A miniscrew system with interchangeable abutments.

JCO/OCTOBER 2008 O miniscrews have become increasingly popular in recent years because of their versatility, minimal invasiveness, and low cost. The effectiveness of conventional miniscrew systems is limited, however, by the lack of a stable connection to the orthodontic appliance. The Straumann Orthosystem* addresses this problem with a cap or abutment that can be fixed to the implant. The system can be used as anchorage for distalization of the maxillary molars or for mesial space closure, but is more costly than conventional miniscrews in terms of both direct expense and chairtime. Moreover, a three-month healing period is recommended after placement of an Orthosystem implant before force loading. As an alternative, we developed the Benefit** miniimplant system with interchangeable abutments (Fig. 1).