What you need to send
A guide can only be as accurate as its input data. For a standard case the designer needs:
- A CBCT scan in DICOM format
- An intraoral or model scan (STL) of the arch, plus the opposing arch
- The implant system, diameter and length intended
- The sleeve or guided-surgery kit being used
Aligning CBCT and surface scan
The DICOM volume and the STL surface are superimposed so that bone anatomy and soft-tissue surface exist in the same coordinate system. Alignment quality is the single biggest source of error in guided surgery — scatter from metal restorations often makes this step the slowest part of the case.
Planning the implant position
Implants are positioned prosthetically driven: the final restoration is placed first, then the implant is oriented to support it, while respecting bone volume, nerve canal, sinus floor and adjacent roots. Safety distances are checked in all three planes.
Designing the guide body
Support is chosen based on the case: tooth-supported for partially edentulous arches, mucosa-supported with fixation pins for edentulous ones, or bone-supported when a flap is raised. The body needs inspection windows, adequate thickness for rigidity and a defined seating that cannot rock.
Sleeves, printing and sterilisation
Sleeve housings are placed at the drilling depth defined by the surgical kit. The design is exported for printing in a biocompatible resin, then washed, post-cured and sterilised according to the resin manufacturer's instructions. A guide that is printed at the wrong orientation or under-cured will distort — production settings matter as much as the design.