Background and purpose

Significant research and development (R&D) has been conducted to make the best dental implants while developing various patent applications and registrations. In this study, we evaluated the current status of patents on dental implants and identified the future direction of R&D progress.

Materials and methods

A total of 29 711 patents related to dental implants were reviewed. These were published between 1909 and 2020 and retrieved from the Derwent Innovation patent database. The patents were grouped into three categories depending on the implant components: fixture, abutment, and artificial teeth.

Results

The category with most patents was “abutment,” and the most cited patent was “screw-type dental implant anchor.” Global patenting trends over the past 20 years showed that both applicants and applications increased in the early 2010s; however, these have since been on the decline. Currently, the United States holds the largest number of patents, and Nobel Biocare Holding AG is the top assignee. Technic maturation prediction analysis showed that the current dental implant technology is in the “decline stage.”

Conclusion

Trend analysis of the dental implant patent indicates the main contributors of development are profit-oriented companies. Recent reduction in the number of new patent applications suggests the technology is in the mature declining stage. The emergence of new materials or technologies that may close the gap in clinical unmet needs would reverse the trend.