Straumann R&D Expands Implant Dentistry
According to Martin Dymek, Regional Head of North America, “Straumann continues to introduce new technologies that expand the range of clinical situations for which implants are an ideal solution. Advancements in dental implants have revolutionized the practice of implantology by providing a highly esthetic implant option in the anterior region.” Clinicians are confident using Straumann’s tissue-level and bone-level implants, in part due to their SLActive surface technology, which provides an optimal surface topography for osseointegration. Studies have demonstrated a reduction in healing times from 6 to 8 weeks to 3 to 4 weeks1 and a 98% success rate in immediate loading cases at 12 months.2
“Additionally, CAD/CAM technology now allows restorative doctors to offer all-ceramic solutions for the abutment and the crown, eliminating metal margins for the patient,” Dymek explains. “Straumann CAD/CAM abutments are available in zirconium dioxide for all Straumann bone-level and tissue-level implants. CAD/CAM abutments for the bone-level implant platform feature the CrossFit® Connection. Only genuine Straumann abutments feature the CrossFit Connection, which is designed to prevent antirotational forces and deliver a secure and precise restorative solution for the patient.”
Dymek notes that the development of strong, esthetic materials drives the industry. “Through our partnership with Ivoclar Vivadent, we introduced a predictable, highly esthetic off-the-shelf solution with the Anatomic IPS e.max® Abutment and also relied on the proprietary IPS e.max lithium-disilicate, glass-ceramic material for a full-contour CAD solution.” The company will continue to collaborate with other industry leaders, as well as develop its own innovations to deliver the highest-quality solutions to its customers.
“This past winter, we formally launched our new digital platform,” says Dymek. Straumann Digital Solutions connect dental professionals across disciplines—general dentists, specialists, and dental laboratories—with an end-to-end solution. The Guided Surgery System—with its open architecture and localized surgical template fabrication—offers confidence in implant planning and contains a comprehensive abutment portfolio for increased collaboration between the surgeon, laboratory, and restorative dentist.
Straumann partnered with Cadent to continue the digital workflow, from the impression right into the design stage. Cadent’s iTero™ system can send the digital file to a Straumann CAD/CAM system, where the laboratory technician can design a beautiful, precise-fitting abutment or coping, without having to pour a model. “Our partnership with Cadent is a key component of our Digital Solutions platform,” Dymek says. The integration of the iTero system with Straumann’s CAD/CAM system transforms traditionally disparate systems of impression taking, prosthetic design, and fabrication into an integrated, more predictable workflow for the laboratory technician.
“With intra-oral scanning from iTero, we can eliminate the need for consumables such as impression trays, impression materials, and stone models for additional long-term practice cost savings,” Dymek adds. “It is not uncommon to have to take multiple impressions because the material doesn’t set right for one reason or another. This is inconvenient to the patient and costly to the dentist and lab. Digital impression systems like Cadent’s iTero system take digital scans of the patient’s dentition with precise accuracy and without the unpleasant taste of impression material.” The time and cost savings available through this digital workflow may help increase adoption of dental implants.
Straumann strongly emphasizes R&D for all new products and treatment indications. “Our bone-level implant and abutment design concept features a sophisticated connection that is designed to offer clinicians more confidence and treatment predictability,” Dymek says. “Our investment in R&D produced the CrossFit Connection, an antirotational design, which creates a precise, secure, and stable connection between our BL implants and abutments. No other manufacturer has the CrossFit Connection.”
As a 2009 winner of Frost and Sullivan’s Medical Device Technology of the Year, Roxolid™ is a new implant material made of zirconium and titanium. Its tensile strength is 50% greater than pure Grade 4 titanium and designed for use in small-diameter implants in narrow interdental spaces. For clinicians, Roxolid offers greater confidence when placing small-diameter implants and the flexibility of having more treatment options.
“We take pride in the simplicity of our systems,” Dymek says. “For example, a single restorative kit is all that’s needed for restoring either tissue-level or bone-level implants, reducing cost and complexity. This straightforward approach helps encourage collaboration between the surgeon, laboratory technician, and restorative doctor, while increasing the likelihood that implants will be selected as the treatment of choice versus the use of crown and bridge.”
Straumann’s products are not only built on innovation, but are also backed by solid science. “As the industrial partner of the International Team for Implantology, we place a high value on scientifically sound and validated treatment options,” Dymek explains. “With more than 3000 published and peer-reviewed studies that support the use of our products, Straumann is committed to delivering the highest-quality products and value to the market.”
The company will continue to lead the dental industry in implant, restorative, regenerative, and digital dentistry solutions. “Straumann remains focused on research and development initiatives that will improve a patient’s quality of life,” Dymek says. “Dentistry will continue to migrate toward more and more digital solutions for the end benefit of the patient. We will continue to develop new products that meet the needs of our customers and their patients.”
1. Oates TW, Valderrama P, Bischof M, et al. Enhanced implant stability with a chemically modified SLA surface: a randomized pilot study. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants. 2007;22(5):755-760.
2. Ganeles J, Zöllner A, Jackowski J, et al. Immediate and early loading of Straumann implants with a chemically modified surface (SLActive) in the posterior mandible and maxilla: 1-year results from a prospective multicenter study. Clin Oral Implants Res. 2008;19(11):1119-1128.
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60 Minuteman Road, Andover, MA 01810
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https://www.straumann.us
