Nobel Biocare Letter - (Page 5) Nobel’s marketing strategy is to instill fear, uncertainty and doubt in the minds of its customers to keep them buying Nobel’s overpriced products by raising unsubstantiated and unsupported accusations that Implant Direct is misrepresenting its marketing claims to be surgically compatible with Nobel Replace drills. Central to Nobel’s argument is that the “RePlant collar extends deeper” when in fact, RePlant has a 1mm collar and Replace has a 2mm collar. The junction at the start of the mini-threads of the RePlant presents no change in diameter that could interfere with full seating of the RePlant in a socket prepared with Nobel drills. Nobel Biocare Slide 3 & 4: Show differences in thread design between Nobel Replace and Implant Direct’s RePlant implant, but does not dispute that both have the same overall body design with the same diameters along their straight and tapered sections. Based on these thread design differences, Nobel spins a story to falsely claim that the RePlant design will result in “implant placement too high” or will require “increasing insertion torque to properly seat the implant and thus (cause) pressure at collar area .” Nobel claims that “in dense bone RePlant shoulder (is) likely to stop leaving implant placement too high.” Nobel states that because the “RePlant Collar extends deeper than drill prep no space is created by the drill to accommodate the longer RePlant collar.” To support these illogical and unsubstantiated claims, Nobel references a radiograph in the next slide which shows a RePlant implant fully seated in soft bone. Note in Slide #3 that the drill point extends beyond implant, creating the type of apical radiolucency seen on the x-ray below, making it appear as if it is not fully seated. RePlant vs. NobelReplaceTM Tapered Drills RePlant vs. NobelReplaceTM Tapered Drills In dense bone, RePlant shoulder likely to stop here RePlant collar extends deeper than drill prep Therefore no space is created by the drill to accommodate the longer RePlant collar leaving implant placement too high potentially increasing insertion torque to properly seat the implant and thus pressue at the collar area or an implant that does not seat properly, potentially impacting success rates and/or esthetics (see radiograph next slide) Nobel Biocare Slide 5: Claims to represent a radiograph “showing RePlant Implant not fully seated.” Nobel does not disclose that the implant has a 3mm Healing Collar attached and is seated level with crest. What Nobel fails to point out is that the RePlant Clinical Example implant shown in this x-ray is actually fully seated with a 3mm Nobel Replace healing collar (note no flare) attached. The RePlant’s 2.5mm of Mini-threads are identified between the two yellow arrows starting 1mm below the top of the implant which is level with the crest of the bone on the 3mm Healing Collar distal. This x-ray was sent to an OS in Minneapolis along with a copy of the email from the doctor who placed this implant 2.5mm Micro-threads (name was removed). The email stated: “The x-ray was taken 6 weeks after grafting in extraction socket with a 3mm healInsertion was 6 ing abutment attached”. The dentist wrote Implant Direct weeks PO following Red Arrow Added by saying “My partner and I have placed about 15 RePlant extraction and bone Nobel points to drill tip fixtures in the past month and have no doubt that the graft so this is not beyond depth of Implant dense bone as cited drills/fit/seating is the same.” More recently, when the in Nobel’s allegations Nobel Representative presented him with the slide series he “told my rep I have my own experience to go on. They are essentially interchangeable to me.” The surgical Actual radiograph sent by doctor showing RePlant implant not compatibility was also confirmed by another former customer fully seated of Nobel who was sent this picture for comment: He stated: WRONG! 3MM Healing Collar Above Bone Level “I am very confident with your system and compatibility wise, I see no issues at all. I have placed about 150 Implant Direct implants.” Nobel Biocare, in an attempt to instill fear, uncertainty and doubt about Implant Direct and its products, is apparently willing to mislead its customers based on a single x-ray of an implant in bone graft material with a 3mm healing collar. claiming it is evidence that RePlant implants will not fully seat in dense bone using NobelReplace’s surgical instruments. Based on the very positive response from hundreds of Nobel customers taking advantage of Implant Direct’s better products, packaging and prices, Nobel is underestimating the intelligence of its customers. 5
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Nobel Biocare Letter Nobel Biocare Letter Nobel Biocare Letter - (Page 1) Nobel Biocare Letter - (Page 2) Nobel Biocare Letter - (Page 3) Nobel Biocare Letter - (Page 4) Nobel Biocare Letter - (Page 5) Nobel Biocare Letter - (Page 6) Nobel Biocare Letter - (Page 7) Nobel Biocare Letter - (Page 8) Nobel Biocare Letter - (Page 9) Nobel Biocare Letter - (Page 10) Nobel Biocare Letter - (Page 11) Nobel Biocare Letter - (Page 12)
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