OWN - Quintessenz Verlags-GmbH CI - Copyright Quintessenz Verlags-GmbH OCI - Copyright Quintessenz Verlags-GmbH TA - Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants JT - The International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Implants IS - 1942-4434 (Electronic) IS - 0882-2786 (Print) IP - 6 VI - 12 PST - ppublish DP - 1997 PG - 828-834 LA - en TI - Systemic Metal Ion Levels in Dental Implant Patients FAU - Smith AU - Smith FAU - Lugowski AU - Lugowski FAU - McHugh AU - McHugh FAU - Deporter AU - Deporter FAU - Watson AU - Watson FAU - Chipman AU - Chipman CN - AB - Metal ion release from metallic implants is known to occur, but its extent and implications are controversial. In spite of the rapidly growing use of such implants, little is known about metal ion release. Blood levels of titanium, aluminum, and vanadium were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometric technique preoperatively and at intervals over a 3-year period for 52 patients (17 men, 35 women), each of whom had three mandibu lar porous-surface endosseous dental implants. The results showed that there was no evidence of change from preoperative to long-term values for the three metals measured in the study. These findings are reassuring, but do n ot rule out local or remote accumulation of released ions, which was not measured in this study. AID - 844249