There are 15 million Americans who have undergone dental procedures to implant crowns or bridges meant to fix gaps in their teeth or replace broken teeth, according to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID). About 500,000 new patients are outfitted with dental implants every year and scientific literature reports a 98% success rate for these procedures. By 2022, the AAID reports that the combined market in the United States and Europe for dental implants should reach $4.2 billion.

This January 29th marks the 25th anniversary of the issue of a seminal patent in the field of dental implants, one that helped its inventor find a place in this year’s class of inductees to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony in May will see Swedish physician and anatomy professor Per-Ingvar Branemark added to the list of innovators who are honored in the halls of that institution.

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