Sometimes, people find the need for healthy and natural alternatives to their teeth. Dental implants afford you that option. You live and enjoy the essence of talking, laughing, kissing, eating, and smiling with full confidence. They come in the form of artificial tooth roots shaped like screws meant for attachment to your jawbone. Once a dentist attaches them, dental implants bond and merge with your natural bone. The end product is a jawbone that is as natural as the rest creating a sturdy base upon which artificial teeth known as crowns fit. An abutment is a connection between your dental implant and your crowns. A dentist fits them firmly creating a strong attachment similar to that of natural teeth. The crowns should fit into your mouth and match your other natural teeth. Therefore, dentists custom make crowns after finding the right measurements from your natural teeth. Dental implants cost varies depending on your provider, materials used, and region among others.
The primary material for dental implants is titanium. However, manufacturers also use stainless steel and cobalt-chromium to produce dental implants.
Facts about Dental Implants
The practice of using dental implants has been in existence for over 30 years with much success. They form the strongest base upon which to attach replacement teeth. Over the years, refinement of the combination of dental implants and crowns makes it possible to wear teeth that function, look, and feel natural. The procedure of installing dental implants is very predictable and safe under the hands of experienced and trained dentists. Cost of dental implants is also now more affordable than ever as a wide range of materials is now available.
Since around 600AD, man explored dental implants. This was known to us after the discovery of a Mayan woman who had shell-like teeth hammered into her jaw.
Dental implants have been created in such a way that they stimulate bone growth and therefore the most natural option available that preserves natural bone.
The American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) in 1951 established this professional organisation to share their knowledge in advanced implant dentistry with the rest of the world.
P.I. Branemark, a Swedish orthopaedic surgeon made a discovery in 1952 that the human bone and titanium naturally fused into each other.
In the United States, over 500, 000 people receive dental implants each year and with the total estimation of over 3 million people who are living with dental implants at any given time.
Installing a Dental Implant
Since cheap dental implants became common, the procedure has become fairly straight forward. However, it remains a surgical procedure under the strict guidance of professional dentistry bodies. During the surgical procedure, your dentist will create an incision in your gum in order to expose the bone. The dentist will then drill some holes to attach the dental implant deep into the bone using metal posts. Then, the dentist will place some kind of temporary or partial denture to fill in the gap as the bone grows. Osseointegration then takes place for several months bonding the dental implant into the bone. After the completion of osseointegration, your dentist will perform additional minor surgery to place the abutment. Your gum will need to heal for a week or two before the dentist attaches the artificial tooth. The dental implants cost varies with the kind of crown you will choose. You can opt for a permanent or removal set.