Changing paradigms in implant dentistry.

This review focuses on five paradigms of implant dentistry which have undergone considerable modifications in recent years. An attempt was made to select and include all the relevant citations of the past 10 years. These five paradigms document the debate in the clinical and scientific community and include the aspects of (1) smooth vs. rough implant surfaces, (2) submerged vs. non-submerged implant installation techniques, (3) mixed tooth-implant vs. solely implant-supported reconstructions, (4) morse-taper abutment fixation vs. butt-joint interfaces, and (5) titanium abutments vs. esthetic abutments in clinical situations where esthetics is of primary concern.