What Are Surgical Guides for Dental Implants — How They’re Made and Used (Real Photos!)
What is a Surgical Guide?
A surgical guide is a custom-made template that fits precisely over your teeth or gums during implant surgery.
Think of it like a roadmap — it shows the exact position, depth, and angle where each dental implant should go.
Dr Brayden shows what a dental implant surgical guide is in this video
Instead of relying only on visual landmarks or freehand placement, the guide ensures your implant goes exactly where it was digitally planned using your 3D scans.
How a Surgical Guide Is Made
At Teuscher Legacy Dental, each guide is made in-house from your Medit digital scan and CBCT 3D X-ray.
Here’s how the process works step-by-step:
1️⃣ Digital Impression (Medit Scan)
3D digital impression of top teeth to make surgical guide for dental implant
3D digital impression of bite to plan precise bite relationship for final crown BEFORE any implant work is done.
We take a detailed 3D surface scan of your teeth and gums. We have two Medit brand intra-oral scanners at our office. They dont gag you like traditional impression material will!
2️⃣ 3D Bone Scan (CBCT) and Virtual Implant Planning
Your CBCT scan shows the underlying bone volume, nerves, and sinus anatomy.
We plan in more detail where the final tooth will go, and the angle the implant needs to be placed. This data is merged with your Medit 3D intra-oral scan inside our implant planning software. This data is used to 3D print the tooth model and surgical guide below.
3️⃣ Guide Design & 3D Printing
3D printed model of the patient’s upper arch, showing where the implant will be placed
Green metal sleeve only allows the drill to enter bone in one specific direction. This direction is the exact place we decided in the planning phase.
Once the implant and crown plan is approved in the planning software, the surgical guide is designed with metal sleeves to control the drill’s exact path. The file is printed on a dental 3D printer using biocompatible resin and disinfected before surgery.
How the Surgical Guide Is Used During Surgery
On the day of surgery, the guide is seated snugly on your teeth or gums, just like on the initial model.
Each drill step passes through the guide sleeve, keeping your implant trajectory perfectly aligned with the digital plan.
This means:
✅ Smaller incisions and less swelling
✅ Shorter surgery time
✅ Faster recovery
✅ A precisely restored bite that matches your smile design
For patients, this translates to more predictable results and a smoother overall experience.
Perfect implant position on surgery day - due to precise planning.
A beautiful final crown that fits perfectly into the patient’s bite - just like we planned.
Why Precision Matters at Teuscher Legacy Dental
Every implant case in our office is planned with BioHorizons implants (most often using Tapered Pro implants) and often using Densah osteotomy protocols — then executed using the same digital plan you see in your consultation.
That consistency creates:
📍 Precision – Implants placed exactly where the restoration belongs
💪 Predictability – More bone contact and less adjustment later
😊 Peace of mind – A precise plan is in place before surgery
Common Questions
Q: Can every implant be done with a guide?
Most can — especially single implants, multi-unit bridges, and full-arch cases. Some immediate extraction sites require slight modification or open-flap visualization, but we still base the surgery on the same digital plan.
Q: How long does it take to make a guide?
Typically 1–3 days from planning to printing.
Q: Is guided surgery more expensive?
Slightly, but it pays off in precision and peace of mind. Most of our implant fees already include guided placement.
Related Reading
Much more info on cost, timeline, and risks of dental implants here: Dental Implants
📍 Serving:
St. Charles IL | Campton Hills | Geneva | Elburn | Fox Valley
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Schedule your Free Digital Smile Design & Implant Consult today.
📞 Call (630) 762-0000 or Book Online.
