Dental Implan Inc , has released patient education software to assist practitioners in explaining to patients what a proposed treatment plan will involve. The software was developed for Jeffrey Ganeles, a florida periodontist, to enhance and streamline patient consultations.
Merrill Lynch and UBS have released stock research reports regarding Nobel Biocare`s NobelDirect implant design. Several recent studies suggest more than 3mm of bone loss in 14-55% of patients. An expert panel advising the Swedish Medical Products Agency on the safety of the NobelDirect implant has responded to a recent Nobel Biocare rebuttal letter in a critical manner. The Merrill Lynch analyst suggests a NobelDirect withdrawal may be ahead.
Thommen Medical has redesigned their VECTOdrill™ twist drills in a high-strength, alumina-toughened zirconia (ATZ). The drills` ATZ ceramic ensures efficient and consistent cutting performance throughout the life of the twist drill. The pilot drill design features a high efficiency cutting tip which initiates the pilot hole without the need for a round bur and has the ability to cut laterally to correct osteotomy location. These are similar in design to the MIS ceramic drills reported on previously.
Straumann has received a US patent for a bioactive coating for their implants. Their modified sandblasted and acid-etched (SLA) surface is coated with an Arg–Gly–Asp (RGD)-peptide-modified polymer (PLL-g-PEG/PEG–RGD). According to a study by Danny Buser, RGD-coated implants demonstrated significantly higher percentages of bone-to-implant contact as compared with controls at 2 weeks. The hypothesized mechanism is that the attachment of RGD peptides directed towards integrin receptors on the PEGylated surface promotes adhesion of cells of mesenchymal origin e.g. osteoblasts to the
Meisinger`s Benex Control system is part of their `Bone Management` instrument collection. It uses a teflon coated tooth-borne ratchet system to extract the tooth root. This is a variation on the `easy-x-trac` system profiled earlier this year.
Karl Schumacher`s Proximator extraction kit consists of 7 periotome-like elevators designed to fit different aspects of the tooth. They are designed to eliminate the fibrous attachment where a periotome does not have sufficient strength.
Nobel Biocare makes mention of their new all-ceramic implant design that uses a zirconium based surface in their annual report (page 35). Clinical trials are in progress. It seems interest in Zirconium Oxide based implants is on the rise by the big companies. Definitely a trend to keep an eye on.
Osseo Scientific LLC has added a collection of low temperature osteotomy drills to their product line. They claim that the unique design allows for lower force osseous penetration and therefore less heat generation. They display an interesting temperature graph as evidence of this.
Med-3d has released a CAT-Scan based 3-D implant planner similar to many other software packages previously profiled, however they use a very unique XYZ positioning device to drill the titanium drill tube holes in the patient stent – basically a dental surveyor on steroids.
