Straumann CARES brings new options to bars and bridges [VIDEO]

Straumann has long been an industry leader in innovation when it comes to their CARES® system. This system presents a variety of solutions that allow dental laboratories to scan and design in the lab and then send a file to Straumann for milling.

Some of the latest entries into the CARES family are Screw-Retained Bars & Bridges. We recently spoke with Valerie Rhodes, Product Manager for CARES Prosthetics at Straumann, about what led to the development of CARES Screw-Retained Bars & Bridges, why labs are going to benefit from this new workflow option and how labs that invest in the workflow can continue to receive education and support.

Read: Straumann announceds screw-retained bars and bridges earlier this year

DLP: What is your role at Straumann? What role did you play during the rollout of Screw-Retained Bars & Bridges (SRBB)?

Valerie Rhodes: I am the Product Manager for CARES Prosthetics so I work with the Straumann team to launch and market customized milled abutments, elements and our line of Screw-Retained Bars & Bridges. When new products come out such as our CARES Milled Bar and Basic Fixed Bar, the product management team ensures sales has the tools to educate the customer on features and benefits as well as access to these restorative solutions. 

What was Straumann hearing from around the industry that led to the development of SRBB?

There is a need for flexible and efficient treatment solutions for fully edentulous patients. Dental laboratories have to provide customized restorations for clinicians in order to retain their business. Imagine the impact it would have on a dental lab if they were to lose a handful of their top referrals to a competitive lab that was marketing innovative restorations? They need economical and efficient solutions and an original Straumann restoration. CARES® Milled Bar, CARES® Basic Fixed Bar and Straumann’s SRBB portfolio on abutment level provide required treatment efficiency and flexibility. 

Designing a screw-retained bridge:

In your opinion, what sets these Straumann products apart from other bars and bridge options?

First, reliable quality through the original Straumann connection, offering Straumann quality, fit and mechanical performance. The Straumann CARES® SRBB implant connections are designed to provide a precise and lasting fit to Straumann implants. The lab’s customers will benefit from this precision. The validated workflow is another differentiation factor. Straumann CARES ensures quality every step of the way, from raw materials selection and the scan and design interface through precise, consistent milling. We also stand by our products with a 10-year Straumann Guarantee for metal and resin nano ceramic restorations and a five-year Straumann Guarantee for ceramic restorations.

Next page: How SRBB impacts labs, and what patients have been saying ...

How do these fit in with the CARES workflow?

With the launch of CARES 8.8, CARES and DWOS, labs now have two popular bar options that were not previously available through our Arlington milling facility. Now with the ability to design the Straumann Milled Bar and Basic Fixed Bar on their design software, these labs can offer the original Straumann connection at fixture level or abutment level. Prior to this, these two popular bar types were not available to anyone with the original Straumann implant to abutment interface. 

Related reading: Straumann CARES Variobase Abutments will soon be a standalone product

Do these solutions fit in with other workflow options, or is it a closed system? 

For now, these solutions are exclusive to laboratories using CARES or Dental Wings software. For other labs wanting to offer these new bar designs for surgeons that demand original components, they can take advantage of our Scan & Shape service. They simply send us a model and we design the bar for them. 

How have the CARES SRBB pushed the lab industry forward?

Labs have more options. CARES SRBB offer design flexibility with direct placement on implants, or on the new Straumann Screw-Retained Abutment (Bone Level) providing individualized solutions for edentulous patients. The Screw-Retained Abutments, available in various angulations and gingival heights, allow restorations in cases with diverging implants. 

How does Straumann provide education and support to labs who invest in this system?

Our Lab Territory Managers have expertise in all Straumann solutions and are there to support the laboratory. We get our lab partners involved with study groups. We also have technical trainers who provide a variety of education courses and additional training on design through regular webinars. Our technical support and customer service departments provide answers for the lab’s technical questions and advice on restorative options. 

What kind of response have you heard from doctors or patients who use the end product?

Customers are happy with the fit and performance. They support Straumann’s efforts to provide original Straumann final restorations on our implants. If you’d like to learn more, please contact your local Straumann Lab Territory Manager or visit straumann.us.

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