Dental News - Great implant solution: Full-arch fixed monolithic zirconia

Javier de Pison, Dental Tribune

Wed. 17 February 2016

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Dental Tribune interviewed Dr. Paresh B. Patel, one of the featured speakers at the ICOI Winter Implant Symposium, which took place Feb. 12-14 at the Trump National Doral in Miami. A clinical instructor at the Reconstructive Dentistry Institute, Patel has published numerous articles in leading dental journals, is a lecturer and clinical consultant on dental implants and prosthetics for various companies, and maintains private practices in Lenoir and Mooresville, N.C.

Patel’s lecture at the ICOI Winter Implant Symposium focused on “Full-Arch Implant Solutions: Overdentures or Fixed Monolithic Zirconia,” a topic that attracted a large audience at the ICOI Symposium. The scientific director for the ICOI Winter Symposium was Dr. Scott Ganz.

Patel explained a new approach for the edentulous maxilla, where it can be a challenge to create the space needed for a fixed full-arch implant prosthesis.

“Typically, we take a titanium-wrapped acrylic bar, which would require anywhere from 15 to 20 mm of prosthetic space,” Patel said. “Now, with this new product from Glidewell Laboratories, the full-arch BruxZir bridge, we can reduce the required space to about 10 mm. Plus it doesn’t break, doesn’t chip, doesn’t stain, and has pink and white aesthetics that are built into the prosthesis, rather than being stacked on top of it.”

The BruxZir Solid Zirconia Full-Arch Implant Prosthesis is a fixed, all-ceramic implant solution for edentulous patients who need a stable and esthetic replacement for removable prostheses.

The result of this new Glidewell product, said Patel, “is that we don't have to worry about the prosthetic teeth or pink gingival areas breaking off or changing color over time.”

This restoration, made from 100 percent solid zirconia, offers exceptional resistance to fractures, chips and stains while improving chewing and speech function. Further, its restorative procedure is nearly identical to that of a regular screw-retained hybrid denture.

“We’ve been doing full-arch bridges for about two years now,” said Patel, “and about a year with solid zirconia restorations. It has really improved our practice because now we don’t have to worry about any sort of breakage or staining of the acrylic teeth or unaesthetic screw holes when the composite and the acrylic don't blend together well.”

The full-arch BruxZir solution includes a provisional CAD/CAM implant prosthesis, which works as a temporary denture and allows for patient evaluation of the definitive prosthesis before the final restoration is fabricated.

“Patients like the concept that the acrylic is not going to stain over the course of time.” He added that “they also like that they have something that is not as fragile as acrylic, as it’s made of zirconia, so you know nothing is going to break, and on top of that, you get a 7-year guarantee on the prosthesis as well.”

Glidewell is so convinced of the efficacy of the BruxZir Full-Arch Implant Prosthesis that on its web page it offers a step-by-step clinical protocol that can be done in as little as five patient visits.

In addition, Patel said that he uses in his North Carolina practices the Hahn Tapered Implant System, which has a conical prosthetic connection. He described the implant as “a premium product that doesn't come at a premium price.”

“It has a very pronounced thread and a nice surface, as well as a 1-mm machined collar at the neck of the implant, which has been shown over the course of time to be very friendly to the gum tissue, whether the platform is positioned equa-crestally or subcrestally,” Patel said. “We find that bone will grow over the top of that and will stay very happy. So, if we have tissue discrepancy supralingually, we know that the machined collar works best against bone, and works against the soft tissue as well.”

Patel added that he was very happy with Glidewell’s products, as they are fairly priced, the company offers implants and prosthetic solutions, and is continually innovating by bringing new products to the market.

One thought on “Great implant solution: Full-arch fixed monolithic zirconia”

Vic says:

September 3, 2019 at 3:35 pm

How much for a full arch Monolithic Zirconia

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