Jennifer Chantler

Implant placement requires precise control over a process with multiple stages to achieve an outcome that can be predictable for the patient and the clinician. When placing multiple implants in an edentulous arch, there is the loss of reference points. This can lead to deviations to the planned implant placement. The use of 3-dimensional imaging, and a virtual tooth set up with the final tooth position produced as an STL file can be merged with the with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) as a Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) file in implant planning software. To avoid significant deviations surgical guides can be fabricated from the planned tooth potions and utilising computer-aided design / computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) implant placement can be more accurate. Surgical guides provide the surgeon with varying degrees of accuracy, depending on the fixation method; tooth, bone or tissue supported with or without fixation pins. Stackable guides allow for less reliance on the removal and replacement of fixation pins between multiple guides, which can loosen and cause error in implant placement. The fixation pin guide is place first and the subsequent implant placement guides and final tooth position guide can be stacked on top of the first guide. The primary advantage of stackable guides is it allows for a planned workflow which is simplified and the final tooth position can be verified at the time of surgery. All procedures have technical limitations and it includes the operator’s experience with the treatment planning and design software. If the planned tooth position is not in the correct horizontal and vertical position and the occlusion is not planned, this can present issues with the placement of the implants. Transfer and the superimposition of the STL files to the DICOM data is important, as to avoid issue with antero-posterior inclination.

Dr Jennifer graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Science from the University of Western Australia in 2014. After graduating, Dr Jennifer worked in Perth as a dentist in both the private and public sector. She also had the opportunity to volunteer each year to provide dental care for underprivileged children in Vietnam. Dr Jennifer then moved to Melbourne to complete her specialist training in Prosthodontics at The University of Melbourne, where she was awarded the Straumann Group Award for Academic Achievement. Dr Jennifer has a special interest in the latest digital technologies and prosthodontic advances. Her thesis was focused on the material science of adhesion to lithium disilicate and zirconia ceramics. She enjoys lecturing and is always seeking to push boundaries of modern prosthodontics. She is a member of the International Team of Implantology, Australian Prosthodontic Society, ADA and the Academy of Australian and New Zealand Prosthodontics