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by Dr Jack Yang, Infinity Dental Care, Winston Hills, NSW
I’ve been using the ICam 4D since 2019. It provides technical photogrammetry for full arch implant bridges. Using the unit and following a clear workflow results in accurate planning and implant placement.
What’s good about it
We do a lot of All On X and All On 4 in our practice. Prior to the ICam, it was technique sensitive, required a lot of manpower and was time-consuming. When the denture guide arrived from the lab, it was often inaccurate and the fitting wasn’t great. It could even result in failure of the All On 4 treatments.
The ICam has improved accuracy to an incredible degree. The muti-unit abutments are fitted with dominoes—small scan bodies covered in dots that allow the position of each implant to be determined accurately.
The ICam uses stereo photogrammetry with four cameras. It picks up all the dominoes and records the implant data. That data is then sent to the lab allowing them to fabricate exactly the position of the implant in the mouth. Traditional methods could see a difference of up to 300 micrometres. Using photogrammetry with the ICam has reduced that to single digit micrometres.
The ICam 4D has been a game changer. We now need just one try in and then go straight to finish. Photogrammetry has been a huge improvement in technique with full arch implant bridges. I suspect it won’t be long before technology advances to allow for smaller cameras and single implants.
What’s not so good
The dominoes that are placed on the abutments are quite small and require dexterity to position. Each domino needs to be screwed into the multi-unit and it can be a bit fiddly and dangerous. If a domino is dropped, it could go down the back of the throat of the patient.
