Endosseous Implant
Pronunciation: en-DOS-ee-us IM-plant
A dental implant fixture surgically placed within the jawbone to serve as an artificial tooth root for the retention of a prosthetic restoration.
Full Definition
An endosseous implant (also called an endosteal implant) is a device, typically titanium or zirconia, inserted directly into the alveolar or basal bone of the maxilla or mandible. It provides a stable anchorage for single crowns, fixed dental prostheses, or overdentures through the process of osseointegration. In dental research literature, the term appears in implant survival and success studies, biomechanical analyses, and peri-implant disease investigations. Editors must distinguish 'endosseous implant' from 'subperiosteal implant' (which rests on bone rather than within it) and from the 'abutment' or 'prosthetic component' placed on top of the fixture. Correct, consistent use of the term hierarchy (fixture, abutment, crown) is essential for manuscript clarity.
Usage
Usage note: Use 'fixture' only when clearly defined earlier in the manuscript; 'implant' alone is acceptable shorthand after first full use of 'endosseous implant'.
In Context
- "A total of 120 endosseous implants were placed in 60 partially edentulous patients and followed for 36 months." — Prospective implant survival study methods
- "The term 'endosseous implant' should be used consistently; the manuscript alternates between 'implant', 'fixture', and 'post' without definition." — Copy-editor's note