Assessing the Role of 3D-Printed Surgical Guides in Enhancing Dental Implant Placement Precision and Patient Outcomes

BACKGROUND: The surgical guide is designed using advanced 3D imaging techniques that allow for a highly accurate simulation of the ideal implant position, angulation, and depth based on the patient's unique anatomy. The aim of the study is to compare implant stability and postoperative pain between guided and freehand surgical implant placement. METHODS: Clinical study included 30 patients with a total of 30 implants were placed and analyzed. All patients were randomly allocated into 2 groups: test group (guided surgery group) and control group (freehand surgery group). The primary stability was assessed immediately after implant placement, and secondary stability after 3 months postoperatively. Postoperative pain was measured using the VAS, immediately after surgery and 1 week later. RESULTS: The study showed that the means of ISQ units for the primary and secondary stability for the control group (without guide) were (63.13 ± 12.67 and 72.53±7.40) respectively, whereas, the ISQ units for the test group (with guide) were (74.20 ± 5.43 and 79.07 ± 5.69) respectively, the statistical analysis revealed a significant difference between the two groups ( P < 0.05). The mean of pain scores was (5.90 ± 1.79) for the patients in control group and it was (2.10 ± 1.20) for test group patients, the statistical analysis showed a significant difference between the two groups ( P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study concluded that the guided implant surgery may enhance implant survival through increasing the primary and secondary implant stability, as well as it associated with low pain and discomfort for the patients.