ソフィアインプラントセンター

Message from the Director

Director, Sophia Implant Center

Itsuki Murakami, DDS, MS, PhD

To be physically and mentally fit is a fundamental requirement for us to lead a truly fruitful and meaningful life. To this end 'oral health' plays an integral role as we enjoy eating, communicating well with people thanks to lively conversation and, further, giving a good impression.

We, at Sophia Implant Center, are actively engaged in dental treatment with the use of implants. Even today, the word 'implant' or 'dental implant' may not come home to many of you. Implant treatment, in fact, is a relatively novel medical technology, which is attracting much attention lately in Japan too.

Prior to the advent of osseointegrated implants developed by Dr. Per-Ingvar Brånemark, patients who had lost their teeth had no choice but to be treated with dentures. 'Implant treatment', however, has made it possible to chew on a stable fixed bridge supported by dental implants embedded in the jawbone. It is a very significant medical technology which could be realized only through advancement in materials science and scientific technology.

Implants are often referred to as the third teeth in comparison to the milk teeth for children and the permanent teeth for adults, since they replace the permanent teeth after their loss. When indicated, implants can be applied to practically all kinds of dental situations. A patient missing any number of teeth, i.e., one tooth to all the teeth (full denture candidate) can be treated with this method.

Currently, a wide variety of dental implants in terms of materials and designs are being utilized worldwide. The predominant method, however, is one that employs commercially pure titanium implants. Implants are first placed in the jawbone, and then, 3 to 6 months later, a second surgery is performed, after which missing teeth are restored with the implants serving as tooth root analogues. This method, developed in Sweden over a period of nearly 30 years, is recognized by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan as a highly advanced medical technology.

Furthermore, recent advances in technology allow those patients who meet certain criteria to experience just one surgery and/or to receive fixed provisional teeth on the day of the surgery. Now that this method of implant treatment has been established, many patients can retrieve self-esteem and good quality of life by overcoming mentally and physically negative consequences associated with loss of teeth.

While this treatment modality has been developed through meticulous, evidence-based scientific research, it is imperative that the patient undergo a proper diagnosis made by a dentist with expertise in implant dentistry in order to secure a high success rate as well as a good long-term prognosis. The diagnosis may reveal that a conventional denture or bridge is sufficient or even better for the patient. If you happen to become a patient, it is advisable that you first seek in-depth consultation from your dentist and dental staff and then make an informed choice based on your own good judgment. This way, you are likely to enjoy the best result possible.

The word 'sophia' found in the name of our implant center means 'wisdom'. All the staff at Sophia Implant Center are engaged in the service to review all possible treatment options including implant dentistry, to provide the patient with the wisest treatment plan conceivable and to execute it upon consent.

1971

Graduated from Junshin Gakuin High School

1977

Graduated from Osaka Dental Univerity

1984

Graduated from Advanced Education Program in Prosthodontics, New York University College of Dentistry

1985

Graduated from Graduate School of Arts and Science, New York University; Received the degree of Master of Science

1988

Active Member, Academy of Osseointegration
Active Member, American College of Prosthodontists

1991

Opened Sophia Implant Center

1994

Received the degree of PhD from Osaka Dental University

1996

Prosthodontist certified by Japan Prosthodontic Society

1997

Fellow, Academy of Osseointegration

2001

Prosthodontic Specialist certified by Japan Prosthodontic Society

2006

Supervisory Prosthodontist certified by Japan Prosthodontic Society

1967

Grade 2, Award for Excellence, EIKEN Test in Practical English Proficiency (The Society for Testing English Proficiency, Inc.)

1977

Doctor of Dental Surgery

1979

Grade 1, Award for Outstanding Achievement, EIKEN Test in Practical English Proficiency (The Society for Testing English Proficiency, Inc.)

1981

Score of 640 in TOEFL

1984

Board Eligible Prosthodontist, USA

1985

Master of Science

1989

Score of 940 in TOEIC

1996

Prosthodontist certified by Japan Prosthodontic Society

2000

DELF 1er Degré (Diplôme d'Études en Langue Francaise; validé par le ministe`re francais de l'Éducation nationale)

2000

NIVEAU 1 (supérieur 3), Diplôme d'Aptitude Pratique au Francais (l'Association pour la Promotion de l'Enseignement du Francais au Japon)

2001

DELF 2nd Degré (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française;
validé par le ministère français de l’Éducation nationale)

2001

Prosthodontic Specialist certified by Japan Prosthodontic Society

2002

DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Francaise; valideé par le ministe`re francais de l'Éducation nationale)

2006

Supervisory Prosthodontist certified by Japan Prosthodontic Society

1967

Award for Excellence, in the 1967 Summer Session of the EIKEN Test in Practical English Proficiency, Grade 2 (The Society for Testing English Proficiency, Inc.)

1968

The Highest Award, in the 7th Nationwide English Language Composition Contest for Senior High School Students (The National Federation of the Prefectural English Teachers' Organizations)

1979

Award for Outstanding Achievement, in the 1979 Fall Session of the EIKEN Test in Practical English Proficiency, Grade 1 (The Society for Testing English Proficiency, Inc.)

1985

Third Place Award in John J. Sharry Research Competition (The American College of Prosthodontists)

Clinical Assistant Professor (Formerly), Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine
Clinical Assistant Professor (Formerly), New York University College of Dentistry
Prosthodontic Specialist and Supervisory Prosthodontist certified by Japan Prosthodontic Society
Member, Japanese Society of Oral Implantology
Member, Japanese Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Member, American College of Prosthodontists
Fellow, Academy of Osseointegration
President, Japanese Academy of Osseointegration
Japan Society of American-educated Postdoctoral Dentists (JSAPD)
Certified Instructor, Nobel Biocare Japan KK
Platinum Member, Brånemark System
Editorial Supporting Member, Quintessence Dental Implantology
Founder, Osseointegration Study Club of Japan (OJ)

NYUCD(New York Unibersity College of Dentistry) »

• Clinical Management of Head, Neck and TMJ Pain and Dysfunction - A Multidisciplinary Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment (by Harold Gelb, DMD; translation, Ishiyaku Publishing Company, 1991)
• Periodontal and occlusal factors in crown and bridge procedures (by Jan H. N. Pameijer, DMD; translation, Iwata Osseointegration Institute, 1992)
• Color Atlas - Oral and Maxillofacial Implants (coauthor, Quintessence Publishing Company, 1995)
• Reflections on implant dentistry (coauthor, Quintessence Publishing Company, 1995)
• Atlas Flow Chart - Implant Dentistry (Quintessence Publishing Company, 1997)
• Esthetic Implant Dentistry - Soft and Hard Tissue Management (by Patick Palacci, DDS and Ingvar Ericsson, LDS, Odont Dr; translation, Quintessence Publishing Company, 2002)
• The rationale and practice of implant dentistry - optimal treatment options proposed by specialists (coauthor, Quintessence Publishing Company, 2014)

• Relationship of surface area and design to the bond strength of etched cast restorations: An in vitro study. J Prosthet Dent 1986;56:539-545.
• Aspects of metal-ceramic bonding. Dent Clin North Am 1987;31:333-346.
• A Discussion of Brånemark System as applied to partially edentulous cases [in Japanese]. Quintessence 1989;8:703-706.
• The use of surgical templates during osseointegration treatment of the edentulous mandible. Advanced Prosthodontics Worldwide 1991:572-573.
• Masticatory improvement using osseointegrated implants. Analysis of Japanese patients' responses through questionnaires. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 1993;8:568-572.
• Barrack G, Kopp CD, Murakami I. Treatment Rationale for the Restoration of the Single Missing Tooth [in Japanese]. Quintessence DENT Implantol 1994;1:97-101.
• Scanning electron microscopic study on bone and microvasculature surrounding titanium implants [in Japanese]. J Jpn Prosthodont Soc 1995;39:123-134.
• Murakami I, Murakami Y. Implant Notation [in Japanese]. Quintessence DENT Implantol 2009;16:126-129.
• Murakami I, Murakami Y. Applied Implant Notation [in Japanese]. Quintessence DENT Implantol 2010;17:68-74.
• Murakami I, Murakami Y, Kopp CD, Palacci P, Kasugai S. Panoramic Implant Notation System - A method to denote implant positions and prosthodontic modalities. J Prosthodont Res 2012;56:65-69.
• Murakami I, Murakami Y. Application of PIN System to implant practice [in Japanese]. Quintessence DENT Implantol 2012;19:62-77.
• (26 articles in total)