04 Aug The History of Dental Implants
In the world of dentistry, dental implants could be considered youthful in practice. Although research was started many years ago, putting the research into action required years of training for implant dentists, trial and error, and finally educating patients of the many advantages of pursuing dental implants.
Dental implants offer patients who have suffered from tooth loss due to trauma, decay or disease the closest thing to getting their own teeth back.
Whether considering replacing one or several teeth, dental implants allow patients to regain the ability to eat, speak and smile with confidence.
A dental implant is a small device that closely resembles a screw. Usually made from titanium for its ability to fuse to bone tissue, the dental implant is designed to act much like the root of a natural tooth by giving strength and stability to the final restoration. The implant is surgically placed in the gum tissue where tooth loss has been sustained.
There is typically a healing period of four to six months. During this time, the implant is fusing to existing bone tissue. This process is referred to as osseointegration. Titanium is the preferred metal for dental implants, and this was discovered quite by accident. While researching bone grafting in Sweden in the 1950’s, a doctor implanted titanium in the leg of a rabbit. When he attempted to retrieve the metal, it was discovered that the titanium had permanently fused to the bone.
This discovery allowed researchers to realize that dental implants could achieve a level of success unknown until that time. By 1965, further research encouraged the implementation of dental implants. As time and experience has passed, the number of successful implant procedures has increased exponentially.
In addition to regaining the ease of eating, speaking and enjoying your new smile, dental implants also serve the purpose of preventing bone loss, which naturally occurs following tooth loss. A dental implant not only halts bone loss, it encourages the regrowth of bone tissue.
The final restoration that is placed over the dental implant upon completion of the healing process is designed by your implant dentist to match the shape and shade of surrounding natural teeth. This makes your dental implant virtually undetectable. What is obvious, however, is that dental implants allow the patient to once again realize the joys of a more normal lifestyle.
If you would like more information on the benefits you can reap from dental implants, call the San Antonio office of Dr. James Bonner and Dr. John Huriega today to schedule a consultation.