The History and Development of Dental Implants
Dental implant procedures are invasive surgical procedures that are performed on an outpatient basis. The surgery is usually performed by Periodontists and oral surgeons. This procedure involves the implantation of an artificial tooth into the root socket of the jawbone. They are made from naturally occurring metal called titanium. Therefore, they are sturdy and strong. Implants are widely preferred because they look natural in contrast to dentures and dental bridges, which are often very noticeable.
A majority of implants that are performed are root form endosseous dental implants. The roots of these artificial teeth exactly resemble those of natural teeth. The procedure consists of a titanium post being inserted into the jawbone in the same location, where the natural tooth was. This root will then fuse with the jawbone as it heals over time. The biggest difference between natural teeth and implants (besides for the fact that dental implants do not grow naturally) is that they do not feel the same in the mouth. Once the implant has healed, there is no pain or discomfort. However, the implant does not include the naturally occurring periodontal ligaments, so the difference is only usually felt, when a person is chewing food.
Before the root form, dental implant was created as the blade endosseous implant. This is also made of metal. However, it is structured like a knife blade. It also fuses with the jawbone. Another type of implant is the subperiosteal implant, which consists of a framework that is used to attach the tooth to the bone using screws.
Dental implants are not only used to implant artificial teeth. The procedure is also performed to secure crowns, dental bridges and dentures. The procedure is also commonly used when natural teeth are being straightened. Here, it is performed for the purpose of orthodontic tooth movement.
In dental circles, it is widely believed that implants have been around for thousands of years, just in different forms. For example, it is believed that the ancient Egyptians and the ancient South American civilization of the Mayans, performed dental implantations. Not very long ago, the mandible of a Mayan woman was found during an excavation. The mandible is a part of the jawbone. This particular mandible contained pieces of shell. The shell was inserted into the socket of three teeth that were missing. When the mandible was first discovered, it was widely believed that this implantation was performed on the woman after she died. This is something that the Mayans had in common with the ancient Egyptians. However, after further study, it was concluded that the shell implant was done, while the woman was still alive.
The development of the modern titanium dental implant is due to the discovery of a man by the name of Per Branemark. It happened accidentally, during an experiment when he placed implants made of titanium into the legs of rabbits; he found that, when he attempted to remove the titanium implant, it was not possible because the metal had fused to the bone.
In 1952 the first contemporary dental implant procedure was done by Dr. Linkow. He is considered to be the founder of modern dental implants, amongst his peers in the profession. The implantation procedure, where screws made of titanium are used to anchor bridges and dentures, was first discovered by an Italian by the name of Stefano Melchiade. There are always new developments in the field of dental implants. One of the latest is the use of zirconium, instead of titanium, in the manufacturing of dental implants.
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