Implant dentistry – development and current focus

Today, implant dentistry plays an important role in the maintenance of chewing function and oral health. For thirty years now oral implants and methods for implantation have been developed further to assure a lifetime stability of these devices and to optimize function and esthetics. Starting with the treatment of fully edentulous patients, oral implants are now used for the reconstruction of partially edentulous patients as well. Thereby, implants not only replace missing teeth but also help to preserve intact remaining teeth. They are usually incorporated to improve the patient's subjective chewing comfort. The present paper gives an overview of the development and the current state of the art of oral implants, as well as their clinical indications.