Implant abutment survey

[TheLabGuy]

I'm curious what you do or see in your lab when it comes to abutments...... what do you do the most of, and have you seen any trends in the past couple years?

cast-to
zirconia
titanium milled
screw retained
straight conical
encode
atlantis
locators
any others???????

 

[TheLabGuy]

Me personally, I probably do 65% cast-to, then, 20% screw-retained, and the rest evenly distributed. As for trends, I use to see more emphasis on screw placement, nowadays I don't, therefore I'm doing more and more cast-to abutments so I can correct the ill-placement of the impant screw.

 

[JohnWilson]

90% of the abutments we fabricate in my lab are CAD/CAM out of that 90% we are doing Ti over Zi 8 to 1.

We have seen a rise in screw retained posterior restorations. Could be geographically motivated as my east coast clients seem to request this more than my west coast clients.

We seldom use a stock abutment anymore as the price to produce something custom is so close to some of the proline stock parts that the benefit is no longer there.

Wax and cast is only used for fixtures that I can not accommodate at this time with my CAD/CAM.

By 3rd quarter of this year I fully expect to be able to do just about any fixture out there via cad/cam.

 

[Al.]

We have had 2 zir abuttments snap off in the mouth in the last 3 months.
i was an encode I dont know what the other was the Dr placed it and impressed.

 

[BruceQuality]

Our lab does almost zero cast abutments currently. When I first started here less, than 5 years ago, it was almost the only way abutments were completed here! We now have two scanners in house and do some outsourcing depending upon the implant system.

 

[JohnWilson]

We have had 2 zir abuttments snap off in the mouth in the last 3 months.
i was an encode I dont know what the other was the Dr placed it and impressed.

Did you have to modify those abutments at all prior to delivery Al?

We do a regeneration fire on all adjusted Zi, although we have had our fair share of failures its usually with non metal connected Zi abutments. Our biggest failure rate on Zi abutments is Nobels Active. I think its because the interfaced is milled and that is where the majority of the fractures I have seen have been.

I remember the days of Ceradapt prepable ceramic abutments, boy those suckers were brittle. I can remember not having a water highspeed in my lab so we used a two liter bottle of water set up over a bowl which has a pin hole in the cap. We tilted sideways to get a steady stream of water on the work as we modified it. Amazing what you can make work when you have some imagination.

 

[digitalcadcam1]

90% of the abutments we fabricate in my lab are CAD/CAM out of that 90% we are doing Ti over Zi 8 to 1.

We have seen a rise in screw retained posterior restorations. Could be geographically motivated as my east coast clients seem to request this more than my west coast clients.

We seldom use a stock abutment anymore as the price to produce something custom is so close to some of the proline stock parts that the benefit is no longer there.

Wax and cast is only used for fixtures that I can not accommodate at this time with my CAD/CAM.

By 3rd quarter of this year I fully expect to be able to do just about any fixture out there via cad/cam.

I would have to say about the same for us! All CADCAM from various

 

[kmgold1234]

is the nobel active have the same milled interface as the nobel replace stock with that little pronged titanium piece that goes into the zirconia?
thanks
keith
My Website - we have nobel active parts - including ucla and stock zirconia abutments

 

[JohnWilson]

is the nobel active have the same milled interface as the nobel replace stock with that little pronged titanium piece that goes into the zirconia?
thanks
keith
My Website - we have nobel active parts - including ucla and stock zirconia abutments

Hey Keith,

Good to see you here, Nobels active custom Zi abutments have milled interfaces no inserts.

BTW after looking at your custom abutment website when did you start offering Full Laboratory services? Who are you outsorcing too?

 

[kmgold1234]

we always had full lab services
my partner allen meserkhani owns gie dental lab and he works on all the zirconia abutment cases
he also has a etkon scanner (independent of zirconia abutment)
i updated the website with these other services since we have doctors asking
we see our emax business grow while our zirconia business shrink...

 

[TheLabGuy]

-I've been considering offering 'compatible' abutments as a service to my clients. I'm still trying to figure out how I would offer it, other than a formal letter to all my clients or conversations in passing. How does everyone else do it?......and please don't tell me you're not telling your clients you're using 'compatible' versus 'manufacturer' parts, because I don't think that's right either.
-The only two sites I know of for 'compatible' implant parts is Keith's website (Hi Keith)
My Website
and Niznicks Implant Direct
Implant Direct
Anyone else have any others they would like to throw out there?

 

[doug]

Rob, IF I were to use compatible abutments rather than from the manufacturer the docs would know even if I didn't tell them. It's on the component list on the invoice. I use Atlantis only if asked. I used an Implant Direct abutment once but the fit was not what I expected. Glidewell does them, Biomet is gearing up for them, Whipmix does them.

 

[TheLabGuy]

I wonder how many Docs ever look at their invoices. I don't think any of mine ever do, the receptionist takes it and files it away, the case gets put on the shelf for delivery.

 

[CatamountRob]

Rob, I think you can bet that the first time there is a problem and they look at the invoice and see it isn't what they expected, there will be hell to pay. I use abutments from Implant Direct all the time but the doctors supply the parts with the case. Rob

 

[kmgold1234]

-I've been considering offering 'compatible' abutments as a service to my clients. I'm still trying to figure out how I would offer it, other than a formal letter to all my clients or conversations in passing. How does everyone else do it?......and please don't tell me you're not telling your clients you're using 'compatible' versus 'manufacturer' parts, because I don't think that's right either.
-The only two sites I know of for 'compatible' implant parts is Keith's website (Hi Keith)
My Website
and Niznicks Implant Direct
Implant Direct
Anyone else have any others they would like to throw out there?

i would definitely let your doctors know that you are using other compatible components and let them know that you are adding value by providing them alternative solutions which are more cost effective. For our compatible abutments we use the 050/1.25 hex screw so especially the Nobel guys will be stumped wondering why their star grip does not work. We do have adaptors to convert their nobel torque wrenches so they can use any implant driver. If your doctors start complaining about restoring the case then mention our products and tell them to order from us so they can save money. Anyway to get your docs to see that you are helping them is a plus these days since i do not feel that the larger implant companies are really helping anyone except for themselves.