Bone Loss Around Dental Implants is Far More Common Than Previously Realized

Dental implants, which are a type of artificial tooth root made from titanium uses a surgical procedure to insert a titanium screw into the jawbone, where it integrates and forms a base for crowns, bridges or prostheses.  Dental implants have been considered, in some cases, equal to orignal teeth.   A new study, based on a thesis by dental surgeon Christer Fransson at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden analysed X-rays of over 600 inplant patients.

“The more implants a patient had in the jaw, the more common it was to find loss of supporting bone. Just over a quarter – 28 per cent – of patients had lost some degree of supporting bone around their implants”  according to the study.

“This is a new discovery that shows just how important it is to detect and treat bone loss around implants at an early stage” says Fransson.  Smokers suffered more bone loss than non-smokers.

There are several types of titanium implants, but all are based on the finding that titanium has an unique property to integrate with the bone. The method was pioneered by professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark at the Sahlgrenska Academy during the 1960s. – From a University of Gothenburg press release.