PRESERVE YOUR TEETH IN NEW YORK CITY
Preserving Implant Health
In parallel with Swedish researchers during the late 1960s and early 1970s, a Swiss research group known as the International Team for Implantology—or ITI—developed a titanium implant with a design that differed from the Brånemark implant.
The ITI implant featured a titanium screw with external threads. Instead of having an entirely smooth, polished surface, the implant had a roughened body and a smooth collar near the gumline.
Improvements Over the Brånemark Implant
Research showed that the implant’s roughened surface allowed bone cells to attach more effectively and supported faster integration with the surrounding bone.
The abutment connection was also placed inside the implant rather than on an external platform. This internal connection allowed the abutment to fit within and receive support from the implant walls, reducing the likelihood of abutment-screw fractures.
One of the most significant improvements offered by the ITI design was that it required only one surgical procedure.
The implant was placed into the jaw with its roughened surface positioned within the bone and its smooth, flared collar extending through the gum tissue. This tissue-level design allowed the gums and bone to heal simultaneously without requiring a second surgery to uncover the implant.
After an initial healing period of approximately four to six weeks, the gum tissue could heal around the exposed smooth collar. The roughened bone-facing surface also helped shorten the osseointegration period compared with earlier implant designs.
This reduced the overall treatment time while requiring fewer dental visits and less surgery.
Why Does Preserve Your Teeth™ Use the ITI Implant?
Our office exclusively uses the ITI implant system.
Its single-stage tissue-level design positions the implant-abutment connection above the bone level. This helps keep bacteria farther away from the surrounding bone and may reduce the risk of inflammation and bone loss.
Maintaining stable bone around an implant supports healthy gum tissue, a long-lasting restoration, and a reduced risk of implant complications.
This is consistent with what we have observed in our clinical practice at Preserve Your Teeth™. Since transitioning to the ITI system—now known as Straumann—in 1999, we have been able to observe results extending 15, 16, and 17 years.
During follow-up, we have seen stable bone levels, healthy gum tissue, and no broken abutment screws around the ITI implants we placed.
Large clinical studies from Sweden have also reported that the ITI implant is less likely to experience bone loss than certain other implant designs.
So why doesn’t every dentist use this type of implant? We will explore that question next week.
