Welcome back to our two-part article series on dental implants and some of the fascinating facts that makes this technology so impressive! We’ve already looked at the first four facts and to briefly recap, they were:
- Humans have been using dental implants for thousands of years. Evidence of implants that were fashioned from bone, ivory, seashell, iron, gold and precious stones have been found in ancient Egyptian, Roman and Mayan archaeological sites.
- Modern dental implants are fabricated from the exceptionally strong and lightweight metal titanium: the same metal used to make spacecraft!
- The titanium posts of dental implants actually biologically bonding with living bone tissue; a process no other stable and non-toxic metal is capable of.
- Dental implants enable patients to bite down with a natural force of 200 pounds per square inch, as opposed to denture wearers (50 pounds).
Did You Know? Dental implants can replace single missing teeth, or they can provide completely edentulous (toothless) patients with a full set of new and non-removable teeth.
Dental implants provide comprehensive and long term tooth replacement solutions, whether you’ve lost one tooth or all of them. The implant – the actual titanium tooth root – can be used to support an artificial tooth crown, which is fabricated from ceramic material. This is recommended for patients presenting with one or more isolated teeth that have gone missing. They can, however, also be used to support a customized prosthetic dental bridge, which can replace an entire dental arch.
Did You Know? Dental implants in Arizona have a lifespan of 20, 30 years and longer.
The very first dental implants ever placed were done so in the 1960’s on a patient who had anomalously never grown permanent teeth. These implants lasted 40 years! Modern dental implants typically have a lifespan of anywhere between 20 to 40 years and longer, depending on how well patients care for their teeth and how closely they follow the dentist’s post-procedure instructions for care. If you look after your new teeth well, there’s no reason why – and excuse the morbidity of this – you can’t take your dental implants to the grave!
Did You Know? Dental implant procedures enjoy a success rate of 98%
Only two out of every 100 patients will experience dental implant failure. What can you do to ensure the success of your tooth replacement procedure?
- Always opt for the services of a qualified and experienced implant dentist.
- Follow post-operative instructions to the letter; this will allow your dental implants to heal successfully.
- Smokers experience a much reduced chance of dental implant success. This is because tobacco-use greatly hinders healing in the mouth. Quit smoking if you want dental implants placed!
- Good oral hygiene is imperative if infection is to be avoided.
Did You Know? Tooth loss may be a fact of life, but it doesn’t have to be.
There are over 20 million Americans that are currently missing every single one of their original adult teeth. A further 100 million have lost between 11 and 15 of their natural teeth. Countless more have lost between one and three. According to these statistics, tooth loss and the need for dental implants would appear to be something we all experience at some stage during our lifetime. But it doesn’t have to be, stress implant dentists. With a high standard of oral hygiene, regular visits to the dentist and avoiding habits such as smoking and excessive drinking, there’s no reason why you can’t keep your full set of pearly whites for life.
If, however, you ever face the need to have a tooth replaced, make sure you opt for the very best and most sophisticated technology on the market: dental implants!
