This document compares teeth and implants across several categories: 1. Teeth are living structures made of enamel, dentin, cementum and pulp while implants are made of titanium and titanium alloys with a non-living ceramic or metal occlusal surface. 2. Teeth have organized soft tissue and periodontal ligament attachment while implants have disorganized soft tissue and direct bone contact. 3. Teeth have better proprioception through periodontal mechanoreceptors while implants have reduced occlusal awareness through osseoperception. 4. Teeth have more mobility while implants are more rigid. Overloading causes different signs of damage or failure for each.

1. Tooth versus Implant

2. Let us brush up
1. Definition of implant and
components
2. Classification
3. Advantages and
disadvantages of implant

3. Which is best ??
Tooth
Or
Implant

4. Comparison between tooth and implant
Under the headings
1. Composition
2. Surrounding supporting tissue
3. Proprioception
4. Mobility
5. Biomechanical design
6. Load bearing characteristics

5. I. Composition
Tooth
• Enamel, dentin,
cementum and
pulp
• Living
Implant
• Primarily titanium
and titanium based
alloys.
• Occlusal surface
made up of
porcelain, acrylic or
metal
• Non living
Significance – Porcelain or Metal shows no early signs of overload
Enamel – wears, abrasions , stress lines and pits

6. Surrounding supporting tissue
Tooth Implant
Soft
tissue
Hard
tissue

7. Significance
 Soft tissue - probing cautiously only when indicated
 Hard tissue attachment
Periodontal membrane Direct bone implant
Shock absorber Higher impact force
Longer force duration Short force duration
Distribution of force around teeth Force primarily to crest
Tooth mobility can be related to force Implant is always rigid
Mobility dissipates lateral force Lateral force increases strain to bone
Fremitus related to force No fremitus
Radiographic changes related to force
are reversible
Radiographic changes are at crest - not
reversible

8. Proprioception
Periodontal
mechanoreceptors
Osseoperception
Significance : Occlusal awareness is 2 to 5 times less in implants, Functional bite
force 4 times higher than teeth

9. Mobility
Axial mobility
Lateral mobility
25-100ևm
56-108ևm
3-5ևm
12-66ևm
Movement phases Two phases
Primary:
nonlinear and
complex
Secondary:
Linear and
elastic
One phase
Linear and elastic
Movement
patterns
Primary :
Immediate
movement
Secondary:
Gradual
movement
Gradual movement

10. Significance
 Splinting implants to teeth will cement failure in implant
crown

11. Biomechanical design
Tooth
• Cross section related to
direction and amount of
stress
• Elastic modulus similar
to bone
• Diameter related to
force magnitude
Implant
• Round cross section
and designed for
surgery
• Elastic modulus 5 to
10 times that of
cortical bone
• Diameter related to
existing bone
Significance : Loading in implants should be limited in axial
direction

12. Load bearing characteristics
Tooth Implant
Fulcrum to lateral forces Apical third of root Crestal bone
Load bearing charcteristics Shock absorbing function
Stress distribution
Stress concentration at
crestal bone
Signs of overloading PDL
thickening,mobility,wear
facets,fremitus,pain
Screw loosening,or fracture,
abutment or prosthesis
fracture,bone loss,implant
fracture.

13. Conclusion
Tooth Implant
Composition Enamel, dentin, cementum
and pulp
Ti and ti alloys
Metal or ceramic occlusal
surface
Surrounding supporting
tissue
Soft tissue – Organised
Hard tissue- Periodontal
attachment
Soft tissue- not organized
Hard tissue- Direct bone
implant contact
Proprioception Pdl mechanoreceptors Osseoperception
Mobility More Less
Biomechanical design Favourable for load transfer Fourable for surgery and
limited by existing bone
Load bearing characteristics Overloading is tolerated to a
limit
Overloading will cause
failure soon

14. Which is best ??
Tooth
Or
Implant