The Essential Role of Implant Analogs in Crown Fabrication
The terms implant analog, dental analog, implant replica, and abutment analog are all used to describe dental analogs that take the place of an implant during crown fabrication in a dental lab.
Dental implants have been widely used for decades, but only recently have professionals had access to such a vast range of implant analogs that compete on price. Unfortunately, the performance also varies between the various implant analogs, which makes it extremely important to choose only the highest quality products from a reputable supplier.
Dental Implant Technologies is a distributor of quality implant analogs developed for compatibility with some of the most popular implant systems in use today. Take a moment to refresh yourself with the importance of accurate and compatible implant analogs, and order in confidence from our convenient online storefront.
Dental Analogs Ensure Best Patient Outcomes
The importance of implant analogs or dental analogs cannot be overstated. The laboratory environment requires precision to ensure that a crown is perfectly fitted to a patient’s mouth. The implant itself, and the surrounding teeth and gums must be accurately represented to ensure that the fabricated crown is well-fitted, functionally accurate, and esthetically pleasing.
Technicians rely on several elements to ensure that the final crown production is suited to the patient.
These critical elements include:
- The initial impression and the mold created from it.
- The dental analog that represents the implant fixture.
- The dental abutment that is fitted to the analog.
- The prosthesis itself.
If any one of these elements is inaccurate, it can result in a poorly fitting crown. Technicians rely on accurate dental analogs which is why it’s so critical to find a reputable and reliable abutment analog supplier.
Dental Implant Technologies offers a range of dental analogs suited to the creation of new crowns in materials like porcelain or layered zirconia.
The Dangers of Using Inaccurate Implant Replicas
The use of inaccurate analogs or implant replicas can result in several complications for the fabricating technician, the surgeon who installs the final abutment and crown, and the patient.
Without accurate implant replicas, the abutment and crown may not fit the implant in the patient’s mouth. This could lead to a situation where a new impression and mold is needed, before going through the fabrication process again.
Surgeons may find that slight inaccuracies with implant replicas in the lab translate to difficulty in handling and installation of a dental crown. This can add to the complexity and time needed for what should otherwise be routine procedures. This can inflate the cost for the surgeon, reducing the profitability and sustainability of the practice.
Inaccuracies with implant replicas in the lab could lead to the creation of crowns that don’t properly fit the space around gums and surrounding teeth. Even if the crown was installed without technical difficulty, the patient could experience poor performance from their implant and crown, potentially reducing their confidence in the surgeon and the practice. In the worst-case scenario, this could lead to complaints or potential legal cases for malpractice.
Obviously, surgeons and the laboratories that work with implant replicas want to take all necessary steps to avoid such scenarios. Insisting on only the highest quality implant replicas is one small but highly effective way to ensure that crowns and implants are accurate for the patient’s mouth.
The Materials Used to Create Lab Analogs and Lab Replicas
Lab analogs and lab replicas used for the creation of dental crowns are typically made from stainless steel. This material offers performance benefits for technicians.
- Stainless steel is resistant to corrosion and won’t cause negative reactions in contact with biological materials. It is the most commonly used material for lab analogs and lab replicas.
- Titanium lab analogs and lab replicas have been produced by some companies in recent years, but they are still not the norm. Titanium is lighter than stainless steel and less rigid and can produce less stress for other components when used as an analog. Like stainless steel, titanium lab analogs and lab replicas are unlikely to provoke an immune response when coming into contact with biological material.
Titanium is in some ways a technically superior material to stainless steel, but it doesn’t necessarily make for better lab analogs and lab replicas. Manufacturing tolerances and overall design matter more. Lab technicians and surgeons must choose lab analogs and lab replicas that are designed for the specific implant systems that they are working with.
Examples of Abutment Analogs Available to Order at Dental Implant Technologies
The importance of choosing the right abutment analogs for the system is far more critical than looking for specific materials. In terms of availability, stainless steel is going to be the material used for the majority of quality implants on the market. Regardless of material, if the wrong abutment analogs are used then there will only be fitment problems later.
Consider the Straumann® Tissue Level Implant Line as an example. This system and compatible systems like TITE-FIT™ from Hi-Tec Implants are highly effective, allowing for maximum stability with impressive esthetics, stable soft tissue, and stable crestal bone throughout the lifetime of the implant. Straumann® compatible systems require a perfectly replicated abutment analog for the creation of durable prosthetic crowns.
This Implant Analog for TITE-FIT (3.3mm, 4.1mm, 4.8mm diameter) and Tapered TITE-FIT (3.7mm, 4.2mm, and 4.9mm diameter) is designed specifically for our Straumann® compatible systems. Clearly, using a different type of abutment would result in a crown that doesn’t come anywhere close to fitting the patient’s implant system.
This is just a single example. Finding the right abutment analog is just as critical as every other step in the implantation process, regardless of the system being used.
Dental Implant Technologies Stocks the Most Reliable Dental Implant Analogs
Without accurate implant analogs, the entire restorative process can be compromised. Added costs, lost time, and poor patient experience are things that every dental professional seeks to avoid.
Ensure you have the right tools and equipment, including dental implant analogs by browsing the extensive range of implants and attachments at Dental Implant Technologies.