5 things you need to know about implants

Dental implants are a huge part of every lab owner’s repertoire. But just like nearly everything else in the dental world, implants are quickly evolving.

And just like every other dental technology that’s evolving, it’s up to you to stay on top of the current trends. How is technology shaping the future of implants? What does the latest research say about implants? How are general dentists feeling about them? How are labs adding value to their clientele when it comes to implants? How are implants being used in the real world?

All of these questions are important now, and they won’t become any less important in the future. In fact, the future is already here - the question is, will it leave you behind?

Up next: A digital revolution

How the digital revolution is making an impact on implant treatment

It’s no secret that digital technologies are taking the dental and lab worlds by storm. The digital transition has led to more efficient workflows, easily accessible patient information and intuitive user interfaces, among other benefits.

Digital Esthetics recently sat down with Dr. Pascal Kunz, vice president of product management digital dentistry at Nobel Biocare, to discuss the digital workflow and its impact on implant treatment.

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How guided implant surgery can deliver better patient care

As dentistry has moved to a digital platform, more clinicians and labs have started taking advantage of enhanced communication tools in order to provide greater patient care.

The accuracy currently achievable with digital dentistry is unparalleled. This accuracy, along with teamwork within the surgical and restorative team, is creating workflows where the final outcome can be visualized before a case is started.

Implant dentistry is no different.

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The state of dental implants

Over half of the 500,000 dental implants placed in the U.S. every year are placed by general dentists-and that number is growing, according to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. Thanks to the digital workflow, specifically CAD/CAM technology, more general dentists are gaining the tools and confidence needed to offer implants to their patients.

“There are many dental professionals who, understandably, are wary of new ways of working and prefer to continue using the processes they were originally trained in,” says Dr. Pascal Kunz, vice president of product management for digital dentistry at Nobel Biocare. “The number of early adopters in dentistry remains relatively small, but those that embrace emerging technologies stand to benefit.”

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5 ways technology has changed the implant workflow

The explosion of digital technology has drastically changed the dental landscape.

With a larger percentage of clinicians starting to go digital, the workflow for all types of patient care is changing. No workflow has changed more than implant-based restorations.

Here, I will discuss five ways in which digital workflow has changed the way in which implants are restored.

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Research projects highlight increasing adoption of PEEK implants in clinical practice

A wave of recent research projects presented at the latest International PEEK Meeting in Washington, D.C., highlighted the increasing adoption of PEEK implants in clinical practice as well as the material´s established position due to possible patient benefits. In particular, the potential of carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK (CFR-PEEK) plates for fracture fixation became increasingly compelling; moreover, additive manufacturing was revealed as making progress in the production of PEEK polymer-based implants.

Topics ranging from dental, knee, spinal and trauma implants up to advances in additive manufacturing or medical PEEK performance in general demonstrated the broad scope of current research in PEEK technology and clinical applications. More than 40 abstracts were shared through podium and poster presentations along with invited talks focusing on medical implantable PEEK to attendees from the FDA, industry, academia and research hospitals - supporting the growing relevance and necessity for the International PEEK Meeting.

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