A short history
Probably the first metal-free implants were used by the Mayas already shortly after the beginning of the first century. To replace front teeth that were lost, they tapped appropriately formed, sharpened slats made of strong seashell into the tooth socket.
The earliest known metal implants were made of iron and was found in the upper jaw of a Celtic warrior. It was rusty and broken off. It seems that metal implants were not very beneficial even in those days.
Dr. Heiss inserted his first ceramic implants as early as 1980 at the University Clinic in Tuebingen, at a time when titanium implants were hardly fully developed.
In the last few years, titanium implants have more and more frequently triggered incompatibility reactions. This is because titanium particles are present in tablets, ointments, frying pan coatings, etc. and can lead to allergisation even before implantation.
The magazine for environmental medicine "Umweltmedizin" devotes several articles in its 1/2009 issue to detailing the problematic nature of titanium.
