miniMARK Offers Denture Stabilization

While ACE Surgical Supply has been best known for its extensive line of bone regenerative products, the company has not been content to stick to one niche. ACE recently joined forces with Zest Anchors to impact the market with its new dental implant system. Exclusively distributed by Henry Schein Dental, the miniMARK Dental Implant System is the latest addition to ACE's catalog of products—positioning the company to become a major implantology player, says Chris Carchidi, Vice President of Marketing.

Improvements in dental technology have made implant surgery less invasive, and recovery time is now significantly shorter than it once was, Carchidi explains. The new trend is for implants to be loaded immediately, as the implant dentistry market is working to satisfy patients who expect instant gratification. ACE's miniMARK system is being marketed for edentulous patients who wish to have a better solution for their dentures. "The miniMARK system allows for infinite retention between the implant body and the patient's own denture," says Carchidi, "and this can be achieved in one procedure."

Implants are becoming increasingly common among edentulous patients, including dentures supported by either traditional or mini implants. Carchidi notes that by the end of 2011, the number of implants placed in edentulous patients will have risen 13% from 2010. He anticipates that implants will find a stable market among "baby boomers," whose aging population will require implants and dentures in the near future.

Implant technology continues to improve, leaving companies striving to produce better products. Carchidi believes that the current advances in digital technology have opened a wider playing field for implant dentistry, and these advances are key to treatment planning. "Digital technology gives us the ability to offer a complete dental solution for a patient in a much shorter amount of time than we were offering 5 years ago," says Carchidi.

The options provided by ACE's miniMARK Dental Implant System make the system ideal for clinicians who prefer to do as many procedures as possible in-house. ACE has designed the miniMARK system to allow clinicians to place implants during a single, standard procedure that can immediately restore dental function. Because miniMARK uses Zest's LOCATOR head, the implant is easy to place and gives immediate chairside denture retention. Available as both a mini implant with a diameter of 2.3 mm and a traditional implant with a 3.25-mm diameter, the miniMARK System is versatile enough to accommodate many different implant needs.

ACE ensures that clinicians interested in the miniMARK system have an opportunity to learn how to properly utilize it. The company is currently in the midst of a comprehensive seminar series that incorporates both a lecture and a hands-on module. "Having the greatest widget only gets you so far," says Carchidi. "At ACE Surgical Supply we strongly believe that you've got to be able to support and educate your customers."

By the end of this year, ACE will have hosted up to 40 seminars throughout the United States. The seminar course walks participants through all aspects of the miniMARK system, from diagnosis and treatment planning to implant placement and restorative options. The course also covers marketing strategies and patient education. Carchidi encourages any interested dentists to go to the miniMARK website, www.minimarkimplant.com, to view a list of upcoming seminars in cities around the country.

In the future, ACE Surgical Supply is planning to expand its foray into implant dentistry with a full line of traditional implants. "I'm really excited about the future of implant dentistry," says Carchidi, "I believe we've only begun to scratch the surface of how new technology, such as 3-D imaging and in-office software, will play a role in implant practices."

ACE Surgical Supply Co., Inc.
1034 Pearl St
Brockton, MA 02301
800-441-3100
www.acesurgical.com