By
Dr. Eduardo Prado
As a dental professional for the past 30
years, I have had the privilege of helping thousands of people lead happier and
healthier lives. I have seen first-hand the restorative power of a healthy
mouth and am continually amazed by the boost of confidence people feel when a
little cosmetic turns a gap-toothed alignment of teeth into a radiant smile.
Over my career, I have been had the
opportunity to watch the industry evolve and I work very hard to stay at the
cutting-edge when it comes to technology, marketing and customer satisfaction.
I have watched “dental innovations” come and go as quickly as dance crazes, but
I believe a new technology developed by healthcare startup Stemmed Implant Technology of Niagara Falls and Nevada, has the potential to revolutionize implant
dentistry.
After graduation from University of Texas,
I taught at while at University of Alabama before opening a successful practice
in Palm Beach Florida. I became interested in dental implants and began looking
for the best ways to implant teeth so that there was less stress for the patient and a greater guarantee of success for the dentist.
Off to Niagara Falls
Several years ago my search took me to the office of
Dr. Michael Lococo of Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada. Like myself, Dr. Lococo was unhappy with the
dental implant technology that had been around for years with no significant
changes. He was so unhappy, he rethought the entire process and patented an entirely
new approach. And like so many times when you see a great idea, I wondered
aloud “that’s so logical, why hasn’t someone already thought of that.”
Dr. Lococo’s approach to implant technology
and procedures simplifies many of the challenges that confound current implant
technology. His barb lock, screwless design is stronger than all the current
technology and is accepted into the jaw in a way that accelerates healing.
As I thought about the process, and
reviewed the initial research carried out by Stemmed Implant Technology, the
company formed to take the process and unique devices, the implications for
dentist and patients became clear. Instead of the 13 -14 patient visits
required by the existing technology, a stemmed implants system meant just two
or three visits: With less pain, fewer
potential adjustments, a faster healing time, and less of a time commitment,
previously reluctant patients would be lining up for procedure: for dentists
the more efficient process would mean significantly more time available for the
dentist to see other patients or play golf.
Does it Make Sense Financially?
But what about cost? Too often the cost of technology advances outweigh the benefits that they offer. That is not the case when I did the math with Stemmed Implants.
According to professional sources the
average dental implant in the US costs about $4250.
The actual piece implanted is about $250, so the professional time is
approximately $4000 for the 14 visits or about $300 per visit. Using the Stemmed Implant device, and a three
visit standard, the total procedure can be done for $ 1200, which could allow
the dentist to make over $1000 per visit.
The laws of economics will undoubtedly kick-in and result in a different
ratio, but at the end of the day the dentist will make more and the consumer
will pay significantly less. And it will all have been done more quickly and
with less pain.
Many years ago, with the support of my
colleagues, friends and family, I opened a
practice with an international client focus in Guatemala. The goal was
to provide the world’s highest quality dental implant work at prices clients
can afford.
International Dentistry: A Technology Opportunity
Running an international dental practice gives
me the freedom to access tomorrow’s technology today. Unlike dental professionals in the United
States and Europe that have their practice methods restricted to technology
approved by the FDA and European health standard monitoring agencies, I have
the freedom to choose the technology and methodologies that I believe will be
the most effective and deliver the greatest value for my clients.
It is an obligation I take seriously, which
is why I spend so much time researching the best treatment options. It’s also
why I agreed to be part of a Stemmed Implant clinical trial set to begin
shortly.
Since my visit with Dr. Lococo I have followed
the development of Stemmed Implant Technology. I have support the positive analysis by Dr. Gordon J. Christensen and I have reviewed the
results from the preliminary research carried out at University of Toronto, McMaster
University. I am also impressed with the innovative 3-D manufacturing approach
undertaken at Mohawk College. As far as I can tell, this is the first time this
kind of additive manufacturing has been used in the dental industry - and it’s about time.
Part of the Clinical Trial
I am excited to be assisting in with clinical
trial in Guatemala that will demonstrate the effectiveness of their Stemmed Implant
design and provide some of the evidence required by the FDA and others to
licence the system for use in North America and Europe. I look forward to working with study
administrator Dr.
Geza Terezhalmy and his team from University of Texas (San Antonio), and the US
Naval Research Station(Bethesda Maryland) to carry out the full clinical trial.
Dr. Geza has an extremely impressive resume, research record and is world
respected for his clinical trial work.
I
am privileged and honored to be the dental surgeon to perform the implants on
the test patients and monitor their progress. Look for more of my updates as the trials move forward.
Respectfully,
Dr. Eduardo Prado
Guatemala
