Queen's Award for Schottlander

Schottlander have been presented with the Queen's Award for Enterprise by The Lord Lieutenant Mr Bowes-Lyons (pictured, right), nephew to the Queen mother.

The award publicly acknowledges Schottlanders's innovative work in recognising and providing quality solutions for problems that affect the dental team.

Brian Schottlander said, 'I am proud of the whole Schottlander team, who together provide over 5000 product lines... This award for innovation recognises our achievements so far, but this is just the beginning.'

Reader response number: 051

Gauge the difference

The new Alma Bite Gauge has been designed and developed by Asden Ltd to measure facial height and determine the freeway space.

Asden Ltd claim the gauge is an essential aid to prosthesis construction, combining tried and tested principles with new Asden design technology to guarantee pinpoint accuracy and improve the ease of use.

The Alma Bite Gauge eliminates guesswork and is easy-to-read. It has one or two handed operation, is reversible for point-to-point or under nose to under chin measurement and is light-weight, strong and corrosion resistant.

Reader response number: 052

Preventive prize

Dencare are to fund an undergraduate prize in honour of Colin Hall Dexter, the Group's recently retired Clinical Director.

Students at UK dental schools will be asked to submit papers relating to preventive dentistry by March 2001. A £1000 prize will be given to the student who produces the best paper. Only one entry per school will be permitted.

Reader response number: 053

Say hello to Aloe

The AloeDent range of products from Optima Healthcare provides natural yet effective oral hygiene protection.

AloeDent toothpastes are available in three varieties – AloeDent Original, AloeDent Whitening and the new AloeDent Sensitive. Whereas standard toothpastes contain water, AloeDent's toothpastes contain Aloe Vera juice which Optima Healthcare claims provides a soothing effect.

Also available is AloeDent Mouthwash, which is made using natural ingredients and is free from alcohol and saccharin.

Reader response number: 054

Be provident

Western Provident Association, the third largest health insurer, is upgrading Providental, WPA's dental insurance, with extra benefits including 75 per cent towards the first £250 of routine treatment each year and £20,000 cover for dental injuries.

There is no medical history taken and the costs are less than £10 per month.

Western Provident have launched a web site at www.wpa.org.uk and it is possible to register with the site on line.

Reader response number: 055

Hard graft's a thing of the past

Fisiograft is a guided bone regeneration material based on a synthetic co-polymer of polyglycolic and polylactic acid, used for submucous membrane and anfrasosseous contact in dental and maxillofacial surgery

The product is available as a sponge, powder or gel for maximum flexibility. The Dental Directory are offering a test kit for £69.95 containing 380mg Fisiograft powder, 500mg gel, 183mg sponge and an information booklet and video. Call free on 0800 585 586 for details.

Reader response number: 056

Simple surgery

KaVo claim that dental surgery procedures including implantology, bone augmentation and general surgical operations can now be carried out safely and precisely with the systematic pre-programming of the new IntraSurg 500 Surgical System.

An individual programme is used for each operation using the system and all parameters are easily set – including speed, torque, direction of rotation and coolant pump values. Everything runs to the programme which is stored and can be recalled from memory. With an optional printer data can be kept for record purposes.

A complementary range of over 25 implantology heads and handpieces is also available.

Reader response number: 057

The perfect fit

GC Fitchecker is designed to check the fit of crown prosthesis to abutment teeth and implant fixtures as well as that of dentures to mucosal surfaces.

It is important that an implant crown fits perfectly without exerting pressure on any part of the abutment. Fitchecker has excellent flow characteristics, enabling minute surface detail to be recorded. It is a condensation-cured silicone, which allows enough working time to load the prosthesis into the patient's mouth and yet still has a sharp snap-set.

Fitchecker is easily dispensed and mixed. It is strong and flexible with an extremely thin film thickness of just 15 microns and will not tear.

Reader response number: 058

Top two from Trycare

The Impantatum Unipost System from Trycare was specifically designed to maximise the use of available bone for implant replacement.

By ensuring that the heads of the implants lie along the ridge, even if the underlying bone angles are divergent, the user avoids the use of complex restorative components. The implants are placed transmucosally which Trycare claim has been shown to reduce bone resorption and eliminates need for second surgery.

Restoration is achieved by the fitting of strong preparable posts that are available in a variety of angles.

Modular Transitional Implants are also available from Trycare. The implants were introduced to enable implant patients to leave on the day of surgery with a well-retained and functional aesthetic temporary. However, users have found that the device can remain stable in the mouth for several years and on occasions it has been used for retention of full dentures.

Cases have been reported of implants still stable after 16 years and now research is underway to confirm the findings of our long-term users. MTI is a relatively inexpensive way of providing good retention for edentulous patients who cannot afford the expense of traditional implants.

Reader response number: 059

EAO Congress

The European Association for Osseointe-gration (EAO) is a non-profit making organisation which promotes clinical applications of osseointegration for the benefit of patients worldwide, promotes the advancement of methods of treatment in reconstructive surgery, initiates research into improved clinical procedures for rehabilitation and promotes the international exchange of knowledge.

The EAO hosts an annual Scientific Congress, the next of which is to be held from 13 to 16 September 2001 in Milan. Dr Michael Norton (pictured), Chairman of the Association of Dental Implantology, will be the keynote speaker at the event.

Reader response number: 060

The importance of IPI

A new implant that enables support of temporary prosthesis during the healing phase of conventional implant surgery has been introduces by Nobel Biocare.

The IPI system features one-piece titanium-alloy implants that are 2mm wide and 14mm long. These are placed adjacent to permanent implants. A fixed prosthesis is then attached to the provisional implants.

The provisional implant absorbs the forces exerted on a provisional restoration, protecting the hard and soft tissue, as well as the underlying conventional implants.

The Immediate Provisional Implants are packaged sterile for added convenience and the system includes an autoclavable instrumentation kit.

Reader response number: 061

One stop shop

The Astra Tech Dental Implant System is a two component system that Astra Tech claims offers flexibility, an aesthetically pleasing outcome and a superior clinical performance.

Clinical documentation coupled with wide clinical experience using the system has shown that the one stage and early loading protocol are safe to use when correctly applied and beneficial to both the patient and clinician.

Astra Tech claim that one stage surgery with the Astra Tech Dental Implant System can be recommended when primary stability is achieved and there is no risk of traumatic loading, and no alveolar ridge repairing or ridge augmenting procedures have been performed.

Astra Tech claim the system is the best available for one stage surgery and early loading protocols. It is easy to select a one or two stage procedure using the same system and the decision need not be made until after surgery has started.

Reader response number: 062

A revolutionary implant imsubperiosteal implant

The Iuxtaendo implant is the renewed hope for patients who cannot have screw implants and do not wish to undergo the lengthy procedure of bone grafting.

The implant, a result of 30 years research, can be applied even in the most difficult cases and where the bone is low, narrow or hollow and has 99% success rate.

It has a double hold: on the external ridge and internally because it is incorporated in the bone, healing and regenerating itself in the cavities of extraction. This titanium implant is tailor made, based on the bone impression of each patient.

The implant is left unused for a few months to allow osteointegration, during which time the patient will wear a provisional prosthesis, then the pillars are applied for the external connection (see top right), and finally it is used as a support to the prostheses.

The luxtaendo was created by Dr Antonio Di Giulio and Dr Giancarlo Di Giulio and is now available in London. Three stages of the implant procedure are pictured at right.

Reader response number: 063