Dentsply Friadent had released their next generation implant surface which features a thermal etching process called BioPoreStructuring. They claim the specific etching acid they use creates an ideal physical, chemical and biological surface needed to attract osteoblasts to the implant surface.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT in Germany have developed a dental prosthesis consisting of a drug-filled reservoir, a valve, two sensors and several electronic components. Saliva enters the reservoir via a membrane, dissolves part of the solid drug and flows through a small duct into the mouth cavity, where it is absorbed by the mucous membranes in the patient’s cheeks. The duct is fitted with two sensors that monitor the amount of medicine being released into the body.
Sirona have received the FDA`s 510K approval for their Galileos 3D X-ray imaging system. This system uses a Cone Beam-based technology that calculates a large volume 3D image set, more than 200 exposures, in a single low-dose 3D scan of 15 seconds or less. This 3D image set is processed and presented in the new GALILEOS software, an advanced extension of Sirona’s SIDEXIS XG imaging software.
Meisinger has released their balloon based sinus lift system. It uses a system of precision drills and drill guides to allow the introduction of a saline-filled balloon into the sinus. This balloon is then filled to gently push the sinus up. They report up to 10mm of lift height with minimal invasiveness.
IVS Solutions AG has released a 2-dimensional implant placement planner that uses panoromic and peri-apical xrays for the implantologist to design the type and position of the implant(s). The software then produces a surgical plan which lists the implants planned for placement as well as an image of the planned implant positioned on the xray.
BEGO Implant Systems GmbH & Co has designed a customizable healing abutment designed to shape the soft tissue. By customizing the PEEK blank at the chairside the emergence profile can be shaped, elliptical or even triangular, depending on the circumferential shape of the tooth that is to be replaced. It is made of a high-strength and completely biocompatible plastic abutment made of (implantable) polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK). This material is trimmed into the required shape with the handpiece at the chairside and
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.
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.
