Dental Implants an Option for Tooth Replacement

While modern dental implants have been around since the 1970s, early civilizations also recognized the advantages of replacing teeth. In fact, the Mayans completed the first known tooth replacements around the year 600 A.D. with stones and shells. Fortunately, our existing techniques are much more advanced.

Interestingly, the current method of dental implants was discovered accidently in 1952 by a German orthopedic surgeon. Upon attempting to remove a titanium cylinder from a bone, he realized the bone and metal had actually fused. By chance, the doctor had discovered the property known as osseointegration, which we utilize when placing dental implants.

Implants work by anchoring a titanium screw into your jawbone to mimic the root and then attaching an artificial tooth, or crown, to the implanted screw once it has fused to the bone. While this may sound scary, it is actually painless due to localized anesthesia. The procedure is also quite state of the art with the use of computers and lasers, leading to the most esthetically pleasing and minimally invasive procedure possible. Several Park Dental dentists perform dental implant surgery or collaborate with an oral surgeon for this first phase of the procedure.

 Due to the ease of surgery, durability and high success rate, my colleagues and I highly recommend implants for those needing an enhancement of appearance and/or biting function. Many patients also prefer implants over dentures as they do not need to be removed, can be used to eat all foods, and increase jawbone protection. For example, I had one elderly patient who was ecstatic to finally have implants after having to avoid her favorite food, Heath bars, for over 20 years due to failing teeth and dentures.

If you think you could benefit from dental implants, please visit our Implant treatment page to learn more. You can also schedule an appointment at your local Park Dental practice to find out if implants are right for you. We can’t wait to help you achieve the perfect smile.