1. Intro to CHROME

Freehand vs Guided Surgery – Why Guided Surgery?

Guided Surgery vs Freehand Surgery

CHROME generates $1,000 more per hour compared to freehand surgery

The business/financial decision on whether to conduct freehand or guided surgery is often focused solely on the material cost of the surgery. This is not a comprehensive overview of the true cost, as it does not take into account the high-cost variable of time!

The table below provides a model to better understand the complete costs associated with a full-arch surgery – time and materials. This model only considers the doctor’s hourly rate (established at $400 per hour) and not the cost of staff and operatory use.

The freehand costs and times were averaged from the feedback gathered from 18 full arch specialists.

Freehand Surgery CHROME GuidedSMILE
APPOINTMENT ANALYSIS Hourly Rate (per hr) Hrs Taken Total Hrs Taken Total
First Consult (CBCT, X-ray, Photos) $400 1 $400 2 $800
Treatment Plan $400 2 $800 0.5 $200
Present Treatment Plan to Patient $400 0.5 $200 0.5 $200
Surgery Day $400 3 $1,200 2.5 $1,000
Post-Surgery Equilibration $400 1.0 $400 0.5 $200
Temp Adjusted (Soft Tissue) $400 0.5 $200 0.25 $100
Transition steps to final prosthesis $400 6.5 $2,600 2 $800
Total Cost 14.5 hrs $5,800 8.25 hrs $3,300

A guided surgical approach should 1) reduce the overall number of appointments from 7 to 5, and 2) the overall appointment hours by up to 66%+. The biggest differences between freehand vs guided times are in relation to:

  • Premade Temp Prosthesis – CHROME’s surgical accuracy means the team can convert the prosthesis with far less work.
  • Transition steps to final prosthesis – CHROME offers a simplified approach to ordering the final.

Taking a guided surgical approach diminishes the majority of the time and clinical implications of unforeseen surgical complications while delivering a superior restorative outcome.

Freehand Surgery CHROME GuidedSMILE
Prelimary Records X X
Surgery X X
Impressions X
Fit Verification Jig X
Try-in X
Reset X
iJIG or Rapid X
Printed Try-in X
Finish X X
Total 7 5
Freehand Surgery CHROME GuidedSMILE
MATERIAL/SURGERY ANALYSIS Cost per item Amount Total Amount Total
Implants $200 4 $800 4 $800
Abutment (avg) $120 4 $480 4 $480
Titanium Cylinders $35 8 $280 8 $280
ROE Lab Tech Cost $1,000 0
Immediate Conversion Denture & Abutment Guide $495 0
Final Zirconia Prosthesis $3,800 0
CHROME Complete Package N/A $6,100
Total Cost $6,855 $7,660

CHROME is slightly more expensive than doing the surgery freehand. This slight increase in cost helps guarantee a predictable, efficient surgery. The CHROME Complete package contains all of the surgical guides plus the immediate load prosthesis, a RAPID applicant, and the final prosthesis on healing has been completed.

Freehand Surgery CHROME GuidedSMILE
COST COMPARISON ANALYSIS Hours Cost Hours Cost
Total Appointment and Material/Equipment Cost 14.5 $12,655 8.25 $10,960
Patient Price $30,000 $30,000
True Profit $17,345 $19,040
Profit Earned per Hour $1,196 $2,308

Comprehensive Cost Comparison

  • Typically patients are charged $2-3K more for guided full arch surgery. This was purposefully NOT taken into account in this model in order to make the results more comparable.
  • Overall the complete doctor journey is 40% quicker with CHROME GuidedSMILE vs freehand surgery.
  • CHROME GuidedSMILE surgery allows doctors to make more than an additional $1,000 per hour vs freehand surgery.