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When a full-arch restoration breaks or needs a costly remake, the first instinct is to blame the lab, the material, or the design. But what if the true culprit was much smaller — an error so tiny you couldn’t see it, but powerful enough to derail the entire case?
In modern implant dentistry, even a 20-micron misfit on a single implant can multiply across the arch into 80+ microns of error. By the time the prosthesis is delivered, your entire passive fit is gone.
This article explains why these invisible errors happen, how they propagate, and how new digital measurement methods like true photogrammetry can help eliminate remakes and protect your ROI.
Full-arch cases are the most complex restorative procedures in dentistry. And yet, many clinicians still struggle with:
Prosthetic misfits that don’t seat passively
Screw loosening or fractures weeks after delivery
Extra appointments that crowd the schedule and eat into profit
Frustrated patients who saved for years, only to face another procedure
Engineers, aerospace scientists, and semiconductor manufacturers all know this principle: Small errors don’t stay small. They multiply when repeated across a span.
In dentistry, this means:
A 20-micron misfit on one implant may seem insignificant.
But when linked across four, six, or eight implants, that error multiplies into 80+ microns across the arch.
By then, you’ve blown through the passive fit budget (100–150 microns total).
It screws in. It looks fine. But hidden stress is locked into the framework, waiting to show up as a remake.
2. Tolerance Stacking in Prosthodontics
3. Photogrammetry vs IOS
Aerospace: A 0.1° hinge error in a solar panel causes cm-level deviations at the tip.
Civil Engineering: A millimeter survey error can misalign an entire bridge.
Semiconductors: A 10-nanometer misalignment in lithography renders a chip wafer useless.
Metrology: Across industries, small errors propagate unless actively controlled.
Remakes: costly re-fabrications when hidden stress appears
Failures: loose screws, fractured frameworks
Biological Risks: strain accelerates bone loss and peri-implantitis
Reputation Costs: patients view remakes as failure, eroding trust
Passive fit is essential to:
Distribute forces evenly across implants
Prevent peri-implant bone loss
Ensure prosthesis longevity
Protect practice profitability
With a margin of just 100–150 µm, there is no room for stacking errors.
Traditional IOS and two-camera photogrammetry systems can’t guarantee accuracy across a full arch. Only ICam Photogrammetry prevents stacking errors.
Benefits Include:
Sub-5 µm precision (independently validated)
Operator-independent, repeatable results
No more remakes → higher ROI
Proven superiority over IOS in systematic reviews
The question “Why did this arch remake?” is often answered incorrectly. It can start with a small, invisible error that propagates.
Across industries — from aerospace to semiconductors — micro-errors are treated as mission-critical risks. In full-arch dentistry, the stakes are no different: small errors always multiply.
Copyright 2024 Imetric4D
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