Cat Scan Guided Placement of Dental Implants

Cat scan aided dental implant surgery is the latest innovation in an already amazing treatment to replace missing natural teeth with implants. The concept of NobelGuide ™ began in 2003. It was developed with Katholic University of Leuven. A guide or surgical template for Dr. Helfst is made prior to your dental implant surgery. This template is manufactured from a cat scan taken of your teeth and jaws. Dr. Helfst is able to import this information into a 3D digital program on his computer and plan your surgery virtually prior to your surgery.

The other astonishing aspect of this technology is that Dr. Helfst is able to plan the exact placement of your dental implants with your restorative dentist, based upon her or his final teeth that they will make for you. Because this technology is so exacting minimally invasive surgery can be performed. In most instances gum tissue does not need to be incised or lifted off the jaw bone (flapless surgery). This translates into faster and more comfortable surgery for you and a quicker recovery and less down time. In most cases you can immediately return to work and/or social life after treatment.

By planning your treatment and transforming this into a surgical template with precise accuracy a higher degree of safety and predictability is obtained. It results in optimal implant placement virtually eliminating damage to adjacent tissues.

The other sensational aspect of this pre-planned surgery is that you can have pre-planned fabricated teeth. Either the final or immediate temporary teeth can be placed on your implants the day of your surgery. This concept known as (Teeth-in-an-Hour) greatly reduces treatment time and in most instances you can function with your new teeth the day of your surgery.