Astra Tech World Congress touts past success, looks toward future as DENTSPLY Implants

There was no shortage of major announcements from the host company of the recent Astra Tech World Congress, held May 9-12 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The event was the last major use of the Astra Tech name as the DENTSPLY-owned company was recently reorganized into the newly created DENTSPLY Implants brand.

Abutment news

Among the big announcements from the company was the increased demand for its Atlantis™ patient-specific abutments and the expected sale of the one millionth Atlantis abutment before the end of 2012. Astra Tech reported that Atlantis sales are currently growing faster than the overall CAD/CAM custom abutment market and the company has expanded production in  the U.S. and Sweden to keep up with demand. According to the company's press release, Atlantis abutments-which are compatible with all major implant systems-have become the market leading CAD/CAM solution in North America, with a positive response in Europe and Australia.

Recent additions to Astra Tech's Atlantis product line include the Atlantis crown abutment for single-tooth, screw-retained restorations; several new zirconia shades, including a translucent shade; the Atlantis abutment core file, a high-precision digital file that replaces scan of the abutment and the cast for the laboratories, as well as a number of interfaces for newly added third-party system manufacturers. Additionally, the company has rolled out new services including the Atlantis 3D Editor, which is designed to enhance communication between the laboratory, the dentist and Atlantis; and Atlantis™ lab-based scanning, a service designed to ensure a truly efficient digital workflow for the laboratory by allowing the dental models to be kept at the laboratory throughout the entire production process of the final restoration. Today, scanners from 3M ESPE and Dental Wings support lab-based scanning, and later this year scanners from 3Shape will be added to the list.

Implant news

News from Astra Tech's global clinical research program presented during the World Congress provided new data backing up the benefits of the Astra Tech Implant System™. The long-term prospects for OsseoSpeed™ implants were bolstered in a recently published prospective study by H. Schliephake et al. In the study, the 5-year clinical outcome from 44 patients treated with 123 implants placed in the posterior mandible and early loaded, was presented. The study focused on clinical efficacy; hence, survival rate, implant stability and marginal bone level change were evaluated. All implants survived the whole study period giving a 100% implant survival rate. Implant stability, by means of ISQ values, increased during the first year and the marginal bone level change was minimal ending in a total mean change from implant placement to 5-year of -0.08 mm. The authors concluded that implants with the fluoride-modified OsseoSpeed™ surface provide auspicious results for the early loading protocol in the posterior mandible.

An evaluation of OsseoSpeed™ 3 mm narrow implants was undertaken in a prospective multicenter study by P. King et al., which included 69 patients, together treated with a total of 97 implants. The OsseoSpeed™ narrow implants were replacing a single tooth in the anterior region, and the study was designed to evaluate clinical performance using one stage surgery with an early loading protocol. Two-year follow up indicates that treatment with OsseoSpeed™ TX 3.0 implants is a safe and predictable treatment option in the anterior region when interdental space is limited. Soft tissue and marginal bone levels were well preserved.

In a prospective multicenter study of marginal bone support around OsseoSpeed™ Profile implants by R. Nölken et al., 65 patients with a need of single tooth replacements were included. The aim of the study was to clinically and radiographically evaluate the position of lingual, buccal and interproximal marginal bone support after placing and restoring a single OsseoSpeed™ Profile implant in sloped healed ridges. After 1 year, the results revealed small marginal bone level alterations indicating that the OsseoSpeed™ Profile implant is a predictable treatment option where the alveolar crest anatomy is sloped in a lingual to buccal direction.

Scientific Award

The prestigious Astra Tech Scientific Award 2012 was awarded to Professor Tord Berglundh, Sweden, for his significant contribution to research related to oral implants. Being the third winner of the Astra Tech Scientific Award, Professor Berglundh received SEK 100,000.

The Scientific Award Committee presented Professor Berglundh with this year’s award based on the quality and volume of his research.

”I’m very honored and happy to receive the Astra Tech Scientific Award and on behalf of myself and my team I would sincerely like to thank the Award committee – Clark Stanford, Michael Norton, and Lyndon Cooper for being selected,” Professor Berglundh said in a press release.

About Astra Tech

Astra Tech AB is a global leader in dental, surgical and urological products, services and support. Since September 1, 2011, the company is a part of DENTSPLY International, Inc., a global leader in professional dental products. Astra Tech has continually developed market-leading solutions to meet health care needs based on user and medical community input since 1948. Ongoing research and development is aimed at finding new ways to support caregivers and improve quality of life for patients worldwide.

Astra Tech headquarters is located in Mölndal, Sweden, with production facilities in Sweden and North America. The company is represented globally by 16 subsidiaries and selected local distribution partners. Astra Tech has 2,200 employees worldwide and the revenue in 2011 was SEK 3.9 billion. The company invests five percent of its revenues annually in research.