What is the Anatomic Guide™?

3Sixty’s signature Anatomic Guide™ is the culmination of more than 500,000 successful implants placed across our network of 3,000 plus dentists and over 120 certified labs around the world. Thanks to this large-scale global collaboration, we have achieved a remarkable breakthrough in today’s world of dental implantology. The Anatomic Guide™ is steadily becoming the gold standard when it comes to bone reduction guides due to its small size, superior strength, stability, and minimally invasive surgical flap requirements.

Why should I care?

More than 36 million Americans are missing all of their teeth(*). Among senior citizens, about 23 million are completely edentulous and 12 million are edentulous in one arch(*). These numbers are expected to grow over the next 20 years, and so are the numbers of people looking for a quick, comfortable and esthetically pleasing restorative replacement for their missing teeth. The number of individuals with disposable income who fall into this category is constantly increasing which is reflected in a large number of dental practices’ patient flow. A lot of specialists are looking for a reliable solution to cope with this fast turnaround, while most dental practitioners are looking to expand their offerings as they recognize the potential of this influx.

(*) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Data Brief No. 197, May 2015

Commonly encountered problems using full-arch guided systems

We asked dentists what qualities they look for in full-arch rehabilitation restorative solutions and the answers seem to fall into 6 main categories. The standard mechanical issues seem to be the most common. Problems related to the speed at which the workflow progresses were also found. According to our survey, this is what makes a bad bone reduction guide:

Inadequate fit
No accuracy
Breakage
Instability
The process takes too long

Desired qualities for full-arch guided systems

When asked about the desired characteristics they look for in surgical guides, dental practitioners mentioned the following:

Proper fit and accuracy
Simplicity and ease of use
Minimal dissection/less flapping
Adequate strength
Small size
Teamwork

Anatomic Guide™ features

Now let’s see how our Anatomic Guide™ fulfills all these requirements.

1. Proper fit and accuracy

To get the most accurate results, we reverse engineer the Anatomic Guide™. We start from the desired prosthetic and esthetic final outcomes, and we go back step by step in order to design a restoratively driven, anatomically accurate surgical guide.

The Anatomic Guide™ sits flush on the facial cortical bone and intimately embraces the distinctive intraoral anatomy of the patient. As a result, support is increased threefold, and all cantilever and rocking effects are virtually eliminated.

2. Simplicity and ease of use

At the surgical phase of the treatment, all guesswork is eliminated. The angle, depth and rotation of each implant, abutment and sleeve are predetermined. The 3Sixty drilling protocol lets you know exactly which drilling tool to be used and when. The total drilling depth and tube-adapter drill sequence is pre-planned for you.

The patient receives their PMMA provisional restoration on the same day of surgery. Pending surgical procedures such as tooth extraction or potential bone grafting, single full-arch rehabilitation can be performed in just under 90 minutes, cutting down the overall surgery time by more than 50%.

3. Minimal dissection/less flapping

Thanks to its mechanical advantages, the placement of the Anatomic Guide™ only requires a facial flap to be raised; no lingual or palatal flaps are necessary. The flap itself can afford to be significantly smaller than the ones raised to accommodate traditional guides which are usually bulkier.

This allows for faster healing time, and significantly reduces postoperative pain and swelling for the patient. Immediate loading of the prosthesis is made possible on the same day of surgery.

4. Adequate strength

Using state-of-the-art production technology and materials, the Anatomic Guide™ is 3 times stronger than its current counterparts. This mechanical strength is also enhanced by the screw-locking system which locks it into the buccal/labial bony tissue or nasal floor with short metal screws (as opposed to pins) providing superior stability across the arch.

5. Small size

The Anatomic Guide™ is 75% smaller than conventional bone reduction guides. It can afford to be smaller without sacrificing either accuracy or strength thanks to its anatomical accuracy and superior mechanical qualities. Instead of the standard 12-14 mm distance between conventional guides and the bone, only 2-3 mm are required for the much less bulky Anatomic Guide™.

This means you can load both the upper and lowers guide at the same time. This particular feature has revolutionized the industry reducing the time needed for dual arch rehabilitation by more than 50%.

6. Teamwork

Treatment planning can be a time-consuming endeavor; particularly for complex, full-arch cases. The 3Sixty team approach allows you to outsource the digital surgical planning phase which is a huge time-saver. Most 3D guided treatment planning is done by technicians employed by a dental lab or a service provider.

At 3Sixty, our highly-trained dentists are the ones who carry out the treatment planning, so you can rest assured that you are getting the support and expertise of dental professionals who appreciate the subtleties of the often complex full-arch rehabilitation. To put it shortly, our 3Sixty Dentists understand your needs from the same side of the chair; a unique service that you won’t find anywhere else.

Who are the team members?

General dental practitioner (GDP)
Prosthodontist
Oral surgeon
3Sixty-certified dental lab
3Sixty Dentist

Anatomic Guide™ Workflow

From case initiation to guided surgery kit delivery, our streamlined workflow brings you everything you need in 6 easy steps:

Sending out the required material

Wax-up design and digital impression

Dental lab sends files to 3Sixty

Virtual treatment planning session

Designing & 3D printing of the Anatomic Guide™

Delivery of the comprehensive surgical kit

We aim to get the equipment delivered to you in approximately 10 business days. The comprehensive surgical package includes:

Anatomic cast/analog model
Articulation piece
Vertical mount
Anatomic Guide™
Surgical guide for implant placement
Metal pins, fixation screws/pilot
Temporary PMMA provisional with latches (pre-drilled and pre-cut cylinders)

Our easy-to-follow 3Sixty workflow for the Anatomic Guide™ helps you streamline the guided surgery process and manage the treatment planning phase for your full-arch rehabilitation cases more efficiently. You will feel more confident in your practice knowing that you are always supported by a team of 3Sixty experts every step of the way. Together, we get rid of undue stress with our team-oriented, step-by-step workflow procedure that is preplanned, pragmatic and predictable.

If you want to know more about the subject, you can download our latest e-book, Anatomic Guide™ Workflow for Full-Arch Rehabilitation here: https://3sixtydental.com/anatomic-guide-workflow/

6 Things Dentists Look for in Bone Reduction Guides and How 3Sixty’s Anatomic Guide™ Ticks All the Boxes!