#Immediacy 25. Mar 2020

One year on: BLX implant system is making an immediate impact

It’s just one year ago since Straumann debuted its new BLX immediate implant system across Europe. The impact has already been huge. BLX has already been rolled out in 50 countries around the world. So far, over 150,000 implants have been sold to more than 3,000 dental professionals. The BLX system is designed to achieve predictable results in all bone types. It can be used in all immediate placement procedures, whether for single tooth, bridge or full arch restorations. It combines innovative design and surface technology with high-performance material. It’s basically a unique combination of three elements: advanced implant geometry, prosthetic simplicity and Straumann’s Roxolid® SLActive® technologies.

Marcel Obrecht, Global Product Manager for BLX, discusses why the implant system has already made such an immediate impact.

What have dentistry professionals been saying about BLX?

We’re so pleased to have had great reviews from Straumann® BLX practitioners, particularly around achieving primary stability. Phrases that we’ve heard to describe the new system include: “High stability”, “Ease of use”, “Patient-friendly and versatile”, “Predictable” and “Inspiring and visionary”.

The statistics speak for themselves. Via an online case tracker we have asked clinicians in 13 countries that have already placed more than 1,000 implants together, they reported  an incredibly high clinical satisfaction rate (4.5 out of 5) for this new immediate implant system. A non-interventional study in 12 centers on 151 patients and 295 implants found very high user satisfaction levels of over 4.6.

Why is this launch such a revolution in implants?

BLX extends the treatment options that we can offer with Straumann® products. For implantologists and prosthodontics, it’s all about giving another tool to restore their patients predictably, even in cases with low bone quality and challenging anatomical situations. For patients, the system means shorter treatment and recovery times. It’s really the next step in immediacy for cases that were just not possible in the past.

How is the science building up behind this system?

An impressive amount of clinical experience is already available behind BLX. Nothing demonstrates success more than specific case studies. Back in March 2019, we were able to report a very positive one-year follow-up of the first in human case report to track the condition and progress of a patient treated for a missing molar with the new Straumann® BLX implant. We have now reported more than 10 supporting high-quality clinical cases on this revolutionary technology on YouTooth. At the same time, there are countless case documentations, videos and other publications about the system.

What can we expect going forward for the BLX range?

In the last 2 years, we’ve been able to collect a lot of feedback about where we can extend the BLX portfolio further. We are reviewing and evaluating this and enlarging our portfolio. We are really excited that the guided surgery workflow is getting market traction. This will take the concept of immediate implantology even further. Right now the key focus will be on rolling out this system in the Asia Pacific region and Latin America. At the same time, we are continuing to build up the science to support its use.