant dentistry.
For more information about the magazine or the society, visit http://www.joionline.org/orimonline/?request=index-html.
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