HISTORY OF DENTAL IMPLANTS
For patients who have lost one or more teeth, dental implants are usually considered because they offer the most benefits when compared to other teeth replacement options. Dental implants can easily be considered as the most advanced and favorable solution for replacing missing teeth. While it is easy to decide on and enjoy the benefits of a dental implant, understanding its history will help us appreciate them even more. Our experts at Amherst Village Dental continually help patients restore their smiles with dental implants.
Early Origins Of Dental Implants
Humans have always been concerned about how we look, and how well we present ourselves. This also includes our teeth. People have always placed some level of importance on having a functional and presentable set of teeth. This has driven ancient people to come up with creative ways for replacing their missing teeth.
Ancient Developments
Early replicas of dental implants have dated as far back as 2000 BC, where people were known to use bamboo pegs to replace their missing teeth. These pegs were carved in the shape of a tooth and placed in the space left by the missing tooth.
Around 1000 BC, a different type of tooth replacement was found on the body of an Egyptian King. This tooth replacement was a copper peg that was hammered into the upper jawbone of the king. This was the first time a metal tooth replacement was found, but we never knew if he had this placed while he was still alive, or if it was placed when he died.
From archeological excavations, researchers uncovered another false tooth made of iron from a grave and was approximately dated back to 300 BC. However, it appears to have been placed postmortem for aesthetic purposes.
Modern Day Implant Innovations
Many researchers kept on the topic of finding suitable implant solutions until the bedrock of recent implant solutions was accidentally found. In the 1950’s, a Swedish researcher and doctor had placed a piece of titanium in the leg of a rabbit for the particular study. When he tried to remove the titanium, he realized it had fused to the bone of the rabbit and could not be removed. This was how osseointegration was found. Osseointegration means the fusing of the bone to a biocompatible material like titanium.
This researcher proposed that this osseointegration process would be beneficial for other medical procedures like dental restorations with implants. In 1965, the first dental implant with a titanium root was successfully placed in a human volunteer. Following this success, titanium quickly became the preferred implant material and led to much more improvements in the techniques used for dental implants.
Present Day And Beyond
Currently, dental implants have the leading rates in advanced tooth replacement solutions, lasting patients for a lifetime. Other types of implant materials such as zirconium are being used for even better successful bonding. Dentistry has also come a long way, seeing more digital and technological advancements that make the process of placing dental implants easier.
While scientists are still working to ensure even faster and more efficient results, you can take advantage of the advanced teeth replacement solution with dental implants we offer at Amherst Village Dental. Just call us at 603-769-8985 to learn more.
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Don’t let failing and missing teeth keep you from feeling confident or from doing the things you love. Call us today at 603-673-5510 to invest into your health, your life, and your future.