Contemporary Trends in Dental Implants

Abstract

A high number of patients have one or more missing tooth and it is estimated that one in four world subjects over the age of 74 have lost all their natural teeth. Many options exist to replace missing teeth but dental implants have become one of the most used biomaterial to replace one (or more) missing tooth over the last decades. Therefore, the use of dental implants is also a common practice. Although research on dental implant de­signs, materials and techniques has increased in the past few years and is expected to expand in the future, there is still a lot of work involved in the use of better biomaterials, implant design, surface modification and functionalization of surfaces to improve the long-term outcomes of the treatment. This paper provides a brief history and evolution of dental implants. It also describes the types of implants that have been developed, and the parameters that are presently used in the design of dental implants. Finally, it describes the trends that are employed to improve dental implant surfaces, and current technologies used for the analysis and design of the implants. Keywords:  Dental implants, History, Design, Surfaces, Osseointegration, Biopolymers.