New Metal 3D Printed Abutment Solution to Fight Oral Infectious Diseases

Oral implantologist, researcher and inventor Dr. Mario Kern has developed the Extended Anatomic Platform (EAP), a patented process for creating metal 3D printed dental abutments. An abutment is used as a connecting element for bridges, dentures and implants. The platform has been designed in such a way that it should counter the growing presence of peri-implantitus, an infectious disease that causes the soft tissue around the implant to recede, making the metal abutment visible. This is just one more application which demonstrates that the dental additive manufacturing sector is growing rapidly.

Revolutionising dental implant prosthetics

To counter the issue of metal abutments showing, dental technicians typically use ceramic abutments to cover the exposed metal. However, this is not a permanent solution as the ceramic is not sturdy enough and can become loose over time. Therefore, the EAP process was created with these issues in mind and produces more biocompatible abutments with a natural aesthetic.

The geometry of the EAP abutments is different and also incorporates ceramic behind the metal. When the surrounding tissue recedes it is possible to remove some of the metal to reveal the ceramic again as you can see in the following video.