CONTENT:

Surgical placement of oral implants is governed by the prosthetic design and by the morphology and quality of the alveolar bone. Often, implant placement may be difficult, if at all possible, due to alveolar ridge aberrations. In consequence, prostheticly dictated implant positioning commonly entails bone augmentation procedures. One objective of our laboratory is to evaluate the biologic and clinical potential of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) including rhBMP-2, rhOP-1/rhBMP-7, rhGDF-5, other candidate biologics, bone biomaterials, and devices for alveolar ridge augmentation and implant fixation. This presentation will discuss the unique biologic potential, the clinical relevance and perspectives of BMP technologies for alveolar bone augmentation and oral implant fixation, in particular the development of a unique bone-inductive oral implant. This presentation will also address merits and explain short-comings of current treatment protocol including bone biomaterials and guided bone regeneration (GBR). BMPs have an unparalleled potential to augment alveolar bone and support implant osseointegration and long-term functional loading. Inclusion of BMPs for alveolar augmentation and osseointegration will not only enhance predictability of existing clinical protocol but radically change current treatment paradigms. Inclusion of the bone-inductive oral implant in the treatment panorama may make "grafting" and GBR procedures altogether obsolete.