subject: Know Dental Implants [print this page] Brief History of Dental Implants Brief History of Dental Implants
4000 years ago the Chinese first improvised carved bamboo pegs and drove them into bone for fixed tooth replacement. In this day and age this seems a bit barbaric and luckily this technique did not take off!
In the more modern era, implants were first introduced by Dahl in 1943. Bone "fusing" to titanium was first reported in 1940 by Bothe and Bran mark began extensive experimental studies in 1952 which led to dental implant application in early 1960. Bran mark was the first to define the term osseointegration (connection of the implant to the bone) and no other person in recent history has influenced root form implant concepts more than Branemark. Endosseous implants are the most common type of implants in use today and there are many systems (e.g. Straumann, 3i, Nobel Biocare and Osteo-Ti) currently providing excellent results. Most studies now show a greater than 95% success rate for dental implants and some studies even show a greater than 97.5% success rate which is a phenomenal
Achievement!
The Consequences Of Tooth Loss
Throughout the course of life, teeth are lost for many reasons, including cavities, gum disease, cracked roots and accidents. When a tooth is lost the bone that previously supported that tooth starts to resorb away. Missing teeth can compromise your eating habits, speech and appearance. Tooth loss in the front of your mouth can result in a visible defect obviously, as the tooth will be missing. In addition, if it is restored (without using an implant) with time there can also be a defect in the bone which can be difficult to mask. Such losses can affect the appearance of your smile and self confidence. Missing teeth at the back of your mouth lead to the collapse of your bite, affecting the appearance of your face, your ability to eat and the health of your remaining teeth. Complete tooth loss results in facial structure collapse as the jaws deteriorate over time.
What Is A Dental Implant?
Dental implants are specially designed screws which are implanted into the jaw and act like natural tooth roots. Replacement teeth can then be attached; even dentures can be made to feel more comfortable and secure. With routine care dental implants have a high level of success, so you can smile, eat and laugh
again with confidence.
Implants can be used in the following clinical situations:
