A process for fabricating a monolithic dental implant comprising an elongate solid core part substantially resembling a tooth root which is topologically adapted for mechanical fixation to jaw bone and a porous exterior part capable of supporting bone in-growth, wherein the process comprises: (a) generating a layered configuration of unit cells representative of the porous exterior part and of solid geometries representative of the elongate solid core part which together populate a three-dimensional representation of the monolithic dental implant such that each layer of the layered configuration is representative of the structural characteristics of a layer of the monolithic dental implant, wherein the layered configuration has a first layer configuration and successive layer configurations; (b) depositing onto a platform a first layer of a biocompatible material capable of being melted by a directed energy beam; (c) selectively melting the first layer of biocompatible material with a directed energy beam in response to the first layer configuration; (d) for each of successive layers of biocompatible material sequentially depositing the successive layer of biocompatible material on a preceding layer of biocompatible material and selectively melting the successive layer of biocompatible material with the directed energy beam in response to a successive layer configuration and (e) allowing the first layer and each successive layer of biocompatible material to form respectively a first layer and a successive layer of the monolithic dental implant whereby to fabricate progressively the monolithic dental implant. (a) generating a layered configuration of unit cells representative of the porous exterior part and of solid geometries representative of the elongate solid core part which together populate a three-dimensional representation of the monolithic dental implant such that each layer of the layered configuration is representative of the structural characteristics of a layer of the monolithic dental implant, wherein the layered configuration has a first layer configuration and successive layer configurations; (b) depositing onto a platform a first layer of a biocompatible material capable of being melted by a directed energy beam; (c) selectively melting the first layer of biocompatible material with a directed energy beam in response to the first layer configuration; (d) for each of successive layers of biocompatible material sequentially depositing the successive layer of biocompatible material on a preceding layer of biocompatible material and selectively melting the successive layer of biocompatible material with the directed energy beam in response to a successive layer configuration and depositing the successive layer of biocompatible material on a preceding layer of biocompatible material and selectively melting the successive layer of biocompatible material with the directed energy beam in response to a successive layer configuration and (e) allowing the first layer and each successive layer of biocompatible material to form respectively a first layer and a successive layer of the monolithic dental implant whereby to fabricate progressively the monolithic dental implant.