The History of Dental Implants

THE HISTORY OF DENTAL IMPLANTS

Initial Discovery

In the 1950s, a Swedish medical doctor named Per-Ingvar Brånemark first noted the phenomenon known as osseointegration. While attempting to remove a titanium chamber he had inserted into a rabbit’s leg during a bone marrow study, he found that the bone had fused with the titanium over time. Insertion of titanium posts in humans over the next several decades showed that human bone also fuses with titanium, allowing metal posts to anchor “teeth” into place for extended periods of time.

In the early 1980s, Brånemark’s findings were presented to prominent North American dental researchers and soon became commercially available in the U.S. Brånemark’s two-stage implant procedure is still the most widely used today.

Today’s Advanced Dental Implants

Modern implants are highly evolved and offer the highest success rates ever. Advanced reconstructive procedures allow an increasing number of patients to support implants, and the current implant and prosthetic materials provide greater integration and longevity.

Current state-of-the-art titanium implants have improved success rates over the past decade. (Titanium is the most biocompatible metal and fuses with bone).
New techniques allow more rapid osseointegration of implants with better
long-term stability and bone preservation.
The advent of new implant surface treatments has increased the percentage of implants that osseointegrate.
Advanced prosthetic/restorative innovations (superior crowns/bridges, connectors and materials) have increased the long-term success rates of implants with improved function, hygiene and esthetics.

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