Subperiosteal dental implants are not intended to replace conventional dentistry but provide an alternative method of treatment for the patient who cannot otherwise tolerate a dental prosthesis. Success can be achieved in the maxillae and in the mandible without the risk of serious complications. There are good prospects for a long-term favorable prognosis when appropriate surgical and prosthodontic criteria are observed.

Twenty metal endosseous implants were placed into the jaws of rhesus monkeys. Clinical, radiographic, and histologic analysis of specimens for periods of up to 3 months after placement showed that, generally, the implants were well tolerated by these primate tissues.