Comparison Between Virtual Planning and Surgery on the Patient in a Complex Clinical Case

ABSTRACT

The introduction of guided surgery, supported by increasingly advanced planning software, has revolutionized the rehabilitative approach in implantology, making even complex cases predictable thanks to fully digitalized workflows. This method is based on the integration of radiographic data (DICOM files from CBCT scans) with digital models of the prosthetic restoration (STL files), enabling extremely accurate surgical planning.

Particularly suitable for cases of partial or total edentulism, guided surgery allows for reduced chairside time, fewer required sessions, and simplified technical procedures in prosthetic rehabilitation. The introduction of one-piece monoblock implants and multimaterial, modular surgical guides has further enhanced clinical precision and effectiveness, offering significant benefits such as reduced peri-implant bone loss, fewer mechanical complications, shortened treatment times, and improved primary stability.

In the clinical case presented, a 63-year-old female patient with severe functional and aesthetic compromise of the upper arch underwent full-arch implant rehabilitation. Following radiographic assessment and intraoral scanning, a maxillary clearance was planned, followed by the placement of six one-piece implants with immediate loading on a provisional prosthesis. This approach enabled the achievement of a stable, aesthetic, and functionally effective prosthetic outcome, highlighting the high clinical potential of static guided surgery in complex implant rehabilitations.