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Computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology facilitates proper diagnosis, treatment planning and fabrication of a surgical guide template that enables the clinician to plan the implant placement procedure prior to surgical intervention. This development in implant dentistry allows an interdisciplinary approach to patient treatment. The purpose of this review article is to review and analyze the current available literature published on CAD/CAM-based dental implant planning and to provide a detailed discussion on the step-wise procedures involved in using this technology for dental implant planning and placement. Literature published over the past 20 years was selected and reviewed. The advantages and disadvantages associated with CAD/CAM-based dental implant planning were analysed. The various steps involved in fabrication of a CAD/CAM-based surgical guide template, namely, the fabrication of a radiographical template, the computerized tomography scan, implant planning stage and the fabrication of a surgical drill guide, were thoroughly reviewed and discussed. CAD/CAM technology has facilitated flapless surgeries by improvising on pre-surgical planning. Moreover, they have facilitated restoration-driven surgeries by integrating the restorative determinants into the surgical planning. Various clinical reports have demonstrated the use of this system in dental implant planning and in the involved surgical procedure. However, very few studies on the accuracy and reliability of this system have been carried out. Thus, the clinical applicability of this system is still questionable and long-term longitudinal studies are certainly needed before integrating this system into routine practice.