04 November 2024

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Is Dynamic Navigation the Future of Implant Placement Technology?

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Implant dentistry has become the face of modern dentistry for replacing missing teeth. The stability and longevity of implants have revolutionized the industry and allowed dentists to provide better options for patients needing prosthetic rehabilitation. Two approaches to computer-guided implant placements exist: static-guided and dynamic-navigation systems. The static-guided system is a freehand technique for placing the implant, while the dynamic-navigation system uses computer imaging to guide placement.

Researchers from Vinshu Dental College in Andhra Pradesh, India, and Sahyog Maxillofacial Center in Maharashtra, India, recently published a study in the Journal of Oral Implantology to assess the use of the static-guided system compared with the dynamic-navigation system. Lead author Gautami S. Penmetsa, MDS, and colleagues state, “Computer-aided implants, a more recent innovation in implantology, have limited research literature. Hence, there is a dire need to conduct this research to evaluate the precision and predictability outcomes of conventional and dynamic navigation methods.”

Penmetsa et al. conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial in 40 patients needing zygomatic implants. Twenty patients were randomly assigned to a control group using the static-guided system, and 20 to the dynamic-navigation system. Inclusion criteria included patients in good physical and oral health; exclusion criteria included poor health, smoking, restricted mouth opening, and a history of head/neck radiotherapy. Upon implant placement, the researchers compared the entry, apex, and angular deviations between both treatment groups.

The results showed statistically significant mean deviations at the entry site in the dynamic-navigation group. At the apex, there was more variation in the static group, and a higher accuracy level was found in the dynamic group regarding angular deviation. The researchers also compared the right- and left-side accuracy and precision of both groups, discovering better predictability for the dynamic group.

This clinical trial shows that the dynamic-navigation system outperformed the static-guided 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-aided 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 Free Hand Methods During Zygomatic Implant Placement: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” Journal of Oral Implantology, Vol. 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 distinguishes itself as the first and oldest journal in the world devoted exclusively to implant dentistry.

Source: http://www.joionline.org/orimonline/?request=index-html.