Slim Yet Strong: Straumann® Bone Level Tapered Ø2.9 mm Implant
Compendium features peer-reviewed articles and continuing education opportunities on restorative techniques, clinical insights, and dental innovations, offering essential knowledge for dental professionals.
September 29, 2017
Volume 38, Issue 8, September 2017
Page(s): p. 568
When nearly three-quarters of your practice’s procedures are dental implant-related surgeries, choosing implants you can rely on is of utmost importance. Robert J. Miller, DMD, has been a periodontist for over 30 years and finally found the small-diameter implant he can trust to provide long-term satisfaction for his patients.
The Straumann® Bone Level Tapered Ø2.9 mm Implant is designed to treat patients with reduced interdental space of the lateral maxillary and mandibular incisors. Because these procedures can be challenging, it is imperative that the implants are slim, yet strong. “The material used to fabricate the BLT Ø2.9 mm implant is Roxolid®, which is made of a titanium-zirconium alloy. Roxolid has a higher tensile and fatigue strength than the more common commercially pure titanium implants, which gives me more confidence, particularly in the smaller diameters,” Miller says.
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As the name suggests, the implant features an apically tapered implant body, which allows it to overcome anatomical restrictions. It also is designed to enable immediate placement and challenging loading protocols. Additionally, the SLActive® surface area is designed to maximize treatment success and predictability in stability-critical treatment protocols. “Because the surface technology is hydrophilic in nature, it allows more rapid osseointegration,” Miller notes.
Patients undergoing an anterior implant procedure, Miller says, want to be assured the outcome will be esthetically pleasing. Because this implant is specifically constructed to complement the anatomy of the tooth, its prosthetics are oval in shape for enhanced soft-tissue management, providing a consistent emergence profile, which allows Miller to put his patients’ minds at ease.
“For its indications, which are essentially small interdental spaces and ridges in the anterior regions, the Ø2.9 mm diameter size of the implant really stands out because you can create a really nice emergence profile. In other words, if an implant is more than Ø3.0 mm, you’re not going to have an appropriate emergence profile because you’ll often be too close to the adjacent teeth, which will lead to a less esthetic result and potentially compromise the adjacent teeth,” Miller explains.
Miller concedes that the number of patients requiring small-diameter implants may only constitute a fraction of his monthly procedures. However, for these patients, the Straumann BLT Ø2.9 mm implant is an excellent option that is reliable and esthetically pleasing. Incorporating the use of this implant into a practice can be a smart way to expand the practice’s portfolio of services.
Miller explains, “A couple of years ago, I had a patient who had just a little more than Ø5.0 mm of space for an implant to be placed. Had I used a Ø3.3 mm implant, she would have had less than a millimeter between the implant body and the adjacent natural tooth. There was crowding in the lower incisor area and some overlapping teeth, and I told her orthodontic therapy would be necessary. She did not want to go through with that and kept asking if there were any other options. Knowing that the Straumann BLT Ø2.9 mm implant was forthcoming from Straumann, I kept monitoring when it was going to hit the market, because I had the perfect candidate for it. As soon as it became available, I informed the patient, who enthusiastically booked an appointment the very next day.”
The reduced interdental space of the lateral maxillary and mandibular incisors can be demanding to treat, and placing the small-diameter implant requires surgical experience. The unit’s Small Crossfit® design, however, simplifies handling and assures that the abutment is seated properly. Miller adds that the Ø1.6 mm needle drill used for implant bed preparation “pinpoints exactly where you need to place your implant.” Additionally, all Straumann final abutments are torqued in at 35 Ncm, which helps provide consistency and peace of mind.
As Miller attests, the Straumann BLT Ø2.9 mm implant is up for the challenge of treating tight spaces in the anterior. To learn more, visit twonine.straumann.com.
Straumann USA LLC
60 Minuteman Rd
Andover, MA 01810
800-448-8168
twonine.straumann.com
