Twenty years ago, most people with missing teeth had them replaced using fixed or removable bridgework. Bridges work well in many cases, and can still sometimes be the first choice. However, with implant therapy available today, more people are choosing to replace teeth with implants.

Dental implants, which are metal structures used to replace missing roots in the jaws, have been available for many years. Egyptian skeletal remains thousands of years old have been found with gold-screw type implants in the jaw. In the U.S.A., prior to the 1980's, available implant technologies gave unpredictable results. Then Dr. Brånemark, an orthopedist from Sweden, introduced and marketed a very predictable type of implant. These implants were shaped like the roots of teeth and were made of titanium, a metal used successfully in orthopedic surgery. This type of implant forms a close physical bond with the bone in a process called "osseointegration." Since then, numerous researchers and companies have developed dental implants patterned after Dr. Brånemark’s original designs. Today's implants are simple to use and successful in most cases. The outcome has more to do with the skill and experience of the dentists than the manufacturer or type of implant.