BioHorizons custom LaserAbutments
UK-based world leader in precision management and metal 3D printing, Renishaw, has been working with dental implant manufacturer, BioHorizons to bring custom metal 3D printed abutments to customers for the first time.
The devices, known as Laser Abutments, act as a base for prosthetic tooth placement. Through this joint initiative, dentists will be able to offer custom pieces for patients which provide exceptional functionality and aesthetics.
The initiative is designed to meet the growing demand for abutments where bespoke design is required – to enable quality assured custom products and more flexible dentistry, particularly with angulation challenges.
Using Renishaw Dental Studio software, dental labs are able to scan and design their abutment in-lab and then submit to Renishaw for manufacturing. The piece is then created using Renishaw's metal 3D printing systems and precision machined to achieve the precise geometry for screw retained implants.
Following an ISO 13485 approved quality management system, the abutments are made from CoCr that has been biocompatibility tested according to ISO 10993. This enables standard porcelains to be bonded to the surface without a separate coping/crown, providing a screw-retained crown which can later be temporarily removed for hygienic maintenance or work on adjacent teeth.
Ed Littlewood, Marketing Manager at Renishaw’s Dental Products Division, commented: “This is yet another case of metal 3D printing innovation dismantling the limits of traditional manufacturing methods and opening new horizons for complex geometries and mass customisation of parts, at a very attractive cost”.
