Our highlights of 2021
Another year draws to a close, but our work is never done. With each new year we carry on with the same goal: to offer our customers the best possible treatments at every step. In 2021, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of our founding – originally as Bofors Nobelpharma – by the discoverer of osseointegration, P-I Brånemark, as he sought to make its benefits available to as many patients as possible.
This year we continued that mission, to help you treat more patients better in the decades ahead, with even more game-changing innovations. Let's take a moment to look back on just a few highlights of 2021.
Not all products described here are available in all markets. Contact your local sales representative to learn more about the solutions available in your area.
- 1. Next step forward in the Mucointegration™ era
- 2. Simplifying the future with “Direct, Shape, and Place”
- 3. NobelProcera® Zirconia Implant Bridge: A beautiful step forward in flexibili…
- GalvoSurge® shows peri-implantitis doesn’t need to end in failure
- Membrane stabilization with creos™ syntoprotect
- Looking ahead to 2022
Next step forward in the Mucointegration™ era
2021 kicked off with surface innovation made available for even more clinicians. Following several years’ scientific research and gradual roll-out in Europe and beyond, the anodized Xeal™ abutments and TiUltra™ implants were officially launched across the entire United States.
After over two decades’ of the most well-documented implant surface, TiUnite, its clinically proven anodization technique has been tailored for tissue integration at every level. In 2021, the US entered the Mucointegration™ era.
“I have envisioned and hope for an implant surface like Nobel Biocare’s TiUltra for many years. I am excited to use this innovative design to enhance my patients’ long-term implant success."
Dr. Chad Cravatta, Arizona, US
"I personally have been utilizing both TiUltra™ and Xeal™ for my Nobel Biocare implants over the last year-and-a-half. It’s been fantastic. We’ve had great results overall and I’m not looking back. We are completely converted over to using these surfaces now. I’ve got over 1,000 of these implants in place and it’s been fantastic seeing the results..” Dr. Bobby Birdi, Canada
“The hydrophilic properties and chemistry of the Xeal abutments represent very important pieces in fulfilling the Mucointegration™ process. Now we have ideal surfaces to complement our clinical procedures.”
Dr. Giacomo Fabbri, Italy
Clinical studies are well under way, with preliminary results published including studies by Drs. Giacomo Fabbri and Giorgio Ban and one-year follow-up examining the surfaces with the All-on-4® treatment concept clinic by Drs. Ana Ferro and Miguel Nobre. In addition, a randomized and controlled clinical study, Xeal™ demonstrated a fourfold reduction in cultivable bacteria after six months as well as a statistically significant increase in keratinized mucosa growth.
Watch this space for more clinical findings to emerge in 2022.
Simplifying the future with “Direct, Shape, and Place”
After the European launch of the award-winning* Nobel Biocare N1™ system in a challenging 2020, 2021 finally brought hands-on training opportunities in a whole new site preparation method and implant system. Driven by biology, and for better simplicity and patient comfort compared to conventional drilling protocols, a key highlight is the OsseoShaper™ instrument. After defining the implant position with the OsseoDirector, the OsseoShaper gently “shapes” the final osteotomy at low speed (50 rpm) and without irrigation, before the new N1 Implant is placed. Simply put, the protocol is “Direct, Shape, Place.”
“The N1™ [system] is not just a new implant system. It’s a completely different way of implant site preparation following biological aspects. For me, as a surgeon, that’s the most important part of the system. The OsseoShaper™ is the game-changer and it will change the way we insert implants in the future.”
Dr. Annette Felderhoff-Fischer, Germany
*Advanced Dentistry Awards 2021, Barcelona Dental Show. Best solution, material or treatment
NobelProcera® Zirconia Implant Bridge: A beautiful step forward in flexibility and esthetics
It takes a full arch to make a full smile, and the NobelProcera® Zirconia Implant Bridge made a big impact in 2021. Available in 10 VITA shades, this innovative implant bridge is made for esthetics and brings extensive flexibility to procedures. “The idea behind this product was a partnership between clinicians and our laboratory partners. "The idea here is really to give the ultimate flexibility of a product as it relates to clinical applications and then goes into a laboratory to allow that team to really collaborate and become a strong partnership.“The NobelProcera® Zirconia Implant Bridge could really be considered a third generation product. We took all the knowledge we’ve gained from three- to five-unit bridges and brought it up to 14-unit, cement-free restorations with prosthetic angulated screw channels.
And, we actually upped the flexural strength to over 1,200 megapascals with much, much higher translucency. It’s extensively flexible, too.Due to the multi-unit prosthetic screw launch that we came out with this product, we’re actually able to angulate an additional 25 degrees of free angulation on top of that multi-unit abutment. When you add in that 30 degrees of angulation to that multi-unit abutment, we’re able to now get a perfect emergence from the screw channel at up to 55 degrees of angulation fixation. The smaller screw hole also makes it more esthetic. The outcome of all this is a zirconia implant bridge that is stronger and more esthetic.”
Travis Nelson, Director of Digital Dentistry, Nobel Biocare
GalvoSurge® shows peri-implantitis doesn’t need to end in failure
Peri-implantits is one of the biggest unsolved problems in dental implantology, and its prevalence is expected to increase over time. This year a unique solution for dental implant cleaning, GalvoSurge, was named a finalist for the Swiss Medtech Award 2021.
The GalvoSurge Dental Implant Cleaning System is new approach to help you overcome peri-implantitis without implant failure, using electrolytic processes to activate hydrogen production, which then lifts biofilm from the surface, even in hard-to-reach areas. The process only takes two minutes per implant and is compatible with any titanium surface, irrespective of implant brand.
Membrane stabilization with creos™ syntoprotect
In 2021, we also launched creos™ syntoprotect, a broad range of synthetic non-resorbable membranes and PTFE membranes with a familiar and dependable titanium-reinforced frame design for guided bone regeneration cases. With creos™ syntoprotect, the clinician can intentionally leave the membrane exposed to preserve the soft tissue architecture and keratinized mucosa.
Looking ahead to 2022
Our work never stops in bringing solutions to help you transform patients’ lives. 2022 promises to be another exciting year, as some game-changing innovations become available in even more countries around the world. While the unpredictable pandemic situation may continue, we will keep offering top-class training and education opportunities, as well as the exciting inaugural Envista Summits in which the renowned Nobel Biocare Symposia will transform into a new setup in partnership with the Envista family.
