Effectiveness of surgical template for dental implants placed in bone graft

Patient: Marginal mandibulectomy was performed on a 30-year-old woman with an ameloblastoma in the left side of the mandible. Subsequently, the patient's chief complaints were in regard to the restoration of masticatory function and esthetics. Realizing that a free iliac crest graft and implant were necessary, we made a diagnostic wax-up and surgical template to match the maxillary and mandibular alveolar bone position. The surgical template was used to determine the position of a free iliac crest in the operating room. When the final restoration was finished, good occlusal balance had been achieved. Discussion: In this case, an oral surgeon as well as a prosthodontist confirmed the graft bone position by using the surgical template in the operating room. Therefore, it was possible to place the graft bone into the preplanned position and carry out the treatment plan smoothly from the first implant operation to the final restoration. Conclusion: This clinical report describes the importance of free iliac crest graft positions, the surgical template and collaboration between a prosthodontist and oral surgeon in forming the proper treatment plan. (C) 2009 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland. All rights reserved.