Story & photo by Recto Mercene
A large group of senior dentists from Israel was recently in the Philippines to look at prospects of establishing medical cooperation between Tel Aviv and Manila’s leading dental practitioners.
In direct coordination with Israel Ambassador Effie Ben Matityau, 120 Israeli dentists held their annual conference here in the country and hosted a meeting with the Philippine Dental Association, led by its president, Dr. Carlos C. Buendia.
AB Dental CEO Ofra Bar-Shalom said Israel is considered a worldwide leader in the industry because of the number of their dental companies relative to the population, including a vast amount of dentists who participate in the practice of implantology.
“Our products are sold in more than 60 countries, from North and South America to Europe, Russia and Asia,” Shalom said, while adding that their vision is to change the standard practice in dental implants.
She said with their pioneering technology, any dentist can visit their web site and order a 3D computerized implant by sending them a CT scans of the patient and his mouth.
Upon confirmation, AB Dental sends a full package of everything the doctor needs for surgery, including a surgical guide and all the correct implants, prosthetic, tools and even teeth.
“We believe we are bringing the future to the implant industry, which will change the implant process around the world and, soon, the technology will arrive in the Philippines,” she said.
Shalom said their innovative technique is reflected in their ability to plan in 3D, print in 3D, with titanium powder using a laser sintering technology.
She said the U implant, already sold to experts and hospitals in Israel, provides a response to boneless patients and unusual cases, such as broken jaws resulting from car accidents and war accidents, and amputation as a result of cancer.
“AB Dental has built a toolbox, with courses and training designed to help distributors all over the world increase their business and provide knowledge of the procedures to the dentist, allowing them to succeed with their efforts and attract more patients,” Shalom said.
Meanwhile, A.B. Dental Marketing Manager Raz Bar David said the Israeli dentists spent a week in the Philippines as part of their annual social and professional activities. They were in Manila, Boracay and Pangasinan.
He also said there would be lectures about the latest technology on bone augmentation, bone implant and 3D implant by laser machines by lecturers from Israel, Portugal and the United Kingdom.
“AB Dental is not a traditional implant company, we have the latest innovations and new products throughout the year,” David said.
“No matter what dental problem a person has, there is always a solution,” he said, adding that many civilian victims of the ongoing war in Syria were brought to Israel to have themselves treated.
He said those whose face were disfigured by the war have a great chance of having their jaws or teeth returned to normal by creating missing bones through 3D printing with titanium powder.
The group showed a video of the latest maxillofacial technique, where damaged jawbones are created by 3D printing and the new set of teeth are screwed in place permanently.
“When the new sets of teeth is screwed on the jaw, we then build an abutment support and the person could enjoy his old way of life. This technology is growing so fast, we predict that it will achieve 100-percent application in the next 10 years,” he said.
Meanwhile, Buendia confirmed to the BusinessMirror that the group is looking for business partners in the country.
Ask how expensive the new implants are, Buendia said: “The cheapest are the plastic false teeth, but an implant could, at the very least, cost about P50,000 to P60,000.”
Data show that the ratio of dentists to population in the Philippines is 6 dentists for every 10,000 Filipinos.
In Israel the National Center for Biotech Information said it has one dentist per 1,400, a ratio which is still far above many countries.
Image credits: Recto Mercene