Implants

I 39implants1_2013 industry report _ Full arch rehabilitation I sic macrophagic and osteoclastic processes of bone resorption taking place. Thus well- defined bone is formed, with haversian ca- nals and blood vessels which enable continu- ous bone remodelling around the implant/ bone contact surface. This ensures stability of the implant in any situation involving biome- chanical stimulus.2 The sloping shoulder is vitally important for the preservation of crestal bone after implant osseo - integration and for implant function. The Bicon implant design offers platform switching with a neck which con- verges from the widest diameter of the first plateau, to 2 or 3mm towards the crestal zone (converting crest module). In our pa- tient, we used implants 5mm in diameter, but the space taken up at crestal level is only three mm. This ensures bone augmentation above the neck, also because the implant is seated at least one mm below the crest dur- ing the first surgical stage. This allows the above structures, such as the crestal bone, periosteum and epithelium, to grow around the hemispherical base of the abutment and to give sufficient space for maintenance and the growth of the papillae. Another important factor for obtaining long term crestal bone stability is the bacte- rial seal within the connection between im- plant and abutment. If crestal bone mainte- nance and the formation of papillae can only be achieved when the implant is placed in a subcrestalpositionandbyplatformswitching at the level of the implant neck, it is also true that this situation can only be accomplished if the connection is hermetically sealed from bacterialinfiltration.Withoutthisfeature,the placement of a sub-crestal implant without a bacterial seal would result in the rapid spread of pathogens around vital structures, crestal bone, periosteum and epithelium. The result would be bone resorption well below the original crestal bone level. Bicon’s locking taper is a design feature ensuring crestal bone level maintenance around an implant with a convergent slop- ing shoulder placed subcrestally.3 The Lock- ing Taper is a precise connection formed by cold welding out of two surfaces of the same material which are brought into close con- tact with pressure. In this way, the oxidation layers — formed both on the abutment post and on the surface of the implant well — are detached.4, 5 The prosthetic components (one-piece titanium abutments made from the same surgical grade titanium alloy as the implants) ensure maximum mechanical re- sistance and optimum biocompatibility. The subgingivalhemisphericbasegeometryiside- al for the stability of periimplant connective tissues. The abutments are connected to the im- plant well by means of a post, which is 2mm, 2.5mm or 3mm in diameter. Implants which are 3.0mm and 3.5mm in diameter are suit- able for 2mm posts, while implants of a di- ameter of 4.5mm, 5mm or 6mm match with abutments with a 3mm post. All of the abut- ment posts have diameters or emergence profiles of 3.5, 4.0, 5.0 or 6.5mm, suitable for allowing a natural anatomical shape of Fig 6 Fig 7 Fig 8 Fig 9 Fig 10 Fig 11