title: Clinical trials with a polycrystalline alumina dental implant.
abstract: The Tübingen polycrystalline alumina implant utilizes bony apposition as the method of stabilization. Its cylindrical configuration allows the implant site to be prepared by use of ultra-low-speed drills. This study focused on the use of the implant as a single-tooth, free-standing device. Thirty patients were selected. Devices were followed for five years. The implants were placed in one of two applications: immediate extraction site or healed edentulous ridge. A simple purse-string suture technique was used for closure. Periodic observations were recorded. Of the 30 planned implants, all have been completed to date. Twenty-five of the 30 have been considered successful. Twenty-three of the 25 successes were from the immediate extraction group. Only 2 of 5 were successful in the healed ridge group. Due to the structural requirements of the Tübingen implant, its size makes it usable only in wider-than-average edentulous ridges. The success rate was 83.3%, and for those devices placed in immediate extraction sites, a success rate of 92% was recorded.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental & Oral Surgery and Division of Oral Implantology, Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York 11212.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Cranin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heimke
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gelbman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simons
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sirakian
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000537:Aluminum Oxide; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000379:methods*; D015921:Dental Implants; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014093:Tooth, Artificial; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants; D000537:Aluminum Oxide