Freedom to Plan & Design
A robust yet flexible software solution, exoplan guides users through implant planning and surgical guide design using a single digital workflow
First, we need to visualize and breathe life into our treatment plan. That’s where software comes in. While exocad offers a robust variety of software modules that streamline restorative dentistry, implantology, guided surgery, and smile design, that breadth of services may leave some clinicians wondering if “robust” is a synonym for “difficult.”
“I think the exocad software is very intuitive because you can easily move back and forth in the planning or design process,” said Paul Zhivago, DDS, a board certified prosthodontist and lecturer who specializes in esthetic, restorative, and implant dentistry. “Another strong point of the software is its open platform,” he continued, which affords users a flexible digital workflow and simplified experience.
Prosthetic-Driven Implant Planning
Dr. Zhivago takes on a high volume of full-arch cases at his Westfield, NJ, practice, so precise planning is key. For that, he uses exoplan, which employs a single digital workflow to guide doctors through implant planning and surgical guide design. Within exoplan, Dr. Zhivago can plan the inter-arch distance and the correct location of the implants in conjunction with the final restorations.
“Guided surgery is always a better option because it is much more predictable.”
—Paul Zhivago, DDS
“There won’t be any surprises in the treatment outcome because everything is evaluated before surgery even happens,” he noted. “You can make the denture, then plan the surgical guide based on that denture, and then place the implants in a position that will work for the final prosthesis.” “By doing the planning myself both restoratively and prosthetically, I don’t have to worry about any miscommunications or misunderstandings in surgery planning and guide fabrication. It’s more streamlined and the process becomes more predictable.”
Best of all, he added, it can be done overnight thanks to his in-house 3D printer. “Guided surgery is always a better option because it is much more predictable vs freehand placement that leaves more room for error.”
Time-Saving Technology
While every case is unique, Dr. Zhivago typically completes an implant case in 4 to 5 appointments. “In a perfect world, we design the provisionals and surgical guide the same day we scan the patient,” he said. “The next appointment is surgery with implant placement and provisionalisation, followed by healing for 3 to 4 months. Then, inserting the prototype or temporary and doing some adjustments if necessary, and, lastly, insertion of the final restoration.”
For Dr. Zhivago, using an intraoral scanner, 3D printer, CBCT unit, 5-axis mill, and the exocad software means that anything is possible. “I can truly say there is nothing we can’t design, 3D print, or mill in dentistry,” he said.
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