Latest Technologies

Latest Technologies

The Maxillofacial Institute is one of the most innovative centres at international level in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Our team of specialists offer patients cutting-edge techniques and treatments, together with the latest medical technology and equipment.

Why is the Maxillofacial Institute known as a centre of innovation?

Over the past 10 years there has been a technological revolution in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Right from the beginning, the Maxillofacial Institute has embraced new medical technology in order to provide more accurate diagnoses and above all, to obtain the best possible results. Our Centre currently features:

  • A low-radiation cone beam scanner, or CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography). The CBCT offers many advantages:
    • The radiation dose received by the patient during a CBCT scan is very low. One conventional CAT scan is equivalent to 75 CBCT.
    • The scan time is very short, around two minutes.
    • It’s an open scanner, so it is more comfortable for the patient and avoids the feeling of claustrophobia.
    • Images obtained from a conventional CAT scan have a higher resolution than images from a CBCT scan. However, to achieve this quality, the amount of radiation the patient receives is also higher. The image quality from a CBCT scan does not, therefore, match the resolution you would obtain from a CAT scan, but the quality is good enough to be able to adequately diagnose and monitor pathologies of the facial complex.
    • The information obtained is captured in DICOM format which allows advanced processing using specific therapy planning and visualisation software.
  • An intraoral optical scanner: this scanner captures the three-dimensional anatomy of the teeth owing to its three high-definition micro cameras. The 3D image obtained is later merged with the image from the CBCT scan, thus creating a virtual 3D model of the patient that allows the maxillofacial surgeon to carry out pre-surgery planning with maximum precision and reliability.
  • Specialised 3D software for oral and maxillofacial surgery: the information obtained from the intraoral optical scanner and the CBCT scan is processed using this software. It allows the maxillofacial surgeon to anticipate, plan and simulate virtual surgery before carrying out the real surgery in the operating theatre. The surgeon can also share the expected results with the patient beforehand to increase their confidence and satisfaction with the eventual results.
  • 3D medical printer: the Maxillofacial Institute has recently incorporated their own 3D printer. Using virtual planning, splints and guides are manufactured to enable the virtual surgery plan to be put into practice in the operating theatre: splints that guide the placement of dental implants into the exact positions planned, surgical incision guides that allow the exact resection of a tumour or an anatomical anomaly, splints that correct the position of the jawbones in orthognathic surgery, etc. Custom-made prostheses and implants can also be printed, which are tailor-made for each patient, allowing the surgeons to recover a lost facial element (e.g., a temporomandibular joint or a part of the facial anatomy) or give it a new shape in order to correct an aesthetic or functional problem.
  • Specialist post-operative care: the Maxillofacial Institute offers its operated patients personalised care aimed at speeding their recovery, which includes physiotherapy, lymphotherapy and hilotherapy masks.
  • Piezoelectric energy: the Maxillofacial Institute was the first centre in Spain to use piezoelectric energy in orthognathic surgery. The piezoelectric saw allows osteotomies (cuts) to be made in the bone with a minimal amount of surgical trauma, whilst respecting the soft tissue. This tool is particularly useful in orthognathic surgery for maxillary segmentation and in surgery-assisted rapid palatal expansion (SARPE). Its use in mandibular orthognathic surgery, and in mentoplasty, reduces the irritation caused to the nerves of the jaw. In maxillary surgery, it reduces the risk of damage to the roots of the teeth.
  • An advanced children’s dentistry service: Children with Down Syndrome present a greater risk of periodontal disease, alterations in the occlusion, delayed eruption of teeth, skeletal discrepancies and a large and hypotonic tongue which is usually associated with mouth breathing and drooling. For these cases, the Maxillofacial Institute offers a specialised multidisciplinary team that can treat this type of patient correctly. Sedation or general anaesthetic is usually proposed in order to ensure greater care and comfort for the patient.