Dental implants show longevity and continued function after four decades
Dental implants show longevity and continued function after four decades
Single-tooth implants have demonstrated high success rates over observation periods of five to ten years. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden have recently conducted the longest follow-up study yet on implant survival and complication rates, evaluating single implants placed 38-40 years ago. Their findings confirmed that the implants remained fully functional but that the implant-supported crowns exhibited comparatively shorter lifespans.
The study offers valuable insights into potential long-term complications and reinforces confidence in the longevity of single-tooth implant treatments. The study included 13 individuals who received 18 single implants placed using a two-stage protocol with delayed loading, and none received bone grafts. The implants were developed based on research conducted at the University of Gothenburg under the leadership of the late Prof. Per-Ingvar Brånemark.
Lead author Sargon Barkarmo, a prosthodontist and senior lecturer at the University, expressed enthusiasm regarding the long-term effectiveness of the implants, which showed an impressive cumulative survival rate of 95.6%. He commented in a University press release: “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 40 years. This confirms that the foundation Brånemark established still holds”.
In contrast to the high implant survival, implant-supported crowns had a notably shorter lifespan. Only 60.9% of the original crowns remained in place.
The study, titled ‘Outcome of single dental implants over 38–40 years: A long-term follow-up study’, was published online in the Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research.
