Innovative Implant, Abutment Surfaces Optimize Primary Stability, Tissue Integration

It was Mark Twain who said, "Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life." He and Brent Newby, DDS, MD, are definitely on the same wavelength.

"To me, oral and maxillofacial surgery goes beyond being a career or a job; it is a passion," says the Kansas City metro area practitioner. "Clinicians who are passionate about what they do are always looking for that next breakthrough, be it technology, or a piece of equipment that enables them to deliver greater or more predictable results for patients."

While in an oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at the University of Kentucky, where he earned his medical degree in 2015, Newby was trained in maxillofacial reconstruction, including dental implants and oral reconstruction. This is where he first became exposed to dental implants used for removable prosthetics and full-arch fixed prosthetics, ie, the All-on-4^®treatment concept. When performing these cases, Newby was also trained in prosthetics and completed all of his own same-day conversions.

He comments that he has noticed "incredible advancements in the field of implantology" in the past decade, including innovations in terms of the chemistry of abutment and implant surfaces.

"We are seeing advanced surface formulations and textures that facilitate healthy tissue integration," Newby says. He specifically cites Nobel Biocare's TiUltra^™ as one of the leading implant surface innovations.

"The TiUltra [ultra-hydrophilic anodized] implant surface, which is designed to promote early osseointegration, is conducive to having blood pool in the implant site and allowing a healthy clot to form," explains Newby, whose experiences with TiUltra implants have been "overwhelmingly positive."

"The healthy blood supply at the implant site results in faster healing and better tissue response. This not only aids in attaining primary stability but also helps form the basis of secondary stability," he says.

"With a healthy blood clot in place, the vessels around the implant site are free to ‘turn on the works' and let the oxygen-rich blood and nutrients do their job in healing and building tissue," Newby asserts. He adds that TiUltra along with Xeal^™ abutment surfaces from Nobel Biocare, which are designed to foster soft-tissue attachment, expedite the healing process.

"I feel confident having a surface like TiUltra at the coronal aspect; it's anodized, but not porous," he says. "I've witnessed improvements in patients firsthand in terms of hard- and soft-tissue maintenance in response to the anodized surfaces. This enhancement protects against inflammation and implant complications."

TiUltra is available on Nobel Biocare's NobelActive^®, NobelParallel^™ CC, and Nobel
Replace^™ CC implants. The Xeal surface is available for the On1^™ Base and the Multi-unit Abutment.

"I appreciate the primary stability I see with TiUltra surface implants in immediate and delayed placements," Newby continues. "Also, the gold hue at the coronal aspect is an additional benefit. With these enhanced surfaces, I continue to look forward to improved soft-tissue response, especially in All-on-4^® treatment concept cases where I incorporate TiUltra and Xeal."

Newby notices that while patients generally do not have much brand awareness when it comes to dental implants and restorations, what they do have is trust in their clinician, and part of that is trusting the clinician will choose the best available implant and prosthesis based on the indication. "Combined, TiUltra and Xeal represent a complete solution for clinicians placing implants seeking soft-tissue health, long-term stability, and fast osseointegration."

Nobel Biocare
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