CAD/CAM Surgical Guidance Using Cone Beam Computed Tomography

The chapter provides an overview of computer‐aided design/computer‐aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) surgical guidance using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging. While several companies make CAD/CAM‐generated surgical guides and multiple software manufacturers exist in the market place, the computer software planning system and CAD/CAM‐generated surgical guides utilized and described in the chapter are SimPlant and the SurgiGuide family from Materialise Dental. In addition, the images and 3D volumes demonstrated here are from the Carestream Dental 9300 CBCT unit. The chapter describes two scanning appliance protocols: single scan protocol and dual scan protocol. The restorative leadership process and case type pattern identification leading to proper scanning appliances are discussed. The technology discussed in this chapter is not a substitute for experience and clinical judgment. Rather, the technology facilitates more effective management of information to enhance collaborative patient care.