Sargon Barkarmo and Jan Kowar from the University of Gothenburg analyzed the long-term outcomes of single-tooth implants in a small group of patients and found that the vast majority continue to function decades later. The analysis included 13 patients who received 18 single implants at the Bronemark Clinic between 1982 and 1985. They were clinically and radiographically examined 38 to 40 years later. The results are published in the journal Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research.
The cumulative survival of implants was 95.6 percent, and of the crowns installed on them - 60.9 percent (they were replaced as needed for aesthetic reasons). Changes in the level of marginal bone tissue were acceptable. The average depth of gingival pockets during probing was 3.8 ± 2.2 (with a norm of up to 3.0) millimeters. The frequency of technical and biological complications was low, the most common was mucositis, no cases of peri-implantitis were registered.