Going digital – the future of dental implantology?

Dental implantology has had an intriguing evolution, stretching back millennia. Our knowledge of implant dentistry has expanded exponentially, and now in the 21^st century we’re able to achieve remarkable outcomes for our patients. The development of digitalised dentistry has taken the profession by storm, transforming how treatments such as dental implant therapy are delivered. The dental sector must be prepared to meet the ever-changing population demands and ensure we continue to deliver only the best care to our patients – could digitalised dentistry help us in this endeavour?

Dental implants – a brief history

Missing teeth, hardly a modern phenomenon, has prompted numerous societies across history to innovate with the materials they had to hand at the time. This includes resources such as shells, gold, ivory and bone, depending on the time and place. Fast forward to the 1900s and various experiments were being conducted to facilitate successful dental implant treatment. As the years wore on, many more pioneers continued to finesse the design of the dental implant. Finally, in 1965, Dr Per-Ingvar Brånemark placed the first titanium dental implant.ⁱ Then, the rest is history.