How proven implant and regenerative portfolios pair with a seamless digital restorative workflow
Avi Shelemay, DDS, has watched the implant dentistry landscape evolve right before his eyes. Until recently, guided surgery workflows were "very compartmentalized," he shared, and often, it was easier to place implants freehand than rely on digital technology. "We had software to accomplish certain tasks, but we had to piece together files from different places,” he explained. "It was a lot of work."
From Scan to Surgery to Temporary
For Dr. Shelemay, a turning point came when he discovered Nobel Biocare's digital workflow, a fully integrated, end-to-end solution for implant placement and restoration. The difference, he said, starts with DTX Studio Clinic.
"Now, the same software that I use to acquire all the information for my cases helps with planning them," he explained. "Once I was introduced to DTX Studio, my workflow became so much faster—I could actually incorporate digital technology without it taking longer than doing everything freehand."
The workflow's seamless integration of the ICam photogrammetry device and SprintRay 3D printer also drives efficiency and predictability in Dr. Shelemay's practice, letting him place implants and deliver full-arch temporary restorations the same day.
"Once I'm done with the surgery, the rest is just lab work," he said. "The patient relaxes in recovery while I do other surgeries." In a couple of hours, a 3D-printed Procera bridge is ready to place, and thanks to ICam's "unreal" accuracy, it's always a perfect fit. "I tighten it with a few screws, check the bite, and I'm done," Dr. Shelemay said.
For esthetic cases, the benefit of immediate temporization goes beyond convenience. "You're preserving the shape of the soft tissue around the natural crown," Dr. Shelemay said, "so it remains the way it looked before extraction."
A Growing Portfolio to Match
Completing the picture is an integrated portfolio of products that earned Nobel Biocare winning spots in the Implants and Regenerative Materials categories of this year's DPS Readers' Choice survey.
Dr. Shelemay favors the NobelParallel Conical Connection implant for its stability and tapered tip design, as well as NobelActive for immediate-placement scenarios. Both are available with the TiUltra surface, which he said promotes healing in complex, grafted cases. And with the acquisition of regenerative innovators like Osteogenics, Nobel Biocare's bone and tissue grafting portfolio gets even stronger.
The Time to Place Implants Is Now
In all, Dr. Shelemay believes there's never been a better time for clinicians to embrace implant therapy.
"When someone's learning something new, it's really important to remove as many barriers as possible," he said. "Nobel Biocare is a 1-stop shop for all the resources providers need to succeed."
