JDentalCare has designed and developed JDTorque® ,a torque wrench for surgical and prosthetic use. It is a universal wrench and it can be used as a torque wrench or as a traditional ratchet for every implant system with the appropriate adapter. The high mechanical resistance along with the great elasticity of the plastic material PEEK allows it to measure torque up to 80 Ncm. This material is extremely light compared with metals and can undergo thousands sterilization cycles at temperatures
Nobel Biocare has released a one-piece implant design `NobelOverdenture` for use in edentulous situations. It features narrow diameter and one piece for ease of handling. It promises to deliver a cost-effective option to secure dentures.
Straumann has released their new implant – the `bone level` implant. It features the SLActive surface all the way up to the top of the implant. The abutments are anatomically shaped and feature a `platform-switching` concept. It appears that this design is a response to concerns regarding esthetics and recession with implants in the esthetic zone. Straumann reports that `Intermediate data from the first clinical study show excellent esthetic results with regard to both hard and soft tissues indicating a
Ziterion of Germany has released a new one-piece implant design `Zit-Implants` that feature exactly the same implant design but are made from either Titanium or Zirconium. The surgical protocol is identical for both implants and allows the surgeon to decide on the material to be used for the implants at the time of implant placement.
This Swedish company has designed an implant system based on generic implant concepts, but incorporates an efficient packaging system and a web-based reorder/inventory system. Their `White Book` makes for interesting reading.
Bredent Medical of Germany have designed an implant system which allows the use of either a titanium or a zirconium implant. The surgical instruments are the same in either case. Their zirconium based `White-Sky` implant is made from `brezirkon` and is of the one-piece implant and abutment design. The implants come in 3.5mm, 4mm and 4.5 mm diameters with lengths from 8-12mm.
The Swedish Medical Products Agency(SMPA) released a demand for Nobel Biocare to improve the instructions for both its NobelDirect and NobelPerfect implants. Previously Nobel Biocare had released a response to the recent marketing ban on their NobelDirect implant following reports that it lost an excessive amount of bone following placement. The SMPA stood by its decision that the firm not be allowed to market the implants until it had carried out the improvement of the instructions. The SMPA stated that
Zimmer Dental has released a one-piece implant design. It features a straight and angled version with the abutment integrated into the implant. The abutments are asymmetrically contoured and intended for immediate restoration protocols. The implants come in 3mm, 3.7mm and 4.7 mm diameters.
Nobel Biocare released another implant design called `NobelActive` at their world conference in Las Vegas. This design features a new thread pattern. They claim that: `The one-stage implant features a unique shape and a new thread design with a “self-drilling” capability to facilitate drilling protocols in areas of narrower osteotomy. The product is easy to use and provides high initial stability and good outcomes. NobelActive(tm) has been designed for increased soft tissue volume at the head of the implant, resulting
Swiss implant manufacturer Nobel Biocare has signed an exclusive agreement with Wyeth Pharmaceutical manufacturer of Bone Morphogenic Protein rhBMP-2. They claim that: `TiUnite(r) will serve as the foundation for the next generation of dental implants with the potential of eliminating the need to graft and use of membranes. Nobel Biocare is currently in clinical testing of an implant designed to create its own bone. This implant will be treated with a bone morphogenetic protein rhBMP-2 (a recombinant version of a
