One frustration we’ve commonly had in the lab is difficulty finding effective and open implant planning systems that work for both surgery and laboratory. Many platforms we worked with in the past were locked. We couldn’t access the data surgeons sent to bring their plans into our CAD to plan immediate load restorations.
What we had were silos of information. We may have sent a diagnostic to a surgeon who then planned on a local implant planning software that was only designed to make guides or create plans for a production service linked to that software. This meant we could not design the restorations for the day of delivery with any true accuracy.
A faster way to communicate
I work very closely with Dr. Tim Doswell from the Raglan Suite in Harrogate on immediate load cases. We even discuss cases while taking long-distance runs together. Using exocad, my lab has taken Tim’s scan, created a diagnostic and transferred it to him via dentalshare. That then allows Tim to use the diagnostic in exoplan to choose the ideal implant and position.
Once satisfied, he transfers his planning back to us in dentalshare to allow us to design and produce his guides and, if required, immediate load restorations.
This is extremely time-efficient for both of us.
A better use of our time
Tim concentrates purely on critical planning. He passes the case back to us at the lab for the guide design, leaving him free for more technically demanding tasks that are the best use of his time. However, should he wish, he could easily design the guide in the next step and print it locally or send it to a partner of his choice. That’s the benefit of exocad not charging a click fee or creating a lock-in on the number of designs he can produce using his dongle.
From my experience with many implant planning software platforms, exoplan offers the perfect in-house/outsource-flexible workflows and is unique in the range of features we can utilize as a surgery and laboratory team.
You choose the workflow that suits your needs and setup the best.
A satisfying final outcome
Regardless of where the guide is made, the real power for us is the active integration of the planning back into exocad where we can then directly plan restorations and see what various components or custom solutions would look like using the vast library within exocad.
I’ll leave the final word to Tim.
“Not only is exoplan a fantastic planning tool for the safe and predictable delivery of implant dentistry,” Tim says. “It also serves as an excellent means of communication between surgeon and technician, ensuring that the patient care is delivered to the very highest of standards.”
Steven Campbell is a GDC registered dental technician with almost 30 years’ experience in the industry. Working with skilled teams and some of the most highly regarded dental surgeons in the UK, he and his team at Nexus Dental Laboratory provide solutions for all aspects of restorative dentistry, especially implants and the new digital and CAD/CAM workflows. When not in the lab, Steve can usually be found at a dental event learning from his peers or representing one of the many dental organizations he has been invited to work with, including his current role as President of the Dental Laboratories Association. Rare time off is spent running with his family in the beautiful countryside that surrounds him in North Yorkshire. Keep up with Steve and his team on Instagram.
