Abstract
To observe the effect of the apatite implant on the functioning jaw bone structure, we conducted an experiment. In the lower jaw bone (the sites corresponding to P3, P4 and M1) of adult dogs whose teeth were extracted several months ago, 3 or 4 pieces of 2-piece apatite implant each of the same size as the extracted one were placed on one side and the sites on the other side were left as they were extracted as controls. At about 4 months after the implants were placed, an occlusion having a normal vertical height was given to each implant and at 1 month and 10 months after occlusion began, specimens were taken for histological observation of the tissues surrounding the implants and around the control sites.
Simultaneously, the sites on the implant-placed and control sides were compared and their the changes with time were also studied. As the result, the jaw bone with the sites left as they were after extraction tended to atrophy. But, the jaw bone on the functioning side showed various changes resulting from accommodating itself to the functional pressure applied to the implants. It was also observed that these changes were associated with the bone structure both in the implant-placed and opposite regions.
