The surgical stent used as a template for implant screw placement is made of which material?

• A. Dental plaster
• B. Ceramic
• C. Clear acrylic resin
• D. Metal alloy

Answer: (C)

A surgical stent should be made from a material that is rigid, dimensionally stable, biocompatible, sterilizable, and easy to fabricate from a model while allowing visualization of the underlying anatomy. Clear acrylic resin (polymethyl methacrylate) fits these needs well. It can be precisely formed on a study cast, cured to a rigid, accurate guide, and drilled to accommodate drill sleeves for implant placement. Its transparency lets the clinician see the anatomy beneath and verify alignment, and it can be sterilized for intraoral use.

Dental plaster is too fragile and porous for intraoral guides and cannot withstand sterilization. Ceramic is brittle and difficult to modify or adjust chairside. Metal alloy is very rigid and durable but is costly, radiopaque, and harder to custom-fit or modify quickly in the surgical setting.