THE USE OF CEPHALOMETRIC LANDMARKS WITH 3-DIMENSIONAL VOLUMETRIC COMPUTER MODELING TO POSITION AN AURICULAR IMPLANT SURGICAL TEMPLATE: A CLINICAL REPORT

The number of tools available to make a correctly positioned surgical guide for auricular implant placement is rapidly expanding as advances in 3-dimensional computer modeling continue. While the correct orientation of a missing auricle previously relied solely on soft tissue topography, computer modeling software now allows for navigational viewing of hard tissue and cephalometric landmarks. This clinical report describes a technique to establish the orientation of an auricular surgical guide incorporating the use of fundamental cephalometry. Cephalometry as a treatment planning tool has been limited to orthodontics and maxillofacial surgery. This article describes its use in a patient with a missing ear. (J Prosthet Dent 2011;106:284-289)