X-Guide navigated implant surgery

What is X-Guide navigated implant surgery?

Navigated implant surgery uses a dynamic navigation system, X-Guide, to place dental implants. Instead of a physical template, it relies on optical tracking. As a result, the screen shows me in real time exactly where the drill sits in relation to the planned implant and your anatomy. People often describe it as a GPS for drills and implants, because turn-by-turn guidance helps refine every movement of the handpiece.

First, I plan the implant in software from a CBCT scan. Then, during surgery, the screen shows where the drill is while I prepare the site, and where the implant is as I place it. In this way, the whole route follows the plan.

How does dynamic navigation work?

1. Scan and plan. I use a CBCT scan and a digital impression to plan the position, angle and depth of each implant.
2. Registration. I attach a small tracking device to the teeth or jaw. The system then matches the scan to you, so it knows exactly where the jaw is.
3. Tracking. Cameras follow markers on the handpiece and on the patient continuously, so the system compensates for head movements.
4. Navigation. The screen displays the drill tip, its angle and its depth against the plan, and I adjust until they match.

What are the advantages of navigated implant surgery?

• Accuracy. I check the drill against the plan throughout, not only at the start.
• Flexibility. I can adjust the plan during surgery if the bone looks different from the scan.
• Same-day surgery. Because there is no laboratory guide to wait for, surgery can often follow the scan soon after.
• Access. You need less mouth opening than with a printed guide, which helps with back teeth.
• Visibility. The surgical field stays open, so I keep direct sight and good cooling of the bone.

What did Dr Battista’s research on X-Guide find?

I was among the first oral surgeons in the UK to train on the X-Guide dynamic navigation system. I also studied it during my specialist training at the University of Naples Federico II. The study appeared as Battista E., Gasparro R., Cacciola M., Sammartino G., Marenzi G., “Dynamic Navigation System for Immediate Implant Placement in the Maxillary Aesthetic Region”, Applied Sciences 2022; 12(11):5510, doi:10.3390/app12115510.

This proof-of-concept study followed twelve consecutive patients who needed at least one immediate implant in the upper front of the mouth. The team planned the implants in DTX Studio Implant software and placed them with X-Guide navigation. To measure accuracy, the authors compared the planned position with the real position on a CBCT scan after surgery.

Over an average follow-up of six months, the study recorded no biological complications, implant failures or prosthetic failures. However, it was a small study with short follow-up. Within those limits, the results suggest that dynamic navigation is accurate for prosthetically driven implant placement in the aesthetic zone. In other words, it positions the implant to support the planned crown. You can find more about my publications on the research and teaching page.

Who is suitable for navigated implant surgery?

I can use navigation for most implant cases, from a single tooth to several implants. It is particularly useful for immediate implants at the front of the mouth, where small differences in position affect the gum and crown. It also helps with back teeth when you cannot open your mouth widely, and when surgery needs to happen soon after the scan. For some full-arch cases, however, a printed guide remains the better choice, as the guided implant surgery page explains.

What happens on the day?

I carry out navigated implant surgery under local anaesthetic, and EB Dental also offers sedation. First, I attach and calibrate the tracking device, which adds a few minutes at the start. Then I prepare the implant site while I follow the navigation screen, and I place the implant. Depending on its stability, I fit a healing cap or a temporary tooth.

What is recovery like?

Recovery depends on the procedure rather than on the navigation itself. After a single implant, most people have mild soreness and swelling for a few days. Integration usually takes around three to six months, and then the laboratory makes the final crown.

Are there risks with navigated implant surgery?

Navigation improves control, but the general risks of implant surgery remain: pain, swelling, bleeding, infection, nerve or sinus involvement and implant failure. Accuracy also depends on correct registration and calibration. In addition, the technique has a learning curve, so training and experience with the system matter. If the tracking is not reliable on the day, I can continue the surgery conventionally.

Why choose Dr Eric Battista for navigated surgery?

I have used dynamic navigation clinically and studied its accuracy in published research. I also combine it with specialist training in oral surgery. To find out whether X-Guide suits you, book a consultation at EB Dental. Dentists can also refer a patient directly.