Thought you knew everything there was to know about dental implants? Think again! Dental implants provide a comprehensive and long term replacement solution for missing teeth, whether you have lost one or two of them to sudden accidental trauma, or all of them to periodontal (gum) disease. This sophisticated dental technology comes with some pretty interesting and impressive facts, which you can read all about in this two-part article series.
Did You Know? Humans have been using dental implants for thousands of years.
Dental implants as we know them were really conceived in the 1950s and introduced as a commercial technology in the 1980s, but the concept behind teeth replacement has been around for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians who had lost a tooth would fashion a crude replacement out of a variety of materials, depending upon their class and wealth status. The richer classes would use gold, ivory or precious stones while aesthetically-aware members of the poorer classes would opt for shell and bone. Evidence of early dental implants (sea shell) has also been found in ancient Mayan archaeological excavations. The ancient Romans also had their version of dental implants, but these were fabricated from iron.
Did You Know? Dental implants in Arizona are constructed from the same material as space shuttles.
Modern dental implants are made from titanium, which, for its incredible strength and lightweight properties, is also used in the fabrication of space shuttles and professional tennis racquets! Titanium metal is also a stable, non-toxic element and non-corrosive, so it’s safe to use and won’t oxidize or rust, which is important in the moist environment of your mouth.
Did You Know? Dental implants in Arizona actually fuse or bond with living bone?
The real secret behind the success of titanium in the fabrication of dental implants is the unique ability of this metal to biologically bond with living bone tissue; a process termed ‘osseointegration.’ This enables dental implants to remain permanently fixed in the mouth. In fact, it is osseointegration that makes dental implants the closest thing to real teeth modern dental science can offer those who have lost one or more of their original pearly whites.
Did You Know? Dental implants enable patients to bite down with a natural force of 200 pounds per square inch.
Once they have healed successfully, dental implants, which are supported entirely by the underlying jaw bone, are able to support a totally natural bite. A patient with healthy teeth bites down with a force of approximately 200 pounds per inch and dental implants in Arizona closely match that. Patients that wear removable dentures, on the other hand, can only bite down with a force of 50 pounds. The real shocker is that those who have been wearing dentures for more than 15 years can only bite down with a force of 6 pounds. This not only severely restricts their diet, but is perhaps the predominant reason why many elderly denture-wearers suffer from malnutrition!
Stay Tuned!
To read more interesting facts about dental implants in Arizona, stay tuned for the second installment of the series.
