To Compare the Two Implant Placement Protocols to Evaluate Placement Accuracy and Post-operative Healing of the Implant

Assessment of Two Implant Placement Protocols to Evaluate Placement Accuracy and Post-Operative Healing

The goal of this study is to evaluate two commonly utilized surgical guide protocols to determine dental implant placement accuracy compared to pre-operative computerized planning, post-operative healing and bone levels to 12-months post-placement, and patient assessed post-operative discomfort and healing using a visual acuity scale (VAS).

This proposed study would allow us to assess the use of two intraoperative surgical guide protocols in common use in dental practice (matrix-based pilot drill guided and fully digital guided) for implant placement surgical procedure.

Inclusion Criteria:

• English speaking
• At least 18 years old
• Must be a patient of the UAB Dental School
• Able to read and understand informed consent document
• Patients presenting with a single edentulous site planned for dental implant placement
• Presence of periodontally healthy, non-carious neighboring teeth and/or healthy restored dental implants on either side of edentulous site planned for dental implant placement.
• No anticipated need for surgical and/or endodontic care at teeth adjacent to the proposed surgical site during the study period.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Non-English speaking
• Less than 18 years old
• Smokers/tobacco users (>10 cigarettes/day)
• Patients with systemic pathologies or conditions contraindicating oral surgical procedures or adversely affecting wound healing
• Absence of adjacent teeth/implants on either side of the tooth to be extracted and/or edentulous sites where 2 or more adjacent implants are planned.