Dentosphere : World of Dentistry

# Which of the following MOST ACCURATELY describes osseointegrated dental implants?
A. They create a pseudo-periodontal ligament
B. They create a junctional epithelium with the surrounding tissue
C. They are attached directly to living bone as determined by analysis by radiographs and light microscopy
D. They possess a direct structural and functional connection with bone only at the radiographic level of detection

The correct answer is C. They are attached directly to living bone as determined by analysis by radiographs and light microscopy.

Osseointegrated implants are implants that
are able to create a direct interface with
bone cells after they grow and interlock,
without any interposing layer of soft tissue.
In the process of osseointegration, the bone
directly attaches to the implant material
because the titanium oxide fuses with the
surrounding bone.

In osseoinegration, no scar, fibrous or
connective tissues get in between the bone
and the implant material. osseointegration
can be verified through microscopic and
radiographic images as well as by tapping
the implant with a mirror and hearing a
sharp metallic ring (not a dull thud).

The use of titanium for osseointegration
was discovered by Per-Ingvar Branemark in 1952.