Astra Tech Dental Implants

Discussion in 'Astra Tech' started by Anonymous, May 25, 2010 at 2:29 PM.

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  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Does anyone know anything about these guys? I got a call about an opportunity with them, but do not know much about the implant market. They sell direct and are part of Astrazeneca Pharma. Thanks
     

  2. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Of the major player probably the best implant company to work for rigth now, but the ITI reps might not agree.
     
  3. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Sorry - players not player - corporate culture is excellent, but I can't tell you if it is due to the patent company or limted to Astra Tech but I suspect it is company wide. Good luck if you move forward.
     
  4. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Good product. BE CAREFUL with any company that has pharma ties. You could be here today and gone tomorrow.
     
  5. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Astra Tech Dental is such a small part of AstraZenica they kinda go unnoticed. Not the same type of pressure you get when you have stockholders looking at your numbers and expecting big returns.
    Great Product, Great People.
     
  6. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Very fair assesment, but I have a patient who is on the AZ board and know they are very pleased with AstraTech even though AT is as mentioned a small part of the company. AstraTech has taken a slow but very steady approach to growth. As indicated great people working to support a very good product line. Little turn over, so if you can get an interview go for it.
     
  7. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    is Jody Mascony still working for astra ? shes a sales rep
     
  8. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Good implant, bad connection. Still making strides from what I hear, but the limitation to wide acceptance is in part due to this problem. Atlantis is doing a great job marketing and selling their knock-off connections on other companies platforms. Can't tell you if it's great to work there, but they seem to retain people in my area.
     
  9. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest


    What is your issue with the connection? Your comment good implant, bad connection has me a little confused. If Atlantis is going to make custom abutments for a number of implant platforms they would have to provide a compatible connection though in the case of Zimmer fiction fit option is patent protected. This "knocking-off" as you imply was going on before Astra bought the company and from what I understand there were no objections then. Now companies like 3i advise users that using Atlantis abutments will void their guarantee. Smart move if you are 3i in particular.......................1/3 of 3i's advertizing budget should be quietly devoted to promoting Atlantis custom abutments ! ! !
     
  10. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Ask lab technicians about Astra and they will tell you that the connection is garbage. Not easy to restore and the connection is weak. Abutments have been snapping lately (breaking off). Atlantis is fine, but why wouldn't it be? It utilizes cad/cam technology, it should be good!
     
  11. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Really iffy move by 3i if they're taking away a guarantee on an implant if their specific abutments aren't used. Most labs do not use their CAD/CAM system. Limited design control, expensive, and turn around time is poor.
    Imagine if a 3i implant fails and it had either an Atlantis, Procera, Lava, or even a cast abutment on top of it, and 3i tells the restoring doc and surgeon they will not replace the implant due to the non 3i abutment on top. Sounds like a great strategy.
     
  12. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    First off, the interface between a 3i certain implant with an atlantis abutment is not that great. The atlantis screw is aftermarket, cheap, and the head is bigger because it needs to compensate for the ill-fitted design to interface with our connection. Second, it's a dying issue because Encode is beginning to absorb these issues so really there are no worries there. 3rd, would you use a Chevy alternator on a Ford? Because in essence, that's whats happening, regardless which system interfaces with Atlantis. Must suck for Zimmer to say that the Atlantis abutment is crap for obvious reasons.

    Yes, 3i is smart for doing this, and eventually others will follow to protect their own brand.
     
  13. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    By the time a case gets to the lab I can't see one system being any harder to work with than another so I wouldn't take the lab comment very seriously. As for the connection being weak have you seen the videos done by Holger Zipprich comparing various platforms. Astra was one of two that didn't have a gap opening under very forceful loading. I believe Zimmer was the other one if I'm not mistaken and that should come as much of a surprise to anyone knowledgeable in implant design.

    Did have one Atlantis zirconia abutment fracture, but I think it was my fault. Don't know that they are snapping to any extend, but you should - in my opinion - only use them when esthetic demands dictate, but that goes for any system. Have never see a titanium abutment snap from any system..............
     
  14. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

  15. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Yes, brilliant strategy:

    3i rep:
    "Oh, doctor you say that you are haveing a 20% plus failure rate with our tapered implants, lets see. Do you know that tapered implants are very technique sensative in general?"

    Doctor:
    "Ive been placing other company's tapered implants for years with no problems"

    3i rep:
    "Wow, I have not heard about our company having any failures anywhere else in the country" (except at the national sales meeting a few years ago but I thought that we traded all of those out)

    Doctor:
    "So if it is not my technique, what could it be?"

    3i rep:
    "I have a study that says it absolutely cant be our implants. We have a 98% success rate."

    Doctor:
    "how does that prove anything?"

    3i rep:

    "Because its a study. And we funded it."

    Doctor:
    "I dont buy it. So if it is not my technique and it is not your implant (because your study says so), then want can it be?"

    3i rep:
    "oh wait, it must be the Atlantis Abutments, yes thats it doc, thats your answer. Your higher than normal failure rate is becuase of Atlantis Abutments. Sorry, cant stay, I gotta hit my 2% quota increase."

    Doctor:
    "Oh wait, come back. I dont use Atlantis......"
     
  16. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I find it funny that competitive reps are still using the tapered thing against 3i, even though it was 5 years ago.... I guess this is why I have been able to gain marketshare on the competition in my area. It is my hope that they keep using that strategy since it makes them look very dumb, I Love my competition....

     
  17. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Also look at the Bego implant which is a copy of the Screw-Vent lead-in bevel, internal hex connection. This was the original conical connection and also does not show any micro-gaps. Niznick had this in 1986 and it is still a popular connection with BioHorizons, Zimmer, Implant Direct and most of the Israeli companies. Astra may not show any gaps until the long wedging effect of the abutment fractures out the thin walls of that implant.
     
  18. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Ding!! Ding! Ding!!! Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!!!! Astra came on like gang busters about 4 years. It made a splash and really has not been able to carry momentum because its marketing caught up with the truth.....it is a meh implant system. Nothing really that innovative and has its definite negatives....like its connection..........which last I checked is somewhat important!!!
     
  19. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Ah yes, the first sign of recovery is acceptance, which you seem to be coming around on. It was only a short while ago that you and your 3i cronies were on here denying that there was ever a problem with the implant. Now that we finally have you admitting that there was a problem, the next step is to get you to concede that the problem was not five years ago, but much more recent than that. I know that you will come on here with some BS reply and that is okay. Were all pulling for your recovery and we realize that this may take a while. We am very proud of your progress junior and we are in this for the long haul.

    Also, just know that all of your sponsors are p[ulling for you with your sales numbers too. Word is that if you hit 3% growth you may be up for rep of the year! Way to aim high!
     
  20. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    It isn't that the connection is "weak" per se, just too difficult with the super-imposed hex-on-hex 12 positions for most restorative docs. You can seat the abutments in the wrong position and torque them. As far as Atlantis copying other connections, they are doing an average job at best, not replicating them nearly as well as the manufacturers who make the implants--the main problem is they just can't know the correct tolerances--not engaging anti-rotations, unexplained gaps, screws breaking, etc. I've seen some up close that are not accurate in the original design, even to the naked eye. It's not just 3i with the ad campaign against this, and I don't work for them, but agree that authentic implant/authentic abutment consistency is the best way to go across all lines. Even if Atlantis guaranteees the abutment, they are encouraging a potentially lesser-performing connection in the competitors implants. Not what I would want as a patient that wants their case performed with the best diligence.