The last two decades have seen a remarkable growth in the development
of dental implants and their incorporation into the practice of dentis
try. This turn of events was made possible by an improved understandin
g of the biological response of living tissues to implants as well as
clinical trials that validated the long-term success of these implants
. Despite major structural differences between teeth and implants, suc
h as the absence of a periodontal ligament around implants, the latter
appear to provide a reliable functional replacement for their natural
counterparts. This review briefly summarizes the major structural dif
ferences of the interfacial region of teeth and dental implants and th
eir supporting tissues. It focuses on our current understanding of the
soft and hard tissue responses to submerged and nonsubmerged root-for
m dental implants. The influence of a number of factors that affect th
e tissue response is reviewed, including biomaterials, implant design,
surgical technique, and the local microbiota. Our recently acquired a
bility to modulate wound healing with guided tissue regeneration and g
rowth factors will undoubtedly play an important role in the future ut
ilization and success rates of dental implants. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, I
nc.