title: Current trends in dental implants.
abstract: Tooth loss is very a very common problem; therefore, the use of dental implants is also a common practice. Although research on dental implant designs, materials and techniques has increased in the past few years and is expected to expand in the future, there is still a lot of work involved in the use of better biomaterials, implant design, surface modification and functionalization of surfaces to improve the long-term outcomes of the treatment. This paper provides a brief history and evolution of dental implants. It also describes the types of implants that have been developed, and the parameters that are presently used in the design of dental implants. Finally, it describes the trends that are employed to improve dental implant surfaces, and current technologies used for the analysis and design of the implants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gaviria
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
authors.forename: John Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Salcido
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Teja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Joo L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ong
keywords: Dental implants; Design; History; Osseointegration; Surfaces