[Clinical evaluation of hydroxyapatite-coated titanium artificial tooth root].

The present study was aimed at evaluating the clinical usefulness of a new type of dental implant, one piece-type artificial root made of a titanic core coated with HAp by plasma-spray coating. A total of 227 artificial roots were implanted in 78 healthy subjects (44 females, 34 males) ranging in age from 17 to 74 years. Each of them was examined on several given occasions by both radiography and a method used in periodontal disease screening. Prognostic observation lasted up to 4 years and 3 months. No implants were rejected in 77 subjects, although marked mobility of the implants resulted in their withdrawal in 1 subject (2 implants). They were functioning favorably during the study period, affording great satisfaction to the subjects. No side effects were found in any of the subjects excluding one case of oral lichen planus in which the presence of a direct cause-effect relation remained unclear. From the above results, we conclude that this new type of artificial root is of extremely high clinical use.