Having placed dental implants for more than 3 decades and lectured internationally on the topic, Robert D. Rutner, DDS, DICOI, has used several implant systems over the years. Some have improved dramatically and others work better for certain cases.
Almost 3 years ago he was approached by Ditron Dental USA’s Michael Stevens, the CEO, about trying out the company’s implant systems. He also confided in a trusted colleague who had great things to say about the systems, which cost less than most of the brand-name implants already available in the United States, are easy to learn, and can reduce the number of accessories needed.
“One of the things I’ve been a proponent of is trying to help lower the cost of certain procedures, but with implants it’s tough because [it] can be $500 to buy the implants and then you also have to have all the products [for the system],” says Dr Rutner, CEO of The Dental Implant Pro coaching team, who also has a general practice in Lake Tahoe, California, focusing on surgery and implants. “So, when Mike Stevens approached me about looking at the implants, there were a couple of things that I really liked about it. No. 1 is the aggressive thread design. The other nice thing is that unlike so many cases in the dental world, in implants, for example, companies have 3 different platforms at a minimum.”
With Ditron Dental’s flagship ULT™ Ultimate Precision Implant System and the MPI™ Molecular Precision Implant System, both of which feature design innovations in addition to ultraprecise manufacturing, clinicians like Dr Rutner work with just a single platform.
ULT™ Ultimate Precision Implant
The ULT Precision Implant System is a third-generation internal hex design, incorporating several exclusive features such as the MolecuLock™ biomechanical implant-seal, and the patented Reverse Concave Neck (RCN) to preserve the soft tissue and crestal bone. The RCN increases the implant contact surface area with the bone and preserves a greater proportion of bone and periosteum. The Ultimate™ microgrooves exercise appropriate biomechanical stimulation of cortical bone, stimulate tropism, and enhance the speed and quality of osseointegration.
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“Ultimate has 1 platform, so it’s just way less stuff and way easier to control your parts,” he says. “It just seemed like something to try, and I have been quite pleased.
“I have other implants and if you can find a good use for it, then I’ll use it up,” he says, “but then after that, I’m just going to use the Ultimate [primarily] but I also like the MPI. I use them both.”
The Results
Today most implant systems feature good, clean pieces of titanium that are properly sandblasted or have some coating. If the clinician has at least some skill they all integrate, whether you’re buying an implant for a couple hundred dollars or an Ultimate implant for much less, he explains.
“They all integrate and the patients don’t know the difference,” Dr Rutner adds. “From the standpoint of the doctor, Ditron is a pretty easy system. For a doctor who has placed implants previously, you can place 2 or 3 with this system and it will be pretty easy for them after that.”
Dr Rutner uses Versah densifying burs when he needs to expand skinny spots for placing implants and says this method works perfectly with the Ditron systems. “You can expand the spot and still place these implants whereas some of the other types of implants, the group patterns don’t set up for it very well,” he adds. “But this one’s very universal between these 2 implants and you can place them anywhere.”
Ditron also makes an OPI (one-piece implant) that is popular in Europe, but Dr Rutner says all his needs are met with Ultimate and MPI implants. “It really is a great system. You know, if that was the only system ever available, I could put this one anywhere all the time,” he says. “There’s so much that’s involved with this, but, anytime you can get a nice snug initial stability without too much pressure on that cortical plate, you’ll be good.”
Highly Recommended
Because of the easy techniques, lower costs, and solid results, Dr Rutner suggests dentists consider these implants.
“I’m thrilled with these implants and for the kids starting now, these are the easiest ones to place. There’s tons of us that will also help train the young doctor who really wants to learn how to place them. It’s the simplest system because it’s a hex and everybody has always placed hexes,” he says.
Benefits to general practitioners (GPs) include the reasonable price and the fact that every lab can restore the implants, whether in analog or digital fashion. For specialists placing Ditron implants, you will reduce the cost that your GPs must pay to have it restored. Ditron Dental offers a variety of surgical kits to make placing implants easy and reliable.
