Dentists who use Laser-Lok dental implants to replace missing teeth can give patients years of normal dental function and appearance, according to a study publsihed by BioHorizons, a manufacturer of dental implants and tissue regeneration products.
BioHorizons Laser-Lok dental implants are patented and allow the bone and soft tissue to attach and retain around the dental implant. BioHorizons claimed that it is the only surface that was cleared by the FDA to establish a physical, connective tissue attachment (unlike Sharpey fiber attachment).
According to the study: fourty-one patients with missing teeth were treated with Laser-Lok dental implants; patients were missing one or more teeth due to genetics, trauma, hygiene or a failed endodontic procedure (commonly known as a root canal); after three years, these patients had a 98% success rate with minimal bone loss (0.46mm); the complete study is available in the April issue of The International Journal of Periodontics & Restorative Dentistry (IJPRD).
Steve Boggan, president and CEO of BioHorizons, said: “The majority of our customers have converted to Laser-Lok dental implants because of the benefits they have seen for their patients. This study further validates their clinical experience. We look forward to the release of additional studies later this year comparing BioHorizons implants to dental implant systems from other companies.”
Cary Shapoff, a periodontist in Fairfield, CT and the lead author of the study, said: “This study is consistent with the results I have had for the last 10 years with Laser-Lok dental implants. These implants have shown an exceptional ability to maintain patients’ dental health and esthetics over the long term.
“While dental implants, in general, have a very high success rate, dentists often accept that patients will experience 2mm of bone loss over the life of an implant. This bone loss can result in an unnatural looking smile. BioHorizons implants have shown a unique ability to stop this bone loss, allowing patients to maintain a natural, esthetic smile.”
John Ricci, associate professor of department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics at NYU College of Dentistry, said: “Stable soft tissue attachment to Laser-Lok dental implants, resulting in a biologic seal, was documented for the very first time in studies published in 2008.
“The latest study definitively confirms that the clinical benefits of a stable soft tissue envelope around Laser-Lok dental implants are significant when compared to the typical 1.5-2mm of bone loss documented with other implant systems.”