Dental implant manufacturer banned from falsely claiming its implants are hydrophilic

• German court orders Medentis Medical GmbH ("Medentis") to retract claim that its ICX-templant has a hydrophilic surface
• Tests prove Medentis claim to be spurious

Straumann has won an important legal battle against a cut-price implant manufacturer, who misleadingly claimed its dental implants had a hydrophilic surface. A German court has ruled definitively that Medentis Medical GmbH (Dernau, Germany) must retract the claim that its ICX-templant implant is 'hydrophilic'.

Medentis initially contested the injunction, but the Court found the company's supporting evidence to be unconvincing. In a hearing on 24 January 2013, Medentis withdrew the appeal and accepted the injunction.

The court's ruling was prompted by Straumann, the leading manufacturer of hydrophilic implants. Straumann tested the ICX-templant in its own laboratories, and found that the Medentis product is in fact hydrophobic (i.e. its contact angle is clearly greater than 90 degrees). The hydrophilic properties of Straumann's SLActive technology enhance osseointegration and therefore shorten healing times compared to those without hydrophilicity - as demonstrated in preclinical and clinical investigations.1,2,3,4,5

"Dentists and patients have been misled by claims", said Dr Rene Willi, Executive Vice President and Head of Straumann's Surgical Business. "Medentis ICX-templant implants do not offer hydrophilicity, which promotes faster healing. Faster osseointegration provides secondary stability when the implant is placed. The court's ruling makes this clear and sends an important signal to implant manufacturers. We are determined to take a strong, justified stand against imitators, in the interest of patients."