What is an Oral Implant?

An endosteal dental implant is an artificial tooth root, normally made of titanium, which is inserted into the alveolar bone and used prosthodontically to facilitate the replacement of missing teeth. Historically, various materials have been inserted into the jawbone as artificial roots, dating back to around 2000 BC in ancient China, where carved bamboo pegs were used as early versions of dental implants to replace the missing teeth. The first recorded use of metal within the jaw bones was noted in the maxilla of an Egyptian king around 1000 BC. However, it was not clear if the copper peg found hammered into the maxilla was placed during his lifetime as a tooth replacement or placed after his death.