Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of placed implants using two different guided implant surgery materials: thermoplastic vs. 3-D printed surgical guides. Materials and Methods:Twenty duplicate mandibular models, ten thermoplastic and ten 3-D printed surgical guides were used. Twenty implants were placed following the guided surgery protocol. Cone beam computed tomography scans of placed implants and the control implant were superimposed to measure deviations. Results: The thermoplastic group showed average deviations of 3.4 degrees, 1.3mm at the head, and 1.6mm at the apex of the implant compared to 2.36 degrees, 0.51mm, and 0.76mm for the 3-D printed group; p= 0.143, p<0.001, and p<0.001 respectively. Conclusion: There is a significant difference in the accuracy of the location of the implant head and apex between thermoplastic and 3-D printed surgical guides.
","abstract_html":"<p><strong>Purpose</strong>: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of placed implants using two different guided implant surgery materials: thermoplastic vs. 3-D printed surgical guides. <strong>Materials and Methods</strong>:Twenty duplicate mandibular models, ten thermoplastic and ten 3-D printed surgical guides were used. Twenty implants were placed following the guided surgery protocol. Cone beam computed tomography scans of placed implants and the control implant were superimposed to measure deviations. <strong>Results</strong>: The thermoplastic group showed average deviations of 3.4 degrees, 1.3mm at the head, and 1.6mm at the apex of the implant compared to 2.36 degrees, 0.51mm, and 0.76mm for the 3-D printed group; p= 0.143, p<0.001, and p<0.001 respectively. <strong>Conclusion</strong>: There is a significant difference in the accuracy of the location of the implant head and apex between thermoplastic and 3-D printed surgical guides.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Bell, Caitlyn K."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Periodontics","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Sahl, Erik","Kim, Yoon Jeong","Rice, Dwight"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:45Z","subjects":["Dentistry","Medicine and Health Sciences","Periodontics and Periodontology","Dental Implants; Cone-beam Computed Tomography; Dental Materials;","Guided Implant Surgery Materials; Thermoplastic; 3-D Printed Surgical Guides; Guided Surgery Protocol; Implant accuracy"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/418","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Sahl, Erik","Kim, Yoon Jeong","Rice, Dwight"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Bell, Caitlyn K."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Periodontics"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Dentistry","Medicine and Health Sciences","Periodontics and Periodontology","Dental Implants; Cone-beam Computed Tomography; Dental Materials;","Guided Implant Surgery Materials; Thermoplastic; 3-D Printed Surgical Guides; Guided Surgery Protocol; Implant accuracy"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/418"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of placed implants using two different guided implant surgery materials: thermoplastic vs. 3-D printed surgical guides. Materials and Methods:Twenty duplicate mandibular models, ten thermoplastic and ten 3-D printed surgical guides were used. Twenty implants were placed following the guided surgery protocol. Cone beam computed tomography scans of placed implants and the control implant were superimposed to measure deviations. Results: The thermoplastic group showed average deviations of 3.4 degrees, 1.3mm at the head, and 1.6mm at the apex of the implant compared to 2.36 degrees, 0.51mm, and 0.76mm for the 3-D printed group; p= 0.143, p<0.001, and p<0.001 respectively. Conclusion: There is a significant difference in the accuracy of the location of the implant head and apex between thermoplastic and 3-D printed surgical guides.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Accuracy of Implants Placed with Surgical Guides: Thermoplastic vs. 3-D Printed"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Sahl, Erik","Kim, Yoon Jeong","Rice, Dwight"],"dc:creator":["Bell, Caitlyn K."],"dc:description.abstract":["Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of placed implants using two different guided implant surgery materials: thermoplastic vs. 3-D printed surgical guides. Materials and Methods:Twenty duplicate mandibular models, ten thermoplastic and ten 3-D printed surgical guides were used. Twenty implants were placed following the guided surgery protocol. Cone beam computed tomography scans of placed implants and the control implant were superimposed to measure deviations. Results: The thermoplastic group showed average deviations of 3.4 degrees, 1.3mm at the head, and 1.6mm at the apex of the implant compared to 2.36 degrees, 0.51mm, and 0.76mm for the 3-D printed group; p= 0.143, p<0.001, and p<0.001 respectively. Conclusion: There is a significant difference in the accuracy of the location of the implant head and apex between thermoplastic and 3-D printed surgical guides.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/418"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"dc:subject":["Dentistry","Medicine and Health Sciences","Periodontics and Periodontology","Dental Implants; Cone-beam Computed Tomography; Dental Materials;","Guided Implant Surgery Materials; Thermoplastic; 3-D Printed Surgical Guides; Guided Surgery Protocol; Implant accuracy"],"dc:title":["Accuracy of Implants Placed with Surgical Guides: Thermoplastic vs. 3-D Printed"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Periodontics"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:45Z"}