User Guide

Who is behind APOONA?

Apoona was founded in 2019 when 3 dental professionals with 3 different skill sets and scientific backgrounds working on 3 aspects of the same problem, finally decided to amalgamate their knowledge and competences to develop a comprehensive and reliable solution based on scientific evidence with the use of cutting edge technology. All 3 founders of APOONA Health solutions have extensive and long-lasting experience in implant dentistry and digital dentistry, but each with a special expertise in particular areas:

- More than 60 years accumulative academic, clinical and scientific experience and expertise in implant planning, surgery and restoration; soft tissue and bone
  augmentation as well as an academic and scientific background in biological research
- extensive experience and knowledge in digital implant and restorative dentistry, with a particular focus on implant planning software and digital & clinical workflows

The founders put together their extensive surgical and prosthetic implant experience to generate a pre-planning aid on our portal for the suggested implant location.

What is AReport?

The outcome from the implant associated assessment in the form of a written report.

AReport shows feasibility of the treatment plan prior to implant placement. The assessment of relevant anatomical areas would be limited to proximity of implant site. If necessary, alternative implant type option will be suggested as the Plan B.

What is ASTL file?

It is a manufacturing file in the format of .stl which is a recognised file format compatible with all 3D printers and associated software.

Depending on the chosen service, we will additionally provide you ASTL file to 3D print the surgical guide in-house. This option is available for Gold and Platinum Services.

What is AGuide?

A 3D printed implant Surgical Guide with titanium sleeve inserted. The AGuide is fabricated from biocompatible and autoclavable 3D printing resin for use in dental treatments, to support fully or partially guided implant surgery.

The APOONA team will guide you to provide a safer, more successful and predictable implant treatment.

Can I autoclave the AGuide?

Yes! Our guides are autoclavable. We recommend place them in a pouch and sterilise them like a normal instrument.

Our surgical resin is a Class l medical device in accordance with ISO standards globally, there are two autoclave cycles:

1-      134 degrees centigrade for 20 minutes

Or

2-      121 degrees centigrade for 30 minutes

For chemical disinfection, you can use 70% isopropyl alcohol for 5 minutes.

Please note, surgical guides intended for single use, therefore can only be autoclaved once to maintain flexural properties.

For further information, please contact us.

What type of services are APOONA offering?

Ø  Silver Service, suitable for straightforward and single cases where the clinician simply wants to assess the feasibility of the procedure to develop a Treatment Plan. We support you by assessing relevant anatomical features that would be limited to proximity of implant site, thus proposing feasibility of the treatment. For the Silver Service, you will receive an AReport with an assessment of implant site only. Please note that we do not provide an analysis of entire 3D Xray (please refer to our Ts&Cs).

Ø  Gold Service, suitable for clinicians and laboratories who have 3D printers to manufacture dental implant surgical guides, and do not wish to spend additional time on virtual planning and design software. For the Gold Service, we will provide an AReport same as Silver Service, as well as a final ASTL file to 3D print the surgical guide with the determined and approved implant position(s) in-house at your practice or dental laboratory.

Ø  Platinum Service, the complete solution for implant procedures. We provide an AReport with viability assessment as well as a final surgical AGuide, which will be posted to your practice. The AGuide is 3D printed with titanium sleeve inserts to support partially or fully guided surgery. Worldwide shipping is available. All our surgical guides are autoclavable.

·       Please note that we are not radiologists. The AReport assessment we provide is a suggestion showing viability of implant procedure only in proposed site. Therefore, we do not take any responsibility of any pathological objects which need to be assessed by a registered local radiologist (please refer to our Ts&Cs).

What countries are APOONA services available?

We support all dental clinicians and laboratories worldwide! However, limitations might exist in some countries or areas for the Platinum Service due to logistical reasons in order to ship the AGuide to our customers.
Silver and Gold Service are available wherever there is an internet connection to access APOONA’s website and to download the AReport and/or the ASTL file.

How does the APOONA mobile app work?

Our mobile app is designed by one of the leading global IT companies to provide an intuitive and user-friendly service. The app is simple to use and allows you to keep track of your order, communicate with us and much more! Whilst you can create an order using the app, uploading DICOM and teeth scan need to be done via our website. The app is available for Android systems now and for iPhone very soon.

How can I pay my invoices?

You will be charged upon order placement. Payment can be made only electronically using Mastercard, VISA and/or American Express.

PRICING

What do the different levels of service cost?

The standard price is based on a single implant. Extra costs are incurred for more complex cases. (as per fee structure)

Ø  Silver Service: AUD 100 + GST

Ø  Gold Service: AUD 180 + GST

Ø  Platinum Service: AUD 350 + GST

There will be AUD 45.00 charge for each anchor pin for edentulous cases.

Please note, these prices are for a single jaw only.

CANCELLATIONS

What if I want to cancel my order?

We understand sometimes things don’t go to plan, so you can cancel your order anytime. Cancellations before Order Confirmation are free of charge. Cancellations after order confirmation incur an AUD 100.00 fee.

What information is required to submit an order?

Basic patient details are required: first name, surname, age, gender. All data is kept encrypted on our server.

Basic implant details are required:  Implant position, brand, platform, size/length and diameter. However, if you are unsure about the size and platform of the implant, leave it to us to find the ideal implant size appropriate for the proposed site.

What happens after submitting an order?

Our admin team will review your order in detail (especially, the quality and compatibility of the DICOM and STL, PLY or files). Once everything is correct, we will confirm the order. You will receive a confirmation email. Depending on complexity of the case, you will be receiving the AReport after 3-5 days.

Please note that low quality DICOM files will be rejected, we will inform the customer to resend a higher resolution in order to proceed.

What is the process and timeframe of your work?

Please check the below table:

* The mentioned time frame includes 3D printing and posting of the AGuide. Delivery time of the AGuide to the practice depends on location and shipping conditions. Approximate delivery times are outlined. Please note that due to COVID restrictions, shipping timeframe and availability is subject to change according to local shipping providers.

 How long does delivery for an AGuide take?

We use different couriers, such DHL, Toll and Australia Post. Specific delivery times are available on their website.

Delivery time of the AGuide to the practice depends on location and shipping conditions. Please note that due to COVID restrictions, shipping timeframe and availability is subject to change according to local shipping providers.

How much does shipping cost?

Due to global COVID pandemic, the international shipping cost fluctuates, unfortunately we cannot provide a fixed price at this stage.

We always strive to partner with the most reliable and economical shipping partners to best service our clients.

Local shipping within Australia is included in the price of Platinum Service.

What if my required implant is not on your list?

We are continuously updating and expanding our implant library. It is the ultimate goal of APOONA to offer implant planning and surgical guides for all dental implant brands/types on the market. However, in the case of your preferred implant brand/type not being available in our library yet, please write your preferred implant details in the comment box at the bottom of the order page. Our implant designing software has a comprehensive library and we are confident that we can accommodate to your preference.

How many surgical guide types do we have?

Surgical guides can be categorised as either

-          Tooth supported (majority of cases)

-          Tooth and mucosa supported

-          Mucosa supported (edentulous)

-          Bone supported (edentulous) (coming soon)

 What is the best surgical guide thickness?

Ideally the guide is 2.5 – 3.5 mm thickness. However, this is sometimes changed due to factors such as intraoral space ,overall strength of the guide, strength of the printing material/resin or the type of guide.

What is the best design type for my surgical guide?

There are a few different designs, again, every case is different. The standard tooth-supported guide covers the majority of teeth, with inspection windows so you can confirm you have seated the guide perfectly during surgery. Guides with distal or posterior extensions we recommend adding reinforcement to avoid rocking or flexing during drilling. Our team has designed thousands of surgical guides, and have a great understanding of design, manufacturing and clinical scenarios. If you have any questions regarding the customised design for your specific clinical case, please mention this in the comment box at the bottom of the order page and we will get back to you as soon as possible

What is the Plan B design?

APOONA provides this as a complimentary service. In the case of your requested implant (e.g. length and/or diameter) not being viable in the proposed site (i.e. due to limited bone or soft tissue volume, insufficient distance to important anatomical structures, restorative complications or compromised aesthetic criteria), APOONA will suggest an alternative treatment plan with an implant of the same brand and platform, but adjusted diameter / length according to the implant site assessment outlined in the AReport. A full assessment of the suggested new implant will be provided in the Plan B of the extended AReport.

What is a Fully Guided versus Partially Guided surgical guide?

-          Partially guided: This guide gives you the correct drill length and angulation to prepare the implant site with the particular pilot drills. The clinician finalises the implant site preparation free-hand following the implant manufacturers drilling protocol.

-          Fully guided: The complete osteotomy and implant bed preparation is conducted and controlled through the sleeve(s). And subject to availability by implant company and surgical kit, dependent of implant manufacturer, implant can be placed through the sleeve.

 What is a Promotion Code?

APOONA runs promotional campaigns time to time, therefore we generate codes to offer discounts to our valued customers.

What files do I need to upload to submit an order?

Ø  Silver Service:

§   A DICOM file from CBCT / CT scan (please zip or compress the file before uploading)

Ø  Gold Service

§  A DICOM file from CBCT / CT scan (please zip or compress the file before uploading)

§  Teeth scan file (intraoral scanner) or model scan by a bench or lab scanner in STL, PLY or DCM* format.

Ø  Platinum Service:

§  A DICOM file from CBCT / CT scan (please zip or compress the file before uploading)

§  Teeth scan file (intraoral scanner) or model scan by a bench or lab scanner in STL, PLY or DCM* format.

*DCM is 3Shape proprietary file format.

How do I know my 3D imaging file is DICOM?

If you are using a Windows or Mac system, check the file received out of imaging centre or your own CBCT:

 How can I compress or zip a DICOM file to upload into Order Form?

If you are using a Windows system:

Zipped (compressed) files take up less storage space and can be transferred to other computers more quickly than uncompressed files. In Windows, you work with zipped files and folders in the same way that you work with uncompressed files and folders.

To zip (compress) a file or folder:

1-      Locate the file or folder that you want to zip.

2-      Press and hold on touch screen monitor (or right-click the computer mouse) on the file or folder, select (or point to) Send to, and then select Compressed (zipped) folder.

3-      A new zipped folder with the same name is created in the same location. To rename it, press and hold (or right-click) the folder, select Rename, and then type the new name.

If you are using a Mac system, do any of the following:

Compress a file or folder: Control-click it or tap it using two fingers, then choose Compress from the shortcut menu.

If you compress a single item, the compressed file has the name of the original item with the .zip extension.