#Esthetics 28. Dec 2016

Afraid of not selecting the RIGHT abutment?

Find the right one by clinical situation in just two steps.

Dental implant prosthetics or, more precisely, the process of abutment selection is often perceived as highly complex. But as soon as the patient’s clinical needs are brought back to the center stage of abutment selection, it becomes evident that the Straumann prosthetic range is not about “everything does everything” but about clear criteria for specific indications. With this in mind, Straumann has developed a new abutment selection concept that benefits all kinds of expert levels, making the selection process significantly more transparent and comprehensible. While experienced users may be aware that Straumann offers more options than they believed, less experienced users receive helpful guidance on how to make the “perfect choice” for their indication.

Prosthetic complexity is just a matter of perception

Dental implant prosthetics is often perceived as highly complex. Looking at the official Straumann® Prosthetic System “Who is who”, one is reminded of the wiring diagram of a nuclear power plant control room. But, in the case of prosthetics, it’s just a perception, and with the right approach things suddenly become much more straightforward!

The search for the appropriate selection criteria

The perception of prosthetic complexity is actually largely related to the impression that “everything does everything”. Therefore, the selection of the right abutment can be perceived as quite difficult when there is no clear selection path. But in fact, products were designed for specific clinical situations, with some products being close indication-wise, but actually with very distinctive features and benefits. Straumann has evaluated this issue with the aim of better supporting and improving the selection process in daily practice. We are convinced that the identification of the right product is actually quite straightforward if the appropriate selection criteria are applied.

Initial assumption: the patient takes center stage!

We refocused our attention on the patient as, in every case, the surgeon, the dentist, and the dental lab are confronted with a patient whose dental issue needs to be solved in the most accurate and professional way. This patient does not need a product but rather a restorative solution for his/her single tooth, bridge, or edentulous maxilla or mandible. 

Identifying the right abutment in just two steps?

Based on these considerations, we have introduced a new simple way to select the right abutment. We call it simple because this approach is based on a clinical situation and because it consists of just two steps.

Step 1 – type selection

Bone level or tissue level implant | single tooth, bridge or full- arch and, depending on the clinical situation or user preference, the prosthetic retention method: screw- or cement-retained for single teeth and multi-units | fixed or removable for full-arch prostheses.

Step 2 – one size does not fit all

Since not all similar clinical situations need exactly the same abutment, the selecting professional is guided to the solution by replying to a few questions related to the user’s preferences, like fully customized or standard abutment = digital or conventional workflow | the specific patient’s situation (esthetic needs, available budget, etc.).