Past studies on dental implants have shown that the host tissue around the area of the implant is disrupted. As a result, practitioners have tended to move forward cautiously in planning treatment to ensure that the patient's bone and gum tissue are maintained. Now, a recent study conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio reveals that clinically significant remodeling of the marginal bone occurred during the first six months after implant placement, after which clinically insignificant mean changes in the bone were observed. Their findings were based on screening 192 patients with a total of 596 dental implants for adequate oral hygiene and bone volume. Baseline radiographs were taken at the time of implant placement. Subsequent radiographs were taken at the time of final prosthesis placement, at 6 months after prosthesis placement, and annually for 5 years. Patients who smoked heavily, chewed tobacco, abused drugs or had untreated periodontal disease were excluded from the study.

Study author Dr. David Cochran, D.D.S., Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Periodontics at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and President of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), believes that this study offers additional evidence that using dental implants to replace missing teeth is an effective option. "As a periodontist, I am committed to saving my patients' natural dentition whenever possible. However, the results of this study help further indicate that a dental implant is an effective and dependable tooth replacement option. Since the patient's host tissue surrounding the dental implant largely remains unchanged in the five years following placement, the dental team can now focus on periodic assessment and treatment of other areas in the mouth as needed, and know that the implant is doing its job as a viable substitute solution."

News Release: Placement of dental implants results in minimal bone loss www.medicalnewstoday.com   May 13, 2009