Surgical Stent
A pre-fabricated guide appliance worn by the patient during implant surgery to direct drilling to planned positions and angulations.
Full Definition
A surgical stent (also called a surgical guide or drilling template) is a prosthetic or laboratory-fabricated appliance that transfers the implant positions determined during pre-operative planning to the surgical field. Traditional surgical stents are fabricated from study models and acrylic, while modern equivalents are digitally designed and 3D-printed as fully guided templates with metal sleeves that constrain drill movement. Editors should recognize that 'surgical stent' and 'surgical guide' are used interchangeably in clinical literature, though 'surgical guide' is increasingly preferred in digitally oriented publications. The term should not be confused with vascular or urological stents.
Usage
Usage note: Clarify on first use whether the stent is tooth-supported, mucosa-supported, or bone-supported, as this affects accuracy claims. Do not capitalise unless part of a brand name.
In Context
- "A tooth-supported surgical stent was fabricated from the CBCT-derived surgical plan to ensure accurate implant positioning." — Surgical protocol document
- "The term 'surgical stent' is used interchangeably with 'surgical guide' throughout this article." — Editorial note in clinical article