History of Dental Implants
Dallas, TX
 Missing teeth? Need dental implants? At Dallas Oral Surgery, we can help! Dental implants are a present day solution to an ancient problem. With dental implants, we’re able to provide you with a new tooth or set of teeth to replace your old, broken, or missing ones. So how does it work? This cutting edge technique uses tiny titanium posts to support your dental restorations. The posts are surgically placed into your jawbone and over time, fuse with your jawline to form a solid support structure. So, where exactly did this treatment come from? And how did it come to be used so successfully at Dallas Oral Surgery?
Early Dental Implants
Today’s innovative dental implants are a cumulative result of thousands of years of efforts. All around the world, evidence exists that cultures throughout time have placed an emphasis on restoring teeth and improving the process of placing dental implants. Civilizations ranging from ancient China, to prehistoric Egypt, and even the Mayan people in Honduras, have all shown evidence of using early examples of dental implants in their communities. Archaeologists have found that the materials used in these early implants range from bamboo, ivory, precious metals, and even seashells. But what about in the present day? What kind of things are happening in the dental implant field today? Read on to find out.
Modern Dental Implants
Some of the best scientific discoveries are found by accident, and the story of how dental implants were discovered is no different. The year was 1952, and a Swedish orthopedic surgeon named Per-Ingvar Branemark placed a tiny titanium cylinder into a bone to see how it would react. To his surprise, it fused with the bone when it healed, and this small but important experiment led to the creation of dental implants as we know them in the years to come.
Dr. Branemark continued his work and studies in the following decades, which is why he is known today as the “father of modern dental implantology.” In 1965 he was ready to try his procedure on humans, and did so with his first volunteer. The experiment was a success, and led to the science of clinically observed adherence of bone with titanium, which came to be known as a process called osseointegration.
The Future of Dental Implants
As the years went on, the science of dental implants continued to evolve into three basic types: single tooth implants, multiple teeth implants, and full arch restorations. Now people can get a variety of different kinds of dental implants depending on their specific needs. In addition, alternative materials such as zirconia are available for those who can’t or would rather not have metal in their mouth. Today, dental implants continue to improve, and have become the preferred method of tooth restoration worldwide. If you or a family member are interested in or have questions about dental implants at Dallas Oral Surgery, give us a call today at 214-363-9946 to find out more! |
