Dr. George Raeber - Straumann R&D on Zygomatic Implants & Edentulism 2025
Episode summary
Dr. George Raeber, Senior Vice President and Head of Global R&D and Innovation at the Straumann Group, discusses complex full-arch rehabilitation of severely atrophied jaws on the ZAGA Centers Podcast ahead of Edentulism 2025 in Barcelona. A biomedical engineer (ETH Zurich) with a PhD in cell biology and materials science, Raeber frames edentulism as a growing global burden, citing WHO data of roughly 350 million edentulous patients, one in four adults over 60 affected, cases doubled over 30 years, yet only about 1% treated with implants. Straumann's philosophy is to fit the treatment to the individual patient using minimally invasive, proprietary-alloy implants. He details six Edentulism 2025 innovations, including an upgraded ZAGA zygomatic implant with a new 17-degree SRA angled abutment, the model-free exact workflow, the STAR concept, handle-free iGUIDE guided surgery, the miniaturized Falcon dynamic navigation system, and a 4 mm TLX short implant.
Key takeaways
- George Raeber is Senior Vice President and Head of Global R&D and Innovation at the Straumann Group; he holds a Master's in Biomedical Engineering from ETH Zurich and a PhD in cell biology and materials science, and has worked at Straumann for more than 20 years, starting as a global product manager.
- According to WHO data cited by Raeber, there are approximately 350 million edentulous patients globally, every fourth adult over 60 is edentulous, the number of edentulous cases doubled over the past 30 years, yet only about 1% of these cases are treated with implants.
- Straumann's core design philosophy is to fit the treatment to the patient rather than the patient to the treatment, using minimally invasive procedures and proprietary alloys that enable smaller and shorter implants, including short, narrow, mini, and zygomatic implants.
- Raeber describes a 'second generation' or therapeutic wave of edentulism driven by revision of failed existing implants, which is becoming more frequent as implantology becomes more widespread.
- An enhanced ZAGA (Straumann ZAGA Flat) zygomatic implant will launch at Edentulism 2025: a 3.4 mm core-diameter machined-plus-rough-surface implant with more tissue-friendly edges, paired with a new 17-degree SRA multi-unit angled abutment that adds to the existing 55-degree option.
- The exact model-free workflow, using scan bodies with scan flags and standard intraoral scanners, reduced patient chair time by more than one hour per arch in a comparative study of over 60 cases; 83% of Straumann implants are still placed free-handed, which the handle-free iGUIDE system aims to change.
- The miniaturized Falcon dynamic navigation system mounts cameras on the handpiece to reduce line-of-sight problems and now supports edentulous cases via a trackable marker; Straumann also launched a 4 mm TLX short implant, with 4 mm and 6 mm short implants growing at a ~40% compound annual growth rate over four years.
What you'll learn
- Straumann's R&D vision for complex maxillary rehabilitation
- Innovation in zygomatic and subperiosteal implants
- Dynamic navigation in implant surgery
- Time-saving digital workflows
- Science, technology and patient-centred care
About the guest
George Raeber
George Raeber is Senior Vice President and Head of Global R&D and Innovation at the Straumann Group, based in Basel, Switzerland. He holds a Master's in Biomedical Engineering from ETH Zurich and a PhD in Cell Biology and Materials Science from the University of Zurich, and joined Straumann in 2005, holding various leadership roles across R&D and marketing. He has more than 20 years of experience in medical technology.
About Straumann Group
The Straumann Group is a global leader in tooth replacement and orthodontic solutions, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. It develops and manufactures dental implants, instruments, biomaterials, CAD/CAM prosthetics, digital equipment, and clear-aligner systems, distributed worldwide.
HQ: Basel, Switzerland · Founded: 1954 · https://www.straumann.com/
Relevance to zygomatic implants: Straumann offers zygomatic implant solutions and co-developed the Straumann ZAGA zygomatic implant system with Dr. Carlos Aparicio, aligning the ZAGA concept with a dedicated commercial zygomatic implant line for severe maxillary atrophy.
