Materials and techniques for titanium-based dental implants and the restorations they support have evolved substantially since their introduction in 1978. Reviewing the progress that has been made and the ways these changes were adopted will improve an understanding of the transformation. This presentation will review the current trends in implant dentistry in the context of past successes and failures and look ahead at ways to evaluate the benefits of future developments.
Learning Objectives:
Describe the surface treatments that may be applied to titanium dental implants and how they influence the process of osseointegration
List and compare two tooth-colored ceramic materials commonly used in current dental implant restorations
Explore changes in laboratory procedures that have evolved from manual techniques to CAD/CAM technology
