Understanding implant guide designs
What a surgical guide is, what we need to design one, and what you receive.
A surgical guide is a printed template that seats on the teeth, gums or bone and constrains your drill to the planned position, angle and depth. The design is only as good as the data it is planned on, which is why we ask for both a CBCT and a surface scan.
What we need
- A CBCT volume covering the surgical site, exported as DICOM.
- A surface scan of the arch — intraoral scan or a scanned model, as .stl.
- Your implant system and, where you know it, the specific implant line and diameter.
- Any opposing-arch or bite information that affects the planned restoration.
What you receive
- The guide design as a printable .stl.
- A treatment plan showing implant positions relative to the anatomy.
- The drill protocol and sleeve specification for your system.
We send a preview for your approval before anything is finalised. Nothing is considered delivered until you have signed it off.