‘’Digital or Just Dentistry? Rethinking Decision-Making in Implant Therapy’’
We are living in a time where digital workflows promise precision, predictability, and efficiency. Guided surgery, dynamic navigation, AI-driven planning, and fully digital prosthetic workflows are becoming the new standard. But amidst this technological evolution, an important question arises: are we improving our clinical thinking — or outsourcing it?
This lecture challenges the growing dependence on digital tools by revisiting the fundamental biological and prosthetic principles that govern implant therapy. Through real clinical cases — including successes, complications, and decision-making dilemmas — we will explore how technology should support, not replace, clinical judgment.
Special emphasis will be placed on treatment planning in complex scenarios, implant positioning strategies, the limits of guided systems, and the role of experience when digital workflows fall short. The discussion will highlight the variability inherent to clinical reality and the importance of adapting protocols to individual patient conditions rather than blindly following predefined pathways.
Ultimately, this lecture aims to reframe digital dentistry not as a destination, but as a tool — reinforcing that true predictability in implant therapy comes not from software, but from the clinician’s ability to think, adapt, and decide.
>> Resume
Dr. André Chen, DDS, MSc
