today IDS Cologne Show Preview

n The 34th International Dental Show will certainly take many of us by surprise with new methods and products. I guess, the one thing we are all waiting for is one of the big implant manufacturers to step for- ward and reveal the first implant based on zirconium oxide. While often introduced but never actually launched onto the market, full-ce- ramic implants are very suitable for aesthetic dentistry due to their high biocompatibility and colour. On the other hand, they also have to have custom yet individualized prosthet- ics and be resistant to long-term wear. Let us take, for example, innova- tive implant surfaces and treatment concepts with angulated implants. Without these new developments and advancements that result in an ongoing improvement of medical products, less implant systems, sur- faces and bone augmentation mate- rials would be available today. In- stead, implant dentists have now a range of specific surgical techniques and materials for different indica- tions to their disposal. This leaves both users and pa- tients puzzled about the right choice and, first and foremost, product safety. Conditioned surfaces, for ex- ample, which have been hydroxy- lated with hydroxide ions shortly be- fore insertion to provide more stabil- ityandimprovedosseointegrationin the final healing phase are raising the question whether reliable clini- cal studies exist that determine that these special conditioned surfaces allow reduced healing times. Another focus will be on biotech- nological strategies for osteogenesis. Especially in the field of synthetic bone augmentation materials, the range of products is sheer endless. While some have been developed to function as a placeholder for new bone formation, other materials are supposed to replace autologic bone transplantations entirely. How proved and tested are new products —such as pig’s collagen matrix “from the blister”—which are supposed to replace autologous connective tis- sue grafts for recession covering and to achieve soft tissue augmen- tation? Despite these technological de- velopments in materials, electronics and computers are the new focal point of diagnostics and therapy in dental practice. The spectrum ranges from 3-D imaging and com- puter-assisted implantology to digi- tal impression taking and automatic fabrication in dental laboratories. In diagnostics, there are many soft- warecompaniesbynowthatprovide computer-assisted planning based on DVT-scans. At IDS, implant den- tists will be on the look-out for soft- ware solutions that can process a majority of the established implant systems. Opto-digital methods that do not require impressions and/or dental casts have been developed for CAD/CAM supported production of implant prosthetics. Chair side pros- thetics with scanner in one session have been announced for IDS. Ac- cording to the industry, dentists will be able to produce individualized components for aesthetics, for exam- ple, with these systems. It is not easy trying to constantly achieve better results and shorter treatment times when working on such a high level and with success rates that are able to outdo any other field in medicine. It is biology that is still setting natural limits. Therefore, it is important to continuously edu- cate dentists who are doing implants not only to let them benefit from technical innovations and new de- velopments in materials but also to let them keep up with the well-being of their patients. 7 trends10 Show Preview IDS Cologne 2011 “Electronics and computers are the new focal point of diagnostics and therapy in dental practice” By Christian Berger,President of the EuropeanAssociation of Dental Implantologists—BDIZ EDI 5 Christian Berger AD