Mondani intraoral welding: historical process and main practical applications.

The intraoral welder was invented by Dr. Pierluigi Mondani during the early 70’s to weld titanium needle implants to a titanium bar in patient’s mouth and to load them immediately by means of resin prosthesis. The clinical use documented dates back to 1972. Over the years, many practical applications have been added to the initial one, which have expanded the use of this device. In this scientific work, main applications are described. The aim of the work was to trace the historical process of intra-oral welding according to Mondani and describe the main practical applications. Intra-oral welding is a process introduced by dr. Pier Luigi Mondani of Genova (Italy) which allows to firmly conjoin titanium implants of any shape by means of a titanium bar or also directly between them in the mouth during surgery. The immediate stabilization achieved by intraoral welding increases implants success rate, allows immediate loading even in situations of bone atrophy, saves implants that are running into failure, re-evaluates fractured implants, allows to stabilize submerged implants postponing prosthesis management, allows to achieve efficient rehabilitation protocols to deal with difficult cases. The 40-years’ experience with intra-oral welding described in this article, confirms the ease of use and efficiency in providing immediate stabilization of titanium implants of all types.

Fifty Years of Dental Implant Development: a Continuous Evolution.

Since their conception in the 1960s, dental implants have evolved into a predictable solution for replacing missing teeth. Many of these advances have come from an improved understanding of osseointegration and material sciences, most notably recognising the inherent biocompatibility of titanium. This has allowed researchers and clinicians to focus upon achieving better functional and aesthetic outcomes. This paper describes the evolution from the original concepts to current practice in dental implantology and considers some of the challenges to success facing clinicians and patients today.

Intraosseous anchorage of dental prostheses: an early 20th century contribution.

A thorough literature review of root form implants yielded a paucity of information regarding the true pioneers of this discipline. Numerous articles have been written on the history of endosseous implants, although little information is available describing the individuals to whom we attribute the major developments in implant dentistry. This article will present information regarding significant contributors to modern-day implant dentistry. Initially, articles and textbooks printed early in the 20th century were reviewed, and the relevance of implant-related information was ranked based on current concepts. This article highlights four major contributors in implant dentistry: E.J. Greenfield (1913), who developed many of the surgical techniques and principles used today; Alvin Edward Strock (1939), who introduced the first biocompatible material; Per-Ingvar Brånemark (1969), who proved the long-term success of titanium implants; and André Schroeder (1976), who introduced the roughened implant surface.

Anterior single-tooth dental implant restorations: now is the perfect time to recall significant contributions.

Significant contributions by clinicians, researchers, and manufacturers have brought us to a previously almost unimaginable point in time, where it is possible to place and restore a single dental implant in the esthetic zone with a success rate above 96% and with the probability that it will look very much like a natural tooth. In addition, in select cases it is possible to do the extraction, implant placement, and provisional restoration on the same day. There is very little trauma at the implant site, which results in greater comfort for the patient and ultimately greater tissue preservation long-term. We have now observed single-tooth anterior implant cases for 15 years and have every belief that these implants will continue to function in health for many years. So what is next? We will have to wait and see, but it is this clinician's hope that the next 15 years will bring us more of these cooperative efforts that have so dramatically improved our patients' lives.