Dental implants still functional after 40 years, study finds
Dental implants used to replace single teeth continue to function well after several decades, according to a study by the University of Gothenburg. The study is based on a follow-up of a small group of patients who received single implants to replace missing teeth between 1982 and 1985.
The implants were a result of research conducted by Professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark, regarded as the ‘father of modern dental implantology’. His discovery of how bone integrates with titanium implants has enabled millions of patients to replace lost teeth with a reliable and long-lasting solution.
Of the 16 patients who received implants during the study period, 13 – with a total of 18 implants – participated in the follow-up, conducted at the Brånemark Clinic.
“It is impressive that the single implants function so well after such a long time,” said Sargon Barkarmo, prosthodontist and senior lecturer at the University of Gothenburg.
“Even though the study included a small number of patients, the results show that the implants remain in place and that the bone loss around them is virtually unchanged after forty years. This confirms that the foundation Brånemark established still holds.”
The crowns placed on the implants had a shorter lifespan than the implants themselves. At the forty-year follow-up, only about 60% of the original crowns remained, with many having been replaced one or more times.
“The study shows that the crowns were mostly replaced for aesthetic reasons rather than technical failures. [But] in the future, implant treatments could be further improved with the development of new crown materials,” said Jan Kowar, co-author of the study.