Technique of radiographic template

1. Block any severe interdental undercuts or spaces with wax. Soak the patient's diagnostic cast with wax up in slurry. (Slurry is the supersaturated solution of gypsum which does not damage a cast- It is prepared by adding pieces of set plaster into a liquid for about 48 hours and then using the supernatant)

2. An irreversible hydrocolloid impression of the wet cast is made with a large stock perforated impression tray and the impression is poured to obtain a duplicate cast.

The cast displays a restored tooth in the edentulous space and is a representation of the proposed treatment. The base of the cast is trimmed to obtain a flat surface.

3. A vacuforming machine is used to prepare a clear rigid stent over this cast. It is imperative that the sheet used be rigid (not a flexible material used for bleaching tray) and about 2mm thick. The surgical stent for single tooth implant case is required for locating the initial site for osteotomy and to align the osteotomy direction in abeyance to the prosthetic contours.

4. After vacuforming recover the stent from the cast. The rigid material might get locked in the interdental undercuts and the cast may break during recovery. Trim the stent so that it covers the occlusal surfaces of at least two teeth on either side of the tooth to be replaced.This is vital so that the stent can be located to its correct position and stabilized during the surgery. In the region of the implant, the cervical portion of the tooth form should be trimmed both facially and orally in order to allow space for the reflected mucoperiosteal flap during the surgery to prevent trauma.