[Dental implants and their materials]

Some new trends in materials for dental implants, which also effect in the operative techniques and implant design, are described. Advantages and shortcomings of the different material types are exemplified and correlated with their bioinert resp. bioactive functions. The practical interest in metallic implants focussed in titanium resp. oxide ceramics in the ceramic field, whereas the special goal of implant research follows from the improvement of the bioactive principle with loaded calcium phosphate implants.