The Locators overdenture attachment system is a secure and highly effective solution for full-arch rehabilitation. Despite the ideal scenario of parallel implant placement, patients often present with limited alveolar bone volume requiring angled implant placement. The Locators attachment system provides ample angle correction compared to traditional overdenture attachments.
This product description outlines the fabrication of a lower overdenture using two narrow platform implants and the dual retentive, resilient, self-locating Locators abutment attachment. This arrangement offers a lower profile compared to ball and bar attachments and is flexible up to 37° of divergence between two implants.
By utilizing Locators abutments as attachments, dental professionals can meet the purposeful, economic, and social expectations of their patients with ease and satisfaction. The natural placement of dental implants with an overdenture is parallel to each other and at right angles to the occlusal plane of the denture.
Clinicians can easily restore the natural placement using commercially available stud-style abutments, known as Locators abutments. Stud-style abutments have a proven track record of clinical success and reasonable long-term maintenance.
The use of Locators abutments in combination with a splinted bar restoration provides optimal retention, stability, and comfort of the prosthesis with minimal bulk, maintenance, and cost compared to more complex restorations.
Clinicians prefer individual overdenture abutments for their flexibility and simplicity. Opting for the simplest design that leads to successful clinical outcomes, Locators abutments are considered a simple and effective overdenture system due to their low height, dual retention, and straightforward pick-up technique along with ease of long-term maintenance.
However, for patients with angled implant placement, stud-style abutments such as Locators abutments may prove more challenging to insert and remove. The special formulated soft silicone inserts of Locators abutments offer better elasticity and a longer lifespan compared to the traditional hard nylon caps that can become damaged and bend inside the housing with repeated use.
While some clinicians advocate for angled abutments, custom castings, or splinted bars to adjust angulation, these methods introduce increased complexity and expense that may limit patient access to overdenture care. Features such as bony undercuts, narrow bone volume, anterior placement near the inferior alveolar nerve or maxillary sinus, proximity to vascular structures, or the desire to avoid extensive bone grafting can contribute to non-parallel implant placement.
The Locators Angulated System overcomes some of the limitations of angled placement and hygiene maintenance concerns while retaining many critical features for improved physical properties. This system is a contemporary update of the Locators abutment with exceptional design features and is available in 18° and 30° versions, allowing for implant angulation up to 37° per implant or 74° total divergence between implants.
The dual retention characteristics of the innovative Locators system have been moved to the external part of the abutment, eliminating the need for a large recess inside the abutment. This design simplifies hygiene maintenance and eases abutment insertion. The Locators abutment is coated with titanium carbon nitride, which is harder and offers improved wear resistance compared to non-coated titanium.
Benefits of Locator Abutment
• The range of silicone inserts corrects implant angulation up to 7°
• Offers various retention options including normal, heavy, extra-light, and even zero retention
• Compatible with popular implant systems, including Internal Hex and Conical Connection platforms
• The low profile design is ideal for cases with limited interocclusal space or for retrofitting an existing denture
• The rounded edges of the abutment assist in proper placement of the denture with its self-aligning lock feature
• Locator straight attachments can accommodate divergent implants up to 7 degrees, while the angulated version provides up to 74-degree off-axis options
• Offers easy long-term maintenance.