Abstract

Although the long-term success of osseointegrated endosseous implants for the support of fixed dental prostheses has been reported, the increasingly widespread use of implant-supported prostheses has led to problems associated with their structural integrity. The most common biomechanical complications observed in dental implant treatment are fracture and screw loosening. The nature of loosening or fracture of dental implant components is complex, since it involves fatigue, fitness, and varied chewing patterns and loads. To assess the service life of the components of the prosthetic system, a knowledge of the loads transmitted through the system is necessary. Design of the final restoration and occlusion in relation to the geometry of a prosthetic restoration has a great influence on the mechanical loading of the implant. It is proposed that control of force in oral cavity may play a larger role in failures than previously believed. Based on theoretic consideration and clinical experiences with dental implant, this article gives simple guidelines for controlling these loads.