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We report here the results of a histological assessment of the initial healing response following implantation into the dog mandible of a porous-surfaced, titanium alloy endosseous dental implant. Two implants were placed in edentulous areas on each side of the mandible of each dog and covered with a full-thickness mucoperiosteal flap. The implant sites on one side of the mandible were allowed to head for four weeks, while those on the other side were allowed to head for eight weeks before the animals were killed. Histological specimens were obtained and assessed both qualitatively and by computer-assisted morphometry. All but one of the 24 implants were well-tolerated and healed with a variable ingrowth of bone into the porous-surface geometry. The histomorphometric measurements revealed that bone ingrowth had reached a plateau by four weeks of initial healing.

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We have previously reported the clinical and radiographic findings of a trial in dogs of a new dental implant system after a functional period of eight months. The present report consists of the corresponding qualitative and quantitative histological data. The implant system was fabricated from Ti-6A1-4V and employed a porous-surfaced configuration to achieve implant fixation by bone ingrowth. A similar porous surface was used on the apical 1/3 of the transgingival collar in an attempt to gain ingrowth and attachment of gingival connective tissue. The qualitative histological data confirmed that while such attachment to the collar did occur for some implants, in the majority of implants (22 of 32) the porous region of the collar became contaminated with bacterial plaque, resulting in implant failure (four implants) or suggesting future implant failure (18 implants). Statistical analyses of the quantitative histological data indicated that there were no significant differences in surface contact of bone with the middle third of the porous implant surface (CLF) when initial healing interval (four or eight weeks), implant location, or aspect of implant (buccal vs. lingual vs. mesial vs. distal) were compared. However, comparison of the current group of functional implants with an earlier group of similarly implanted non-functional implants indicated that function produced a highly significant increase in CLF.

The follow-up study examines the clinical success of sealing pits and fissures of permanent molars in a large auxiliary-based children's dental care program. The success of sealant use after one and two years was assessed using the following independent variables, (1) total number of sealants, (2) tooth location, (3) age of patient, and (4) initial caries status. The computerized records of 4,525 patients with 11,237 sealants were analyzed using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS). Success occurred where no further treatment services were performed or where the tooth was resealed. The success rate after one year was 98.7 percent and after two years 97.0 percent. In considering tooth location, number of sealants per patient, age of patient, and initial caries status, the success rate varied only 2.2 percent over the two years.