In order for dental implants to function efficiently, the recipient must form a secure bond between the implant itself and the jawbone or alveolar (al-vee-OH-lar) bone. For successful bonding or osseointegration (OSS-ee-oh-in-tah-GRAY-shun), the recipient's system must be capable of bone mass regeneration. For this reason, some patients are concerned that the existence of osteoporosis (os-tee-oh-pa-ROE-sis) or bone disintegration elsewhere in the body may hinder their ability to successfully incorporate dental implants. However, patients with osteoporosis in one part of the skeleton do not typically show an increased implant failure rate.
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