The DTR Technique-Drilling through the Roots of Posterior Teeth for Anatomically Guided Immediate Implant Placement: A Cohort Study

The present study clinically analyzes implant survival of immediate implant placement cases using the drilling through roots (DTR) technique for anatomically-guided implant site preparation, as an aid to placing immediate dental implants in multi-radicular teeth. This clinical analysis utilized patients' electronic dental records who underwent immediate implant surgery using the DTR technique. All immediately placed implants were followed up regularly every year, after restoration. Implant survival was assessed with the Albrektsson et al. criteria. Inferential statistics was performed using SPSS v 21(IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) software. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was done to assess the implant survival probability. A total of 250 records of dental implants placed in 227 subjects using the DTR technique were considered. Results showed that the mean survival duration of implants was found 63.29 months and the median survival duration to be 55 months. A 100% success rate was seen in implant fixed bridge cases, and about 97.6% success was seen in single crown cases. No significant difference was seen in the survival rates during the follow-up period when compared according to the quadrants/site of implant placement. The findings concluded that tooth-guided rapid implant placement is a unique strategy for convenient and safe insertion, providing accurate three-dimensional positioning. The DTR method is a novel approach that facilitates accurate positioning and angulation of the implant bed preparation by stabilizing and guiding the osteotomy drills using the retained root. As a result, it enables optimal implant positioning at multirooted extraction sites. How to cite this article: Mahesh L, Miselli A, Bhasin MT, et al. The DTR Technique-Drilling through the Roots of Posterior Teeth for Anatomically Guided Immediate Implant Placement: A Cohort Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(5):432-439.