NewsletterAn economical and high-performing option for prostheses
Implant-retained and -supported prosthetic solutions continue to be in demand by edentulous patients who are looking for more stable appliances and wish to halt the progression of bone resorption. Many of these patients are biased towards fixed solutions over removable ones, yet the cost of delivering these fixed solutions can be very high, making them unaffordable for many. To improve affordability, treatment solutions requiring only four to six implants have grown in popularity, and there is still progress to be made in the area of treatment cost and overall access to patients.
CST® is an innovative fiber implant framework system that leverages known engineering principles and the beneficial physical properties of dental fibers. CST replaces the cast or milled metal bar in fixed hybrid dentures with a strong substructure made with advanced glass fibers. The use of glass fibers in dentistry is well established, with a known set of advantages over the use of metals in many applications, as has been seen with the Fiber Force® line of fibers. Fibers have very high tensile strength and fracture resistance and, perhaps most importantly, impressive fatigue resistance. When combined with dental acrylics and composites, the resulting “composite” (of fibers and acrylic/composite) appliance will effectively and naturally resist, absorb, and distribute the stress forces created intraorally.
Using a specifically designed method, a three-dimensional fiber structure is made manually on the working model (Figure 1). Normal fabrication time is approximately 30 minutes. The CST framework is ultimately processed in acrylic using usual methods, and the resulting definitive appliance is designed to stand up over time (Figure 2). CST frameworks have been shown to resist fracture forces of 405 daN (Synca internal data), which compare very well to the maximum posterior bite forces generated of 50 daN.1 An 11-mm cantilever on a CST framework has been shown to resist fracture forces of 92 daN (Synca internal data).
The CST solution requires no scanning or milling, and is therefore more accessible than milled bars to dentists and dental technicians alike. At the same time, the CST technique fits within all the familiar protocols and processes in place for fixed hybrid dentures on frameworks, so there is not a whole new set of processes to learn. CST frameworks cost at least 50% less to fabricate than cast or milled bars, contributing to the overall improvement in affordability sought after by dental technicians, dentists, and patients for fixed implant-retained prostheses.
For more information about CST, visit www.fiberforcedental.com/cst.
1. Bates JF, Stafford GD, Harrison A. Masticatory function-a review of the literature: (II) Speed of movement of the mandible, rate of chewing and forces developed in chewing. J Oral Rehabil. 1975;2(4):349-361.
for more information, contact:
Synca Direct Inc.
888-582-8115
http://fiberforcedental.com/cst
The preceding material was provided by the manufacturer. The statements and opinions contained therein are solely those of the manufacturer and not of the editors, publisher, or the Editorial Board of Inside Dentistry.
