3M ESPE Offers Lava™ Zirconia for Implant Abutments

ST. PAUL, Minn. – (March 5, 2009) – 3M ESPE announces the introduction of a new indication for its Lava™ Zirconia—custom-designed implant abutments. Dentists and laboratories can now offer implant patients the natural beauty of shaded Lava zirconia that can be custom-designed for the individual patient. Implant abutments made from Lava zirconia were featured at the Chicago Dental Society’s Midwinter Meeting, February 26- March 1, at the McCormick Place Lakeside Center.
Implant abutments made from Lava zirconia are compatible with a wide variety of implant systems, allowing dentists to provide patients with a highly esthetic option while still utilizing the underlying implant systems with which they are familiar. To create the abutment, Lava zirconia is cemented to a prefabricated titanium abutment interface. Unlike many all-ceramic abutments on the market today, the metal-to-metal connection between the screw and abutment means the screw does not torque directly into the zirconia material. This allows dentists to follow standard recommendations for torque pressures on the screw and abutment.
For dentists, the precision technology used to manufacture the abutment helps minimize manual adjustments in the office. Lava zirconia for implant abutments comes in the same eight shades as are offered for Lava™ Crowns, meaning dentists can select a matching abutment and crown to create the most natural-looking restoration. In the laboratory, time spent grinding down a stock abutment to fit properly is minimized or eliminated. Because the abutment is tailored for the individual patient dentition, the technician can design the abutment based on both the implant and adjacent teeth, allowing for proper tissue management and a better esthetic outcome.
Lava zirconia for implant abutments is available through any dental laboratory via use of a 3M ESPE Authorized Lava™ Manufacturing Center (ALMC) or Lava™ Digital Center (ALDC). To initiate the process, dentists can send prescriptions to the lab of their choice or directly to an ALMC or ALDC. All Lava zirconia products offer dentists the additional security of the Lava™ Authentication Program, which uses unique barcode labels and security film technology to verify the material’s authenticity.
For more information, visit www.3MESPE.com/Lava or call 1-800-634-2249.