Astra Tech highlights commitment to research

A group of 35 Australian dentists and technicians joined 2,500 other dental professionals from around the world at the sold-out Astra Tech World Conference 2006 in New York City in April.

Chaired by Professor Tomas Albrektsson from Sweden, the meeting headlined with the findings of an international study involving 15 countries showing the average success rate of Astra Tech dental implants is almost 99%. The study included data showing excellent results for patients who normally have a poor prognosis.

Professor Clark M. Stanford at the University of Iowa in the United States is one of the 300 dentists engaged in Astra Tech's clinical trials involving about 800 patients in the USA and 14 European countries.

"In my part of the study, we have focused on extremely difficult cases," he said. "In spite of the fact that 80% of the implants were placed in critical areas of poor jawbone quality, we have reached a success rate of 95% using an early loading protocol in the area of the upper jaw."

The equally impressive 98.6 % overall success rate is the result of more than 15 years of scientific research and development carried out by Astra Tech.

As well as Professor Stanford, a total of 80 speakers drawn from all over the world presented their latest research to an audience of 2,500 delegates. The focus of Professor Stanford's work is the effectiveness of Astra Tech's latest innovation, the fluoride-modified titanium surface OsseoSpeed™, which attracts and stimulates bone-building cells at the implant site in the early healing phase.

"Early healing and an increased amount of bone around the implant give stability," he explained. "This is crucial when we install implants in soft bone at the back of the upper jaw, the most critical area. It also enables earlier loading."

Also at the congress, Dr Andreas Thor of Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden, detailed what happens in the early interaction between the fluoride-modified surface and blood cells.

"Our laboratory tests show that OsseoSpeed activates the blood in a way that other tested biomaterials don't," he said. "The modified surface releases more growth factors that stimulate bone building cells. The use of fluoride is clearly a smart and simple solution to speed up the healing process."

"It was certainly interesting to participate in the conference," said Dr Jeff Mount from Adelaide. "Astra Tech is new to Australia but obviously well-known in Europe for over 20 years.

"The research presented on the OsseoSpeed surface was very promising which shows great longevity as well as facilitating faster bone growth and integration. The internal conical connection similar to a morse taper also appears to give you a better distribution of forces applied to the bone, distributing the stress around the top of the implant which encourages growth and gives more predictable aesthetics.

"We also saw the new range of Zirconia abutments just released and the new, simplified surgical kits found favour with several of the oral and maxillofacial surgeons who came along with the Australian contingent."

Dr Mount said that Bob Westerman, a technician from Adelaide from Titanium Design, also came along and he, together with Peter Vryonis from Oral Design in Melbourne, are the first labs in Australia to install one of Astra Tech's Cresco systems.

Cresco has developed a patented technology that permits the bridge and bridge support to be defined exactly, laser-welded together and fastened directly to the implants. The support replaces the abutment that normally serves as the link between the implant and the bridge. The support is designed on the basis of the patient's particular needs. Because a perfect fit can be achieved immediately, the patient is able to receive new teeth more rapidly. The technology also promotes an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

"A number of clinicians in Melbourne are starting to use Astra Tech so it was an excellent opportunity to learn more about the system," said Melbourne prosthodontist, Dr Roy Judge. "It was a good opportunity to share our clinical experiences and enhance our knowledge.

"There was a lot of information presented to digest and I found the small group lectures were the most effective where you could see the extent of some of the clinical research programs going on.

"The healing response in particular appears very predictable and occurs very high up on the implant. This was shown time and again in the research presented.

"Astra Tech's strength has been its research and the way they structure that research is very well defined. It's a very good trait for an implant company and they look at the same problem from several directions. They are very strong in biomechanics and the combination of the two perspectives is very important in this field."