LOCATOR FIXED® Provides “New Tier” of Economic Prosthetic Solution

SPECIAL REPORT: Implants/Regeneration

John Poovey, DMD, DICOI, began placing dental implants in 2008 and has since placed more than 5,000 of them, he says. Poovey, who has been in practice for 22 years overall, credits advancements in the digital workflow and the evolution of restorative materials and fabrication as keys to enabling him to expand access to care to a greater number of patients at his Grand Junction, Colorado, practice.

"In 2022, Zest Dental Solutions included me in their pre-release, beta phase testing for LOCATOR FIXED^®," Poovey says. "Since then, I have been using LOCATOR FIXED extensively in our practice as a financial mid-tier solution for a fixed appliance for our patients."

The LOCATOR FIXED system for fixed full-arch treatment uses the same abutments and workflow as the LOCATOR Removable system, so existing LOCATOR Removable patients can be conveniently transitioned to a fixed, implant-supported prosthesis by changing inserts and housings, and modifying the overdenture. Poovey says this gives clinicians and patients more options for clinical treatment, especially in relation to affordability.

LOCATOR FIXED supports immediate treatment procedures. "In my opinion, this is where a clinician can discuss with patients the pros and cons of an alternative fixed solution, including the financial component," Poovey notes. "If the patient's goal is to immediate-load the prosthesis, and/or there are surgical considerations regarding bone and sinus, the ‘On X' procedure still is most optimal in providing an immediate solution."

Poovey says that utilization of the minimally invasive LOCATOR FIXED system offers benefits in chairtime savings, decreased lab costs, and overall material costs. With the right bone/sinus considerations and appropriate prosthetics, surgery and restoration are relatively easy, as he and his auxiliaries were already familiar with the Zest LOCATOR system.

"LOCATOR FIXED has created an entirely new tier of prosthetic solution in our practice," he exclaims, "with high patient satisfaction, excellent customer support, and ease of use and implementation."

Poovey adds that with the definitive LOCATOR FIXED prosthetic solution, "We have seen little to no variance in cleansability or masticatory function compared to ‘On X' solutions. Hygiene and maintenance appointments are also simplified, as the prosthesis can easily be removed and reseated."

"Regarding hygiene, this has proven to be a simple post-restorative appointment done once a year where we remove the prosthetic via the removal instrument and clean the prosthetic and abutments," Poovey says. "We change the connectors within the prosthetic, re-snap it in, check occlusion, and the patient is done. This can be reliably completed in 45 minutes or less."

"My experience with Zest and LOCATOR FIXED has been exceptional," Poovey concludes. "Patients have been very satisfied with the definitive LOCATOR FIXED prosthetic solution."

Zest Dental Solutions
800-262-2310
zestdent.com

John Poovey, DMD
Private Practice,
Grand Junction, Colorado; Diplomate, International Congress of Oral Implantologists