Gösta Larsson, born 1931, died 2006, was the first recipient ever of a modern dental implant

Dental implant

A dental implant is a "root" device, usually made of titanium, used in dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth to replace missing teeth....

, which occurred in 1965. Prof. Per-Ingvar Brånemark

Per-Ingvar Brånemark

Per-Ingvar Brånemark is a Swedish orthopedic surgeon and research professor, touted as the "father of modern dental implantology." The Brånemark Osseointegration Center , named after its founder, was founded in 1989 in Gothenburg, Sweden....

, by then Professor of Anatomy at Gothenburg University

Gothenburg University

The University of Gothenburg is a university in Sweden's second largest city, Gothenburg.- Character :The University of Gothenburg is the third-oldest Swedish university, and with 24,900 full-time students it is also among the largest universities in the Nordic countries...

 in Sweden, placed the first titanium

Titanium

Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....

 dental implant into a human volunteer.

Mr. Larsson, a Swede who was edentulous

Edentulism

Edentulism is the condition of being toothless to at least some degree; it is the result of tooth loss. Loss of some teeth results in partial edentulism, while loss of all teeth results in complete edentulism....

at the time and had been born with severe chin and jaw deformities, agreed to the test because he wanted to have teeth again. He died in 2006, having used his implants for over 40 years.