Key factors for a successful surgical guide: A prospective pilot study

Aims: The aim of this prospective pilot study was to assess the effect of the variation factors starting from the impression technique to the surgery itself in the accuracy of the dental-supported stereolithographic surgical template in implant surgery. Methods and Materials: Eighteen tapered bone level Straumann implants were inserted in 12 partially edentulous patients. The pre- and post-operative cone-beam computed tomography scans were matched allowing comparison of the planned implants with the inserted ones, considering the coronal, apical, and the angular deviation values, according to different surgeons and different implant length. Results: A mean coronal variation of 1.15 ± 0.616 mm, an apical variation of 1.43 ± 0.77, mm and the angular variation of 2.90 ± 1.41were shown. These deviations were within the range reported by several systematic reviews with lower standard deviation from the mean values. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the control of the variation key factors shows better results in guided surgery and with a higher consistency in the results even with different operators.