"I realized this implant was just what I needed"

With a thriving practice in a middle-class neighborhood of San Francisco, Dr. Peter Karsant treats patients ages two to 102, many of whom are in their 90s. Narrow diameter implants are a cost-effective solution for older patients.

Dr. Karsant believes his use of Dentatus' ANEW narrow diameter implants has changed his patients’ lives. 

What Dr. Karsant says about ANEW narrow body implants by Dentatus 

I use ANEW in my practice on a daily basis in both the upper and lower arch anteriorly and posteriorly for fixed or removable patients with a 98 percent success rate. Narrow diameter implants are implants, and once they integrate, your body can’t tell the difference between a regular diameter implant and a narrow diameter implant. The results have been no different than the results I have gotten with regular diameter implants, but narrow diameter implants are minimally invasive and reduce procedure times, which is very attractive to my older patients. I can help my patients who would have otherwise foregone treatment. 

Cover story: DPR investigates the state of the dental implant

What I like best about the ANEW implant is the ability to change the abutment heads just as you would for regular diameter implants. These implants are less expensive for the dentist, require no special surgical motor and I pass that savings onto the patients. All patients love the cost savings and the end result. Ben Grieve, the national sales representative for Dentatus, is always available to answer questions, as are the people in the main office in New York. Everyone is readily available and questions are handled immediately. This system is very easy to navigate for both the dentist and the dentist’s lab.

I learned to place implants after graduation through the University of Pacific (UOP) Larry Lum implant study club. When I was teaching pre-clinical removable at UOP, Dr. Gene LaBarre and I started a narrow diameter implant continuing education course. We were teaching the ATLAS by Dentatus and after finishing my part of the lecture I stepped out into the lobby to think about a difficult case I had before me.

The patient could not wear a partial lower denture and had failing bridgework. He would not do a bone graft and did not have sufficient width for a regular diameter implant. When I stepped into the lobby, the Dentatus representative asked me if I had seen their ANEW implant, which I had not. Once I saw it, I realized this  implant was just what I needed for my patient. I purchased the kit on the spot and placed my first two ANEW implants shortly thereafter, one in the second bicuspid and one in the first bicuspid on the mandible. They were a lifesaver and the case has been in function now over seven years as a roundhouse lower.

Product roundup: Dental implants

Unpacking the benefits of using narrow diameter implants

Narrow diameter implants, which were introduced in the late 1990s, present a cost-effective alternative to larger implants, particularly when there is limited interdental space or where bone grafting would be required.

Narrow diameter implants are particularly beneficial for older patients who, despite having financial resources, tend to be conservative about how they spend money and care very much about wanting to limit the number of dental visits that treatment requires.