Methods Used to Assess Implant Stability: Current Status

Successful osseointegration is a prerequisite for functional dental implants. Continuous monitoring in an objective and quantitative manner is important to determine the status of implant stability. Historically, the gold standard method used to evaluate degree of osseointegration was microscopic or histologic analysis. However, due to the invasiveness of this method and related ethical issues, various other methods of analysis have been proposed: radiographs, cutting torque resistance, reverse torque, modal analysis, and resonance frequency analysis. This review focuses on the methods currently available for the evaluation of implant stability. (More than 50 references.) Keywords: cutting resistance analysis, implant stability evaluation, radiographic assessment, resonance frequency analysis, reverse torque test