Guided Implant Surgery
The implant position is decided on a screen, verified against the final restoration, and transferred to the mouth by a surgical guide.
In guided surgery the plan comes first and the surgery executes it. A three-dimensional scan of the jaw is merged with a digital scan of the teeth, and the implant is positioned in software against the bone available and against the crown that will eventually sit on top.
That second reference is the point. An implant placed where the bone is most convenient can end up somewhere the crown cannot be built properly, and the compensation shows up years later as an awkward emergence, a hygiene problem, or a screw channel through the front of a tooth. Planning from the restoration backwards prevents a problem that is very difficult to correct once the implant has integrated.
The plan is then transferred to a physical guide that seats on the teeth or the bone and directs the drill along the planned axis and depth. In suitable cases the placement can be done without raising a flap, which changes what the days afterwards feel like.
This practice introduced NobelGuide to the region in 2006, when computer-planned surgery was unfamiliar territory. Today planning runs on DTX Studio, Exoplan by Exocad and 3Shape, with an intraoral scanner and a 3D facial scanner for digitization — the same planning tools used in clinics across the United States and Europe. With the case planned beforehand, the surgical appointment is also considerably shorter, which matters when your stay has a return date on it.
Who plans the guide
Dr. Rafael Cortés Álvarez, Director of Makeover Dental Studio, is a pioneer of guided implant surgery in Baja: in 2006 he placed the region’s first All-on-6 case using NobelGuide 3D technology, and he has worked with Nobel Biocare for the nineteen uninterrupted years since. He graduated from the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California and holds a diploma from Loma Linda University. His work carries the imprint of two lineages: the direct mentorship of Professor Dr. Alan Kleiman, a pioneer in modern implant research, and the advanced protocols of Dr. Sascha Jovanovic’s continuing-education system, which he keeps refining alongside faculty from the world’s leading implant programs. That is what mentorship passes down, case by case — and it is the method behind the plan presented to you. Cédula profesional 5933630.
He was the first in the region to work with NobelGuide, at a point when computer-planned surgery was unfamiliar territory for most of the profession. Position, angle and depth are decided on the scan and transferred to your mouth with a custom guide.
Expertise on every implant case
Dr. Jorge Maytorena is a leading surgeon on the dental team. He works closely with the DASS protocol (Digitally Assisted Soft tissue Sculpturing) — the digital workflow developed by Dr. Alessandro Pozzi and taught alongside Dr. Lorenzo Arcuri. This cutting-edge technique maps the bone and gum interface on screen before surgery, so the arch placed that same day is shaped to guide how the tissue heals; this allows a finished full-arch case to read as teeth, rather than as pink acrylic. His practice in Baja California focuses on this advanced implantology and complex oral rehabilitation, with an emphasis on precise clinical planning and a comprehensive approach developed during his specialized training at Instituto Alzaga. He completed his foundational studies as a Dental Surgeon at CEUS Universidad, and all implant surgeries are carried out jointly, ensuring that critical decisions always benefit from collaborative professional expertise (Cédula profesional 13741153).
From plan to placement
Two scans, merged
Three-dimensional imaging of the bone and a digital scan of the teeth are aligned into one model, so bone and restoration are visible in the same view.
Position decided in software
Angle, depth and the distance to the nerve, the sinus and the neighboring roots are set on the day of your surgery, before anything is placed, with the future crown as the reference.
A guide that carries the plan
In most cases the guide is the manufacturer’s certified guide — Nobel Biocare, Straumann or Hiossen — rather than a generic printed copy. It seats in a single stable position and directs the drill along the planned axis. What was approved on screen is what happens in the chair.
Why plan an implant on a computer first?
Because bone hides the constraints that matter. The nerve canal, the sinus floor and the roots of the teeth on either side are all invisible from above, and the margin between a well-placed implant and one that crowds a nerve can be a matter of millimeters. Planning in three dimensions turns those margins into something measured rather than estimated during surgery.
Is guided surgery less invasive?
It can be, and that depends on the case rather than on the technology. When the guide can be seated reliably and the bone volume is sufficient, placement is sometimes possible through a small access without lifting the gum, which usually means less swelling and a shorter recovery. Where visibility is genuinely needed, opening the site is the safer decision and the guide is used with the flap raised. Where it is done without a flap, there are usually no stitches to remove either, which is worth knowing if you are flying home within a few days.
What it costs
Prices in USD. Every plan is confirmed after imaging and clinical evaluation; the written estimate you receive before treatment is the one that applies.
What patients say
“Thank you so much for saving the day. I don’t remember the last time I had such a painful toothache. My wisdom teeth were definitely not helping. Thank you for taking me in last second…”
“From the moment I first reached out by email, my experience with Makeover Dental Studio has exceeded every expectation. The clinic itself is state-of-the-art, but what truly sets it apart is the incredible team behind it.”
“I went in there as a walk in and came out a happy customer. Great service and beautiful facility.”
“Very pleased and impressed with the professional service and attention given at this clinic. All of the staff is very attentive. Dr. Erika answered all my questions and concerns, she explained in detail the whole process of my braces…”
Quoted exactly as written. All 479 reviews on Google →
Frequently asked
What patients ask before they book. If yours is not here, the fastest answer is a call.
- Your case planned in 3D before treatment begins
- A treatment plan written in English
- A direct line to the clinic once you are home
No. It transfers a decision that was already made carefully, and it removes the improvisation from the transfer. The judgement lives in the planning stage, where it can be reviewed and revised without a patient in the chair.
Usually not. The scans are taken at the same appointment, the planning happens between visits, and the guide is produced before you return for placement. Grouping it that way tends to reduce crossings rather than add them.
It is used where it changes the outcome: full-arch cases, sites close to the nerve or the sinus, aesthetic zones and cases with limited bone. A straightforward single implant with generous bone does not always need it.
You are one step away from eating and smiling without a second thought.
No more endless treatments, no more dentures that never quite fit. With our digital workflow we rebuild your smile with the precision — and the backing — of the most clinically documented implant systems in the world.
Mon-Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm
Sat 9:00am – 4:00pm
Request your consultation
If you have recent three-dimensional imaging, sending it ahead can shorten the first visit considerably. If you do not, it is taken here as the first step rather than as an add-on.
US: +1 (619) 202-0423
MX: +52 (664) 634-2023
makeoverdentalstudio@outlook.com
Frida Kahlo 10410, Torre Quatro, 1st floor, office 106
Zona Urbana Rio, Tijuana, B.C. 22010
Mon-Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm | Sat 9:00am – 4:00pm
