3-D (3-dimensional) and Restoratively Driven Implant Planning

A prosthetic wax-up is critical in the implant treatment planning process to help assess tissue deficiencies and the final restorative position.¹³ Cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) scans in conjunction with intraoral scans are routinely used for implant planning in partially edentulous patients.^28,29 The data obtained from the CBCT scans, intraoral scans, and the prosthetic wax-up is combined and used for 3D implant planning in dedicated software.²⁹ 3D implant planning helps assess the 3 dimensional bone volume of the edentulous site and the health of adjacent teeth.³⁰ It also aids in determining the optimal restorative implant position with respect to the bony architecture.²⁹ It is also critical to decide the type and design of the restoration (screw or cement retention) at this point in the planning process to ensure a restoration with hygienically cleansable contours.