Aesthetics from a new angle - NobelProcera Angulated Screw Channel abutment and Omnigrip tooling

True innovation is about finding new and improved ways to do things. At Nobel Biocare, this means developing new products and solutions to help dental professionals treat more patients better. Innovation is a term that is used a lot, but at Nobel Biocare it's much more than just a word - it's a mission. The company's strategy of "Designing for Life" has innovation at its heart.

With the new NobelProcera Angulated Screw Channel (ASC) abutment and Nobel Biocare's unique new Omnigrip tooling, true innovation has been achieved. These products allow clinicians to offer screw-retained restorations in a practical and aesthetic way that would previously have been impossible in some cases.

No cement: It's as easy as A-S-C

With the NobelProcera ASC abutment, the screw channel can be placed with an angle of up to 25 degrees from the axis of the implant, anywhere within a 360-degree radius. In the anterior aesthetic region, this makes it possible to use screw-retained restorations where a buccal screw access point would previously have ruled them out. When designing the ASC abutment in the NobelProcera Software, the screw access hole can instead be positioned on the lingual side of the restoration. The patient therefore benefits from an optimally aesthetic result without any risk of the issues that can arise with excess cement. Using a screw- rather than a cement-retained solution also makes the restoration easier to retrieve.

Leading restorations now available for a leading implant connection

In the posterior region too, the NobelProcera ASC comes into its own. When used on molars or premolars, the ability to tilt the screw channel into the most convenient position makes it easier for the clinician to place and access the restoration.

As a one-piece restoration, the NobelProcera ASC abutment requires less labour from the dental laboratory and so is produced more quickly, reducing cost. This, together with benefits like improved aesthetics and easier maintenance can increase the likelihood of patient acceptance. Plus, once the patient is in the chair, placing just a single piece makes for a more comfortable experience.

The angulated screw channel option is available for zirconia abutments on narrow platform and regular platform implants with Nobel Biocare's internal conical connection. This advanced connection is available for Nobel Biocare's award-winning¹ NobelActive family, as well as on NobelReplace Conical Connection and NobelReplace Conical Connection PMC (Partially Machined Collar) implants. It offers a hexagonal internal locking mechanism for a tight seal and high mechanical strength.²

The conical connection also allows for platform shifting. This "shift" moves the implant-abutment junction onto the implant platform. This makes room for maximum soft tissue volume to safely come up onto the platform edge. Platform shifting therefore encourages more natural-looking gums for an even better aesthetic result. Moving the junction further away from the bone has also been shown to reduce radiographically detectable crestal bone loss.^3,4,5

Given that individualized abutments from NobelProcera allow the optimal emergence profile to be defined, the combined effect is designed to give an unrivaled soft tissue result. Thanks to a titanium adapter, this zirconia option can also be utilized in the posterior, providing the clinician with an entirely new option for delivering the best possible restoration.

Better handling: Introducing Omnigrip^™ tooling

The benefits of the ASC abutment are only possible thanks to the introduction of the associated Omnigrip tooling. Designed in-house by Nobel Biocare's product development team, it's more than just a screwdriver; it's a driver of increased clinical success.

The unique tip of the Omnigrip screwdriver allows the screw to be tightened and loosened within the angulated channel with the same accessibility and torque as if the channel were straight. It allows easy handling from multiple angles, even in the posterior.

The pick-up feature of the special tip is an outstanding feature. The Omnigrip screwdriver grips and holds the screw equally tightly at any angle within the available range. Clinicians will not have experienced tooling like this before. Such is the level of grip, it has to be experienced to be believed. This capability offers convenience and, most importantly, safety. The Omnigrip is designed to hold the screw firmly when it matters most - when the clinician is working in the patient's mouth.

A new channel of opportunity

Together, the NobelProcera ASC abutment and the Omnigrip tooling offer clinicians not just new treatment possibilities, but opportunities to increase the number of screw-retained restorations they place. Being just one piece, the abutment represents an option that is efficient to produce, but with unique features and benefits that increase patient acceptance. Additionally, in overcoming barriers to optimal aesthetics, patient satisfaction is also likely to improve. Nobel Biocare innovates to help its customers treat more patients and to treat them better. These new products do just that.

References

1. Nobelbiocare.com.
2. Data on File.
3. Atieh MA, Ibrahim HM, Atieh AH. Platform switching for marginal bone preservation around dental implants: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Periodontol 2010;81(10):1350-66.
4. Canullo L, Rasperini G. Preservation of peri-implant soft and hard tissues using platform switching of implants placed in immediate extraction sockets: a proof-of-concept study with 12- to 36-month follow-up. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 2007;22(6):995-1000.
5. López-Marí L, Calvo-Guirado JL, Martín-Castellote B, Comez-Moreno G, López-Marí M. Implant platform switching concept: an updated review. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal 2009;14(9):e450-4.