Patent ID: 8851888

Claim:
A method for placing a dental implant, comprising the steps of: sizing and shaping a first portion and a separate, selectably detachable second portion of a surgical stent to conform to an occlusion comprising a select region of mandible and maxilla of a patient's mouth, wherein a post embedded in the first portion extends into the second portion; embedding a transfer band in the first surgical stent portion, the transfer band having first and second opposing generally planar ends and an opening extending between the ends, the opening including a chamfer proximate the second end; obtaining a dental implant; obtaining a guide insert having a pilot aperture therethrough, the guide insert being sized and shaped to be removably received by the opening of the transfer band; obtaining a pilot drill; obtaining a transfer drill having a chamfered shank portion sized and shaped to be slidably received by the opening of the transfer band; positioning the surgical stent in the patient's mouth at a predetermined location in conformance with the occlusion and securing the surgical stent, the second end of the transfer band being adjacent a region of the patient's mouth selected for installation of the dental implant; detaching the second surgical stent portion after the first surgical stent portion is secured; placing the guide insert into the opening of the transfer band; rotatably and slidably inserting the pilot drill through the pilot aperture and drilling a pilot opening in the region of the patient's mouth selected for installation of the dental implant; removing the pilot drill from the guide insert; removing the guide insert from the transfer band; rotatably and slidably inserting the transfer drill into the opening of the transfer band to drill an aperture at a predetermined location of the patient's mouth selected for installation of the dental implant; the location, orientation and depth of the aperture being controlled by the shank of the transfer drill in cooperation with the opening of the transfer band and being guided by the pilot opening, the chamfer of the shank of the transfer drill meeting the chamfer of the transfer band at a predetermined depth; and installing the dental implant into the aperture at the predetermined location, orientation and depth.