Researchers in Romania are working on a breakthrough dental implant that could actually emulate the movement of a natural tooth.

Traditional dental implants consist of a titanium base which is placed into the bone socket of the missing tooth and given time to integrate with the jawbone. Once healing is complete, a crown or prosthetic is placed on top.

Dental implantation is the only tooth replacement procedure that mimics the feel and function of real teeth and is gaining increasing popularity as a cosmetic dental treatment.

Professor Dumitru Pop from the Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering of the Cluj Napoca Technical University and stomatologist Manea Avram are determined to take implants one step further, giving them the ability to shift and move like natural teeth.

The idea is not a new one and other attempts have been made to create mobile implants, but so far there are still no valid models with mobility that mimics physiological tooth mobility. Most implants are anchored so securely in the bone during cosmetic dental treatment that they lack the capacity to shift subtly in the mouth.

The researchers, both from Cluj Napoca, have been working since 2011 on their new implant. From the outside, it looks almost identical to current models and is even made of the same titanium alloy, but the inside is a different story. The unique structure of the interior includes an elastic material that allows for tiny micro-movements in all directions.

The new implant design is registered, patented, and even received an award, but costly research and testing will keep it off the market for a few more years, and cosmetic dentistry costs for these procedures will likely be high at first.

Other fairly recent developments in cosmetic dental treatment include dental mini implants and all on four dental implants. References.