Accuracy of chairside-milled CAD/CAM drill guides for dental implants

Abstract

PURPOSE To describe a chairside method for producing implant guides based solely on digital data and present a first assessment of in vitro accuracy on plaster models. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-four implants were planned and pilot drillings were performed according to a new protocol, which is based on the registration of CBCT and CAD/CAM data. Chairside-milled one-piece drill guides were used to transfer the virtual plan into reality. Accuracy measurements were acquired. RESULTS Chairside-milled drill guides were successfully fabricated and accuracy for pilot drillings was between 0.17 and 1.3 mm. CONCLUSION Within the limits of this experimental study, chairside-milled drill guides are feasible and do not require any preparation before CBCT scanning.