title: Evaluation of the efficacy of a prosthodontic stent in determining the position of dental implants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of a dual purpose (diagnostic and surgical) acrylic resin stent with gutta percha marker used in conjunction with 3D imaging in determination of the position and inclination of dental implants.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was performed as a case control study. A total of 41 implants, of which 20 had been placed without the use of stents and 3D imaging (control group) and 21 were placed using stents and 3D imaging (study group), were studied. A diagnostic and surgical stent with radio-opaque indicator (gutta percha) was fabricated to determine the planned prosthetic position and inclination of the implant. Computed tomography images were obtained and were analyzed using Denta Scan software. The position of the implant was analyzed in mesiodistal and buccolingual dimensions in terms of both position and angulation. SPSS v15.0 was used for statistical analysis (p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study group demonstrated an overall 98.9% efficacy of the test technique being used in the study. On qualitative assessment, the results obtained were within the defined ideal threshold level for four of five parameters (distance from buccal and lingual cortical plate, inter-implant distance, and buccolingual angulation of the implant relative to underlying alveolar bone). For mesiodistal distance from adjacent teeth, the observation was not above threshold value for only one case. For the control group, the overall efficacy was 66.9%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The technique of combined use of a prosthodontic stent and 3D imaging is an efficacious and better technique in achieving an ideal position of dental implants as compared to conventional techniques using periapical and panoramic radiographs and a cast.
authors: Department of Prosthodontics, CSM Medical University, Lucknow, India.
authors: Naina
authors: N
authors: Talwar
authors: Pooran
authors: P
authors: Chand
authors: Balendra Pratap
authors: BP
authors: Singh
authors: Jitendra
authors: J
authors: Rao
authors: U S
authors: US
authors: Pal
authors: Hari
authors: H
authors: Ram
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D057918:Fiducial Markers; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D015607:Stents; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins