Kristie CerutiDoubt. Skepticism. Rebukes.
In a recent memorial to Dr. Per-Ingvar Branemark, father of the modern dental implant, NYTimes.com contributor
“It was difficult to convince the medical and dental establishment that titanium could be integrated into living issue. The conventional wisdom was that the introduction of any foreign material into the body would inevitably lead to inflammation and, ultimately, rejection.”
Similar rejection met Dr. Branemark at every turn, except in his laboratory. There, his endless experiments with the process of “osseointegration,” (titanium fused into bone) received consistent acceptance on test subjects.
Today, because of Dr. Branemark’s dogged persistence, millions have been spared dentures and titanium implants advance the medical and veterinary fields.
Lessons learned:
* Try to suspend disbelief.
* If an idea has merit, never accept defeat, event if you have to leave your country of origin. (Only when the United States National Institutes of Health offered him support did the Swedish orthopedic surgeon and research professor begin to gain ground.
