The longitudinal clinical effectiveness of osseointegrated dental implants for single-tooth replacement.

A series of studies was begun in the mid-1980s in an effort to test the versatility of the osseointegration technique. One of these studies specifically tests the efficacy of single-implant support for crowns to replace missing single teeth. Thirty-two patients with 40 single-tooth spaces were treated with 40 implants, placed between 8 August 1985 and 21 June 1990. Twenty-eight were placed in the maxillae (27 in the anterior and 1 in the posterior zone). Twelve implants were placed in the mandible (all in the posterior zone). After loaded service periods ranging from 1.4 to 6.6 years (mean 2.9 years), all implants remain in function and have ensured successful prosthodontic treatment. These results suggest that the osseointegration technique can be adapted for use in patients with a missing single tooth with predictable good success.