| Advantages over the traditional screw-retained implant systems |
| System Capability or feature |
Typical Screw-Retained Implant System |
KAT Implant System |
| Number of platforms |
Multiple (can be as many as three). Number of the abutments that need to be stocked corresponds to the number of platforms |
One |
| Small diameter implants able to use standard abutments |
No |
Yes, 2.5mm and 3.0mm diameter implants. |
| Strength of the implant, 5 million cycle FDA implant
fatigue test |
180-250 N for 3.5mm implants (NobelActive™1 3.5 - 222 N); 300-400 N for larger diameter implants (NobelActive™ 4.3 - 355 N) |
425 N for a 3.5mm diameter implant. 3.5mm implants can be used in molar region because of high strength and large surface area |
| Rotational play of the components (including the implant level transfer copings) |
Yes, due to manufacturing tolerances |
No rotational play |
| The need to remove healing abutment to fabricate and attach temporary prosthesis |
Yes, healing abutment has to be removed, temporary abutment has to be attached to the implant prior to fabrication of the temporary prosthesis |
No, temporary prosthesis can be fabricated and screw retained over the healing abutment |
| Platform shifting / switching / changing |
Yes, in some systems, but only horizontal |
Yes, horizontal and vertical |
| Diameter of the transgingival portion |
Larger diameter transgingival portion decreases the volume of the gingival tissues and does not contribute to the esthetics and health |
Consistent 3.1mm for all implant sizes. Increased volume of the gingival tissues promotes high esthetics and health |
| Microgap |
Varies with the system |
Eliminated due to a 1.5º locking taper design |
| Capability to fabricate screw-retained prosthesis |
Yes |
Yes |
| Pick-up coping for an implant level impression |
Needed |
Not needed, abutment acts as a pick-up coping |
| Can the vertical "sliding" of the components be predictably reproduced during implant indexing and abutment installation? |
Impossible to achieve due to machining tolerances if a conical or a locking taper connection is utilized |
Yes, to within 10 microns for cement retained restorations; even more accurate with screw retained restorations; |
| Is the fit of the screw-retained prosthesis influenced by the machining tolerances? |
Yes, since the fit of the prosthesis depends on the dimensional accuracy between the pick-up coping and the abutment, and between the implant analog and the implant |
No, since a screw-retained abutment is a pick-up impression coping |
