A dental implant is one way of replacing missing teeth and filling gaps in the dentition. The osseointegrated implant systems that we typically see today were first presented in 1975 by Swedish surgeon Professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark. He accidently discovered osseointegration while conducting research into the healing patterns of bone tissue in the 1950s. He coined this term, which describes the bond between living bone tissue and the surface of the titanium implant. After much experimenting, he suggested a cylindrical screw could be implanted into the bone to replace a lost tooth. A similar design is still in use today.
The success rates for implants in the literature vary but it is generally over 90%. One main cause of implant failure is peri-implant disease. This can take two forms, one of which can lead to the other. Peri-implant mucositis is similar to gingivitis in that it is reversible inflammation of the peri-implant soft tissues. Like gingivitis, if it is not treated it can progress, causing destruction of the surrounding periodontal structures. This is known as peri-implantitis and can lead to implant failure.
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