Implant Dentistry:

In 1952, in a modestly appointed laboratory in the university town of Lund, Sweden, Professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark had a lucky accident -- what most scientists call serendipity. Much to his irritation, Dr. Brånemark discovered that it was impossible to recover any of the bone-anchored titanium microscopes he was using in his research. The titanium had apparently adhered irreversibly to living bone tissue, an observation which contradicted contemporary scientific theory.

His curiosity aroused, Dr. Brånemark subsequently demonstrated that -- under carefully controlled conditions -- titanium could be structurally integrated into living bone with a very high degree of predictability and, without long-term soft tissue inflammation or ultimate fixture rejection. Brånemark named the phenomenon osseointegration.

The first practical application of osseointegration was the implantation of new titanium roots in an edentulous patient in 1965. More than thirty years later, the non-removable teeth attached to these roots are still functioning very well.

A dental implant is a "root" device, usually made of titanium, used in dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth to replace missing teeth.

All implants placed today are root-form endosseous implants, i.e., they appear similar to an actual tooth root (and thus possess a "root-form") and are placed within the bone (endo- being the Greek prefix for "in" andosseous referring to "bone"). The jawbone accepts and osseointegrates with the titanium post. Osseointegration refers to the fusion of the implant surface with the surrounding bone. Dental implants will fuse with bone.

Dental implants can be used to support a number of dental prostheses, including crowns, implant-supported bridges or dentures.
Dental implants are basically superior screws created, of a medically pure and biocompatible metallic Titanium. These screws are then placed (screwed in) in the jaw bone and rest underneath the gum for five to six months. Throughout this time they truly fuse to the jawbone.


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Implant placements are done in two stages: During the first dental visit the implant is screwed into the jawbone. At this point it is not sticking out of the gum surface, it is “sleeping” under the gum and requires 5 months of healing time. At a second visit, the implant is uncovered and an attachment is placed onto the implant. The attachment looks like a post, which is necessary to anchor the actual crown onto the implant. Dr. Goodman has performed many complicated implants of the upper and lower jaw. Only local anesthetic is necessary and often times it takes less time to do an implant than it takes to do a root canal.

In particular instances I will ask for a CT scan, a three-dimensional x-ray that will assist me in evaluating the quality and quantity of bone before I start. A three-dimensional x-ray will give me a lot of information before the surgery and allows me to plan your treatment in advance.

Once the implants have healed, you have several options of Implant Restorations:

I have placed a substantial amount of implants and have figured out during my career the limitations. The implant placement is the easy part. The restorative dentistry aspects, such as crowns and overdentures, require knowledge in physics, biomechanics, occlusion, centric relation, TMJ and more. Several restorative options can be accomplished:

Option 1) Fixed implant crown. One implant placed, 1 crown cemented on top of the implant.

Imagine you have 8 missing teeth and you can restore all 8 teeth with 8 implants. Each of these implants then gets its single crown. This is the best of the best treatment, since it comes closest to the natural dentition. Single crowns can be flossed like natural teeth. What a quality of life improvement, being able to restore 8 missing teeth with 8 individual implants and implant crowns.

Option 2) Overdenture. Implants are attached to a denture.

The advantage of this system is that you can restore 14 upper or 14 lower teeth by attaching a full upper denture to only 4 to 6 implants. If it is not possible to do 14 implants due to cost or due to bone limitations, this can be a very effective alternative. A denture is connected securely to your implants. Because implants are retaining the denture, the denture is more stable and safe than just a denture without an implant. This system is removable, however you can choose to sleep with the denture and wear it all the time. It can be taken out for easy cleansing once or twice a day.

Implant Dentures have no palatal coverage. This makes articulation, eating, chewing, taste sensation and comfort much easier.