Graham Blackbeard - Founder & Director of Southern Implants
Episode summary
Graham Blackbeard, founder and director of Southern Implants, describes the engineering philosophy behind one of the earliest zygomatic implant manufacturers. A mechanical engineer who started the company in 1987 and has made zygomatic implants for 25 years, he argues that long-term outcomes depend on materials and surfaces: high-strength commercially pure titanium to allow smaller diameters, avoidance of acid treatments to limit corrosion, and a hybrid surface whose machined coronal collar (Sa/Ra roughly 0.6-0.9) lowers peri-implantitis incidence. He previews two new zygomatic designs, ZYGIN-W (a wider rescue implant) and ZYGON (an updated oncology implant), and a pre-conference Southern Implants workshop. He also addresses pterygoid implants, angled-abutment surface quality and PVD coatings, cautious use of subperiosteals, and a future trending toward less-invasive treatment alongside navigation and guided surgery.
Key takeaways
- Southern Implants was founded in 1987 by mechanical engineer Graham Blackbeard and has manufactured zygomatic implants for about 25 years, one of the first companies to do so.
- Blackbeard holds zygomatic-implant patents jointly with Dr. Carlos Aparicio and, in the past year, new patents covering the use of very high-strength commercially pure titanium to reduce implant diameter without added fracture risk.
- A machined coronal collar with a surface roughness of roughly Sa/Ra 0.6-0.9 supports bone loading while, per Daniel Buser's work, reducing peri-implantitis incidence from around 12% to under 2% versus rough-to-the-top implants.
- Southern Implants will launch two new zygomatic designs at Edentulism 2025: the wider ZYGIN-W rescue implant for cases lacking stability with a 3.4 mm implant, and the ZYGON, an updated oncology (ex-alveolar) implant succeeding the ZYGEX.
- A 2019 publication by Lang and colleagues found angled abutments carry higher biological and mechanical complication rates, which Blackbeard attributes partly to machined surface roughness above Ra 0.5 that promotes inflammation.
- Del Castillo's 2022 work shows a plasma vapor deposition (PVD) coating on abutments improves soft-tissue fibroblast adhesion and reduces bacterial adhesion, helping prevent mucositis.
- Blackbeard predicts that in five years at least half of implants will still be placed by surgical field, with growing but not universal adoption of navigation and guides, and a broader shift toward less-invasive treatment.
What you'll learn
- Why a machined coronal collar (Sa/Ra ~0.6-0.9) rather than a rough surface reduces peri-implantitis risk on zygomatic and standard implants
- Using high-strength commercially pure titanium to reduce diameter and titanium volume without raising fracture risk
- Avoiding acid surface treatments to limit corrosion on long, high-surface-area zygomatic implants
- When to reach for a wider rescue zygomatic (ZYGIN-W) to preserve an immediate-loading protocol after poor primary stability
- How angled-abutment surface roughness and PVD coatings affect soft-tissue health and mucositis around abutments
About the guest
Graham Blackbeard
Graham Blackbeard is a mechanical engineer (with further degrees in industrial engineering and materials science) who founded Southern Implants in 1987. He trained at the University of Utah's artificial-organs division, where he designed titanium-housed heart valves, before South African dental schools trained by P-I Brånemark asked him to manufacture implant components. He has led the development of Southern Implants' zygomatic and pterygoid systems for 25 years, holds patents jointly with Dr. Carlos Aparicio, and champions long-term patient outcomes through materials and surface engineering.
About Southern Implants
A South African dental implant manufacturer founded in 1987, focused on premium, research-driven solutions for top-tier specialists. It was one of the first companies to make zygomatic implants (25 years) and pioneered the hybrid surface (machined coronal collar, roughened apical body). Its zygomatic range includes ZYG, ZYGAN, ZYGEX, ZYGIN and Oncology implants with Co-Axis prosthetic angulation, and it co-developed a dedicated pterygoid implant with Dr. Rudy Mukherjee.
HQ: Irene, South Africa · Founded: 1987 · https://southernimplants.com
Relevance to zygomatic implants: One of the earliest zygomatic implant manufacturers (25 years of production and 25-year follow-up data), holder of zygomatic-implant patents with Dr. Carlos Aparicio, pioneer of the hybrid zygomatic surface, and the industrial partner in the technology transfer of the ZAGA designs to the Straumann zygomatic system.
