Stackable guides hold their place in AOX surgery, but I maintain that it is not essential for predictable prosthetic outcomes. Knowledge of anatomy, prosthetic goals, and proper planning are the keys for great outcomes without complex surgical guides. I find it frustrating that the term "freehand" is often compared to a "blindfolded surgeon shooting darts from across the room with no regard to predictability." There are several ways to gain guidance from anatomical cues for placing the implants in the right position. The stackable guide concept is a wonderful adjunct to AOX surgery, however, there are times when pivoting from the locked-in plan are needed. Let's review together how to achieve great outcomes when there's a change in the surgical plan.
Speaker Disclosure: This speaker has no financial disclosure to report.
Learning Objectives:
Create an optimal prosthetically driven surgical plan for full arch imlpant cases
Decide how to use the anatomical cues to place the dental implants in the correct prosthetic position
Pivot from the primary intraoperative surgical plan when the bone or torque values are not aligned for success
