Dental Implants Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Dental Implants, including details on dentistry, surgery, tooth implants.

Ultrasound: A potential technique to improve osseointegration of dental implants.

Li L, Zhu Z, Huang C, Chen W

State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China College of Stomatology, Department of Prosthetics Dentistry, West China Stomatology Hospital, No. 14, 3rd Section South Renmin Road, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, PR China.

Dental implants have been widely used in clinic for the restoration of lost teeth in recent decades, but there still remains a great challenge for even a higher success rate and a shorter rehabilitation time. The osseointegration between dental implant and alveolar bone tissue is crucial for a successful implantation. Ultrasound has been proved to be an effective treatment for bone fracture healing. The underlying mechanism of the mechanotransduction pathway involved in cellular responses to ultrasound is still not clear, however, numerous studies have confirmed its ability to enhance osteogenesis and therefore facilitate bone regeneration. In this paper, we hypothesize that this kind of wave might have an ability to strengthen and accelerate osseointegration of dental implants, and thus a potential usage in dental therapy.

Published 4 July 2008 in Med Hypotheses.
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