“No one should die with their teeth sitting in a glass of water”.
In 1965, Professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark, head of a research group at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden), made a discovery that forever changed the field of dentistry — the phenomenon of osseointegration (the fusion of titanium with bone tissue). Originally, Brånemark’s research focused on studying bone regeneration and healing after injuries. However, the phenomenon of osseointegration (from Latin os — bone) was discovered accidentally, leading to the conclusion that titanium is bioinert. Further research based on this finding laid the foundation for creating the most advanced prosthetic system in the history of dentistry.
Brånemark implanted an optical chamber made of pure titanium into the tibia of a rabbit to observe bone healing processes. He hypothesized that bone had limited regenerative capacity and required the same delicate treatment as the eye or brain. After several months, Brånemark proved that bone regeneration results from the interaction between bone tissue and bone marrow. However, to his surprise, the titanium chamber had become a permanent part of the bone and could no longer be removed. Although this caused additional research costs, this accidental discovery became a scientific breakthrough.
A few years later, Brånemark described the key principles of titanium-bone integration:
- precise implant design,
- minimal bone trauma,
and absolute sterility of all components to prevent infection.
The next step was studying the biophysical properties of titanium for use in medicine.
The first practical applications happened in dentistry — to restore missing teeth. The first patient was Gösta Larsson, who had lost all the teeth in his lower jaw by age 34. His palate was damaged, his upper jaw and chin were deformed, and eating or speaking caused severe pain. Larsson had nearly given up hope — until he learned about Brånemark’s research.
Although most oral surgeons and traumatologists initially refused to accept Brånemark’s findings, Larsson’s case became the first successful clinical result. Four titanium implants were placed in his lower jaw to stabilize a removable denture. After treatment, Larsson could eat and speak normally again — and he lived with these implants until his death in 2006.
This case marked the beginning of a new era in dentistry — implantology. The anatomical and immunological properties of the jaw area made it possible to achieve excellent long-term osseointegration results, especially in the lower jaw, confirming the durability and reliability of titanium implants.
The discovery quickly gained worldwide recognition. Leading institutes from the USA, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Chile, Japan, and Korea soon joined forces in a single scientific community to continue studying and developing the field of osseointegration.
