Bone structure, metabolism, and physiology: its impact on dental implantology

When placing implants in the mandible or maxilla, it is important for clinicians to understand the process of bone remodeling, the different types of bone, and how these factors can affect the integration of osseous dental implants. Approximately 0.7% of a human skeleton is resorbed daily and replaced by new healthy bone. With aging and metabolic disease states, the normal turnover process may be reduced, resulting in an increase in the mean age of the present bone. This increase can affect the placement and integration of implants. Herein follows a discussion of different types of bone cells, the metabolism of bone, the microscopic, macroscopic, and molecular structure of bone, and the process of bone modeling and remodeling.