Natural Dental Implants AG today announced the development of a 3-D printed version of the Replicate Tooth. This customized titanium-zirconia tooth replacement system is on display at the 2017 International Dental Show (Hall 3.1, Aisle H, Booth 49).
Natural Dental Implants AG (NDI) today announced the development of a 3-D printed version of the Replicate Tooth. NDI began working on its first generation of customized tooth replacement products and filing patents in 2006, giving the company a unique advantage in the market. The 3-D printed Replicate Tooth, which will be on display at the International Dental Show (Hall 3.1, Aisle H, Booth No. 49), features a titanium root portion and a zirconia abutment portion, like the commercially available version of the Replicate Tooth currently made by five-axis CNC milling.
According to Ruedger Rubbert, CEO of Natural Dental Implants AG, “We started thinking about customized tooth replacement systems more than 10 years ago. Our patent portfolio includes endossoeus and perio-integrative implementations, various surface enhancements, CAD/CAM systems, and manufacturing technologies, used in rapid prototyping methods and 3-D printing. This enables industrialized and chairside fabrication of individually shaped dental implants.” He added, “Using new technologies like 3-D printing helps us reduce costs and provide even more value to our customers.”
The company has a working prototype and expects to begin extensive product testing this year.
About the Replicate Immediate Tooth Replacement System and Natural Dental Implants
The Replicate System features the Replicate Tooth, an anatomically shaped, 100% customized, titanium-zirconia tooth, and the Replicate Temporary Protective Crown, a customized cover shield designed to protect the Replicate Tooth during the healing process. This new approach to single-tooth replacement offers patients an immediate, minimally invasive alternative to traditional dental implants and three-unit bridges.
The Replicate Tooth is an anatomical copy of the patient’s natural tooth that fits into the space occupied by the tooth being removed. It is one piece; a super-hydrophilic titanium root fused to a zirconia preparation with an emerging profile like that of a natural tooth. Each Replicate Tooth component is designed individually and can be modified to overcome anatomical limitations or to meet specific clinical requirements. The process starts with a DVT/CBCT scan and dental impression. The dentist submits the data prior to the tooth being extracted, NDI designs that patient’s custom Replicate Tooth, manufactures it and delivers it sterile, ready to be placed at the extraction appointment. Immediately after the extraction, the Replicate Tooth is inserted into the tooth socket, without drilling, and covered with the Replicate Temporary Protective Crown until it osseointegrates. Once osseointegration is complete, the Replicate Temporary Protective Crown is removed and a final crown is placed.
Natural Dental Implants AG, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and a US subsidiary based in Dallas, Texas, were founded in 2006 to develop the intellectual property behind the Replicate Immediate Tooth Replacement System. The Replicate System is available in the European Union and will be offered in the United States pending FDA approval. Visit replicatetooth.com to learn more.
