Encode and Digital Impressions

March 19, 2010

Had a client call yesterday regarding a patient of his that is an extreme gagger.  The patient recently had a Biomet 3i Certain implant placed, and was reluctant to go through the impression process necessary to restore the implant.  The client asked if there was anything available that would allow him to take a digital impression of an Encode healing abutment, rather than attempting to capture the impression in the conventional manner.  I had been in contact with a certain manufacturer about a modeling process that was being tested for use with the Encode system, so I called to discuss my client’s predicament.

It seems there is research being done that will allow a Cadent iTero unit to digitally capture the position of the Encode healing abutment, and have that information downloaded into 3Shape’s CAD/CAM software where the abutment could be designed with the results sent to Biomet 3i for manufacturing.  At the same time, a set of resin models could be manufactured with a facsimile of the milled abutment included.  The laboratory would receive the abutment and the models, and fabricate the crown on the resin facsimile of the abutment.  Once the restoration was complete, everything would go back to the dentist for final insertion of the abutment/crown complex.

I had to throw in my two cents and suggest that rather than have the printed model feature a replica of the abutment, it would be better to simply have the model contain a facsimile of the implant interface to which the actual abutment could be affixed.  My way, if the milled abutment was deemed to need any alterations (Let’s face it – not everything you design on screen comes out exactly as you think it will), you wouldn’t be stuck with a useless model.  You would simply adjust the actual abutment; connect it to the resin model and continue with the restoration as prescribed.

I was told that this process was in the clinical trial phase, and I am hopeful that my client’s patient may be asked to participate.  Will update as needed…

© 2010, Jeff Saylors. All rights reserved.