Which country are Astra Tech implants from?

Astra Tech's history goes back to 1948. That year the company was founded under the name AB Sjukvårdsutensilier as a wholesaler selling hospital supplies, and in 1957 it was bought by the Swedish pharmaceutical company Astra AB. In 1976 it became a medical device manufacturer with its own research unit. Dental implants were set up as a separate line of business in 1990, and the Astra Tech name came into use in 1992.

Over time Astra AB became part of the AstraZeneca group, and for many years Astra Tech remained that group's medical device company. In June 2011 AstraZeneca signed an agreement to sell Astra Tech to the American company Dentsply International; the sale was completed on 31 August 2011. In 2016 Dentsply merged with Sirona Dental Systems, creating today's Dentsply Sirona. The group is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

That is why a one-word answer to the 'which country' question would be misleading. The system's roots, and the place where it was developed, are in Sweden; its owner today is a US-based group. The phrase 'more than a century of history', written about Astra Tech on some Turkish-language websites, actually belongs to the parent company: Dentsply and Sirona each have roots going back more than a hundred years. Astra Tech's own history starts in 1948, and its implant business in 1990. The label on the box itself gives the most definite answer to where the product is made today.

Astra Tech also had a business beyond implants. AstraZeneca's 2011 announcement of the sale describes the company as having two arms: dental implants, and medical products used particularly in urology and surgery. LoFric, a hydrophilic urinary catheter launched in 1983, is the best-known product of that second arm. After the sale, the healthcare arm became a separate organisation under the name Wellspect in 2012; today the Astra Tech name lives on in the implant system.

The full name of the current generation is Astra Tech Implant System EV. The manufacturer describes it as the first and most comprehensive member of the EV Implant Family; the same family also includes PrimeTaper EV, which has a fully tapered body. The bodies in the family share a common EV connection, which means they work with the same prosthetic parts, instruments and torque values. The system's technical features that carry their own trade names are the OsseoSpeed surface, a conical connection called Conical Seal Design and the MicroThread threads at the neck of the implant. Short, narrow and profiled bodies are offered for tight spaces, limited vertical bone and sloping jaw ridges.

The generation before EV is known as OsseoSpeed TX and is still common in people's mouths. The design of the connection between the implant and the top part differs between the two generations; a laboratory study published in 2019 also compared TX and EV as two separate connection designs. The practical upshot is this: knowing 'I have an Astra in my mouth' is not enough for a repair. For your new dentist to be able to order the right part, the generation, body type and size need to be known.

The factual answer to 'is it any good' is that it is a system that has been in use for a long time and has published data behind it. The manufacturer refers to four decades of development and more than a thousand clinical studies. One example not funded by the manufacturer comes from the University of Zurich: in a study in which 98 implants placed in 64 patients were randomly allocated between Astra Tech (TX generation) and Straumann, no implants had been lost in either group among the patients examined at year 10, and the change in bone level stayed at a clinically insignificant level. The type of problem differed: technical complications were more common in the Astra group, and inflammation of the soft tissue around the implant was more common in the Straumann group.

Even so, the brand is the smaller half of the question. Whether an implant stays in your mouth over the years is more strongly determined by the planning, how the load is spread, factors such as smoking and uncontrolled diabetes, and regular maintenance. Astra Tech is a conventional two-piece system; the implant used in our protocol of fixed teeth in 72 hours with the Ihde method belongs to a different class: a one-piece corticobasal implant that anchors in the hard outer layer of the jaw.

The points below are not specific to Astra Tech; they look at the implant design that sits inside the bone, comes in two pieces and needs a healing period.

If the answers are short and clear, there is a considered choice behind the plan. Every answer that stays vague is a gap you will have to fill yourself later on.

1. 1

   EV or TX?

   EV is the current generation; the previous generation, TX, is also common in people's mouths. Finding out from the start which one will be used makes things easier for you when you are looking for parts years later.

2. 2

   Which body, and what size?

   Astra Tech Implant EV, Profile EV or PrimeTaper EV from the same family. It should be possible to explain the choice of diameter and length in terms of the width and height of your bone and the slope of the ridge.

3. 3

   Are the top parts original?

   The manufacturer has ready-made top parts as well as Atlantis parts made specifically for each patient; there are also compatible top parts from third-party manufacturers on the market. You should be told which ones are being used, and this should be put on record.

4. 4

   Can I see the barcode on the label?

   Medical devices put on the market in Turkey must be registered in the Product Tracking System (ÜTS). The number on the label shows the product's manufacturer and its registration; it is a more concrete check than anything you hear said about a brand. You can also see for yourself whether the product is registered by entering the barcode number on the ÜTS public search page or in its mobile app.

5. 5

   How long is the wait if a part is needed?

   For a screw that works loose or a top part that needs replacing, ask whether the clinic has it in stock and, if not, how long it takes to obtain. It should be possible to give the answer in days.

When the points below are not in place, even the best-known system does not rescue the outcome; when they are, the difference between brands narrows.

Some of the statements about Astra that circulate online are out of date, and some belong to a different company.

These documents are useful not today but years from now, in another dentist's chair.

1. Get your implant card with the generation on it

   The card should say more than just 'Astra Tech': EV or TX, body type, diameter, length and lot number. If anything is missing, ask the clinic that carried out the treatment to complete it.

2. Keep a copy of the barcode

   The barcode on the label of the product used carries the number that identifies it in ÜTS. Asking for a copy is a normal request.

3. Keep the post-treatment X-ray

   It is the only document that shows where your bone level was on the first day. Only with it can any change be read when it is compared with an X-ray taken years later.

4. Note the type of top part

   A ready-made part, a patient-specific Atlantis part or a compatible third-party part. With this information, finding the right replacement is quicker when a screw or top part needs changing.

The name of the implant does not determine the difference between quotes on its own. The items that make up the total are these:

The unit cost of the system

There can be a difference between a system from an international group and a younger or locally made one; but in a plan with several units, this is often not the item that determines the total.

Choice of top part

The choice between a ready-made part, a patient-specific part and a compatible third-party part can move the quote more than the implant body does. Check which one is written in the quote.

Preparatory procedures

If a graft, a sinus procedure or extractions are needed, these are separate items, and they come up often in conventional plans. They also add to the timescale.

Repairs over the years

With a system whose parts are easy to find, a repair stays a small job. This item does not appear on the bill, but in the long run it can be the most expensive one.