Dental
Implant
Maxillofacial Implants
Custom implants for the reconstruction of craniofacial and maxillofacial defects have gained importance due to superior performances compared to their generic counterparts. Application of 3D modelling in maxillofacial surgery has played an important role in ensuring the same, and is changing the way surgeons are planning surgeries with custom implants. CAD/CAM systems have given us the ability to design and manufacture custom implants at an acceptable cost and in a reasonable timeframe.
Other manufacturing technologies such as stereolithography (SLA), polyjet, fused deposition modelling; 3D printing, selective laser melting (SLM), selective laser sintering (SLS) and electron beam melting (EBM) have also been pivotal in manufacturing complex anatomic parts and have overcome many functional, practical and mechanical barriers in the bargain.
The customised implants are created in the pre-surgical stage, on the basis of the medical and morphological data acquired by computer-assisted-tomography or nuclear magnetic resonance using three-dimensional virtual models and by CAD/CAM techniques. One of the major benefits of custom implants is that it can be designed in any shape or size, largely influenced only by the surgeon’s imagination and the patient’s aesthetic needs and tissue tolerances.
Types of Custom Implants:
1. Cranial Implants – helps in providing exact symmetry & maintaining original aesthetics.
2. Maxillofacial Implants – recreation of complete maxillofacial structures, functions and aesthetics, while preserving minimum thickness so as to reduce weight.
3. Mandibular Implants
4. Orthopaedics
Advantages of Custom Implants:
1. Lightweight
2. Highly customisable
3. Help in risk mitigation by verifying the design beforehand
4. Complex designs are possible
5. Helps in avoiding additional tools and manpower
6. Have a low carbon footprint
DID YOU KNOW?
One of the new possible theories with 3D Modelling technology is to produce a custom implant with the analogue that mimics the root of the missing tooth, as opposed to the traditional implant design (threaded, straight, or tapered). With similar dimensions to the original root, the custom implant could provide better matching with the root socket of the missing tooth.