Accuracy of torque controllers on healing abutments in implant dentistry—an in vitro study
Varun Goyal, Rafael Delgado‐Ruiz, Kenneth S. Kurtz, Georgios E. Romanos- General Dentistry
Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate the accuracy of three torque‐control devices used on healing abutments in implant prosthodontics.
Materials and Methods
In this in vitro experiment, three torque controllers, Ankylos friction‐based, Straumann spring‐based, and Anthogyr pre‐calibrated torque control devices were used to tighten the healing abutments of Ankylos and Straumann dental implants to a pre‐determined value of 15 Ncm. A digital torque meter (DT), Cedar DID‐4A, was used to assess removal torque as a surrogate for the accuracy of the torque controllers to apply a tightening force of 15 Ncm on healing abutments. One‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to identify differences between each torque controller and the digital torquemeter, a p < 0.05 was considered significant.
Results
The torque required to remove the healing abutments was 16.05 ± 0.66 Ncm for the Ankylos ratchet, 12.61 ± 0.90 Ncm for the Straumann ratchet, and 14.37 ± 1.08 Ncm for the Anthogyr torque‐control device. Significant statistical differences were observed between Ankylos and the control digital torquemeter (p = 1.84E−8; F = 50.3); Anthogyr and control digital torquemeter (p = 0.01; F = 6.79); and Straumann and control digital torquemeter (p = 0.01; F = 141.15).
Conclusion
Friction‐based (Ankylos), spring‐based (Straumann), and pre‐calibrated (Anthogyr) torque control devices present over‐torque and under‐torque values when used over healing abutments of Ankylos and Straumann implant systems.