Sinus Lift and Implant Insertion on 3D-Printed Polymeric Maxillary Models: Ex Vivo Training for In Vivo Surgical Procedures.

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesThe aim of this study is to demonstrate the increased efficiency achieved by dental practitioners when carrying out an ex vivo training process on 3D-printed maxillaries before performing in vivo surgery. MATERIALS AND

methodsThis developed ex vivo procedure comprises the following phases: (i) scanning the area of interest for surgery; (ii) obtaining a 3D virtual model of this area using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT); (iii) obtaining a 3D-printed model (based on the virtual one), on which (iv) the dental practitioner simulates/rehearses ex vivo (most of) the surgery protocol; (v) assess with a new CBCT the 3D model after simulation. The technical steps of sinus augmentation and implant insertion could be performed on the corresponding 3D-printed hemi-maxillaries prior to the real in vivo surgery. Two study groups were considered, with forty patients divided as follows: Group 1 comprises twenty patients on which the developed simulation and rehearsal procedure was applied; Group 2 is a control one which comprises twenty patients on which similar surgery was performed without this procedure (considered in order to compare operative times without and with rehearsals).

resultsFollowing the ex vivo training/rehearsal, an optimal surgery protocol was developed for each considered case. The results of the surgery on patients were compared with the results obtained after rehearsals on 3D-printed models. The performed quantitative assessment proved that, using the proposed training procedure, the results of the in vivo surgery are not significantly different (

conclusionsThe study demonstrated that the use of 3D-printed models can be beneficial to dental surgeon practitioners, as well as to students who must be trained before performing clinical treatments.