STOCKHOLM (Reuters) Feb 19 Swiss-Swedish Nobel Biocare's Teeth-in-an-Hour implant system may carry more risk of complications than conventional methods, an abstract of a study by Sweden's Karolinska Institute shows.
The study examined 31 patients treated using the method, which uses computer modeling to reduce implant installation time. Complications such as the loss of fixtures and the need for adjustments occurred for nearly a third of the patients.
Nobel Biocare could not immediately be reached for comment.
Nine percent of the 175 fixtures examined--the titanium screws which are fastened to the bone--were lost, said Björn Klinge, professor of periodontology at the Karolinska Institute and one of the study's authors.
This compared with a loss rate of roughly 2% to 3% using conventional and more time-consuming methods, he added.
"My assessment is that this is still at the trial stage and therefore can't be recommended for general use," Klinge told Reuters.
"Our data shows rather unequivocally that there is a lot of development left before one can say if this is a good or a bad product," he added.
The study, presented at a dental conference in Venice on February 17, has not yet been published in a scientific journal or peer-reviewed, but Klinge said an article was being prepared.
He also noted the method offered several benefits, including shortened treatment time and reduced or eliminated bleeding, swelling and pain.
"In its way, this is a fantastic method and I think that there may be a lot of positive things coming out of this, but it is obvious that there are a number of problems which are not solved with this method," he said.
"If one is to use it, one should be clear that the risk of failure is up to 30%, and that is exceptionally high."
The study looked at implants using the Teeth-in-an-Hour method, unveiled in 2003, between three months and three years after installation.
Klinge is part of a panel of experts that advised Sweden's Medical Products Agency on another Nobel Biocare product, NobelDirect, after two Swedish professors said the implant caused what they called unacceptable levels of jawbone loss.
In a report to the agency that hit Nobel's share price, the panel said NobelDirect could not be regarded as a finished product and should only be used with caution under controlled circumstances.
Nobel Biocare has consistently claimed there is no problem with NobelDirect.
(Additional reporting by Sven Nordenstam)
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