Dental implants have progressed by leaps and bounds over the last several years. While it is true that mankind has always wanted to maintain an image of health and vitality, which often involved keeping or saving all their teeth. It is also true that this has never been more possible than it is today. As dentists have gotten access to better tools and better materials, the art (and science) of dental implants has also improved.
Today dentists and orthodontists use space-age materials to create and craft the perfect implants which not only look and feel like a real tooth, but also can stand the test of time.
Nowadays dental implants are making use of one of the most versatile and powerful metals known to man, in order to create the perfect long-lasting implant. Also used in the manufacture of space crafts, tennis rackets, and cosmetic jewelry, titanium has truly found its niche in medical devices and replacements, with dental implants being no exception. Dentists have found that titanium has a number of different qualities that make it an exceptional option for dental implants, and so today, titanium makes up the number one metal used in all implants.
Titanium has a unique ability, which other implant materials can have, but to a lesser degree. This ability is known as osseointegration and is the process by which the metal implant fuses with the surrounding bone without the need for connective soft tissue. In other words, the titanium becomes a part of the bone, giving strength and bearing all of the load while gaining stability and longevity from the bone itself. This creates an implant that is more natural feeling and also lasts longer. In the case of dental implants, in specific, osseointegration occurs between the titanium screw and the jaw bone.
The dental implant, consisting of a titanium screw is placed surgically into the root canal, and into the jaw bone. To do this, the root has to be removed. Once the titanium screw is in place, and it has healed, osseointegration tends to take place over several months. In effect the jawbone heals around the implant and accepts it as a replacement for the root. The implant then acts as the root, not only in stabilizing and providing a base for the tooth (crown) but also giving support to the jawbone itself. As a result, the jawbone will grow and develop in much the same was as it would with the naturally occurring root. This process prevents bone loss and encourages the jawbone to develop along a natural trajectory.
Besides the ability to seamlessly integrate in with the bone, titanium has three additional qualities that make it such a good choice for implants.
- Titanium is an inert metal, which means that it cannot interact with and have a reaction to any other chemicals. As a dormant metal, it will not release any toxic substances into the blood stream.
- Titanium is non-toxic; hence it cannot cause any adverse reactions in the body once the dental implant has been put in place.
- Titanium is non-corrosive, so oxygen found in highly moist areas, like a root cavity, do not have the effect of causing the metal to rust.
Dental implants have progressed by leaps and bounds over the last several years. While it is true that mankind has always wanted to maintain an image of health and vitality, which often involved keeping or saving all their teeth. It is also true that this has never been more possible than it is today. As dentists have gotten access to better tools and better materials, the art (and science) of dental implants has also improved. Today dentists and orthodontists use space-age materials to create and craft the perfect implants which not only look and feel like a real tooth, but also can stand the test of time.
Nowadays dental implants are making use of one of the most versatile and powerful metals known to man, in order to create the perfect long-lasting implant. Also used in the manufacture of space crafts, tennis rackets, and cosmetic jewelry, titanium has truly found its niche in medical devices and replacements, with dental implants being no exception. Dentists have found that titanium has a number of different qualities that make it an exceptional option for dental implants, and so today, titanium makes up the number one metal used in all implants.
Titanium has a unique ability, which other implant materials can have, but to a lesser degree. This ability is known as osseointegration and is the process by which the metal implant fuses with the surrounding bone without the need for connective soft tissue. In other words, the titanium becomes a part of the bone, giving strength and bearing all the load while gaining stability and longevity from the bone itself. This creates an implant that is more natural feeling and also lasts longer. In the case of dental implants, in specific, osseointegration occurs between the titanium screw and the jaw bone.
The dental implant, consisting of a titanium screw is placed surgically into the root canal, and into the jaw bone. To do this, the root has to be removed. Once the titanium screw is in place, and it has healed, osseointegration tends to take place over several months. In effect the jawbone heals around the implant and accepts it as a replacement for the root. The implant then acts as the root, not only in stabilizing and providing a base for the tooth (crown) but also giving support to the jawbone itself. As a result, the jawbone will grow and develop in much the same was as it would with the naturally occurring root. This process prevents bone loss and encourages the jawbone to develop along a natural trajectory.
Besides the ability to seamlessly integrate in with the bone, titanium has three additional qualities that make it such a good choice for dental implants.
1. Titanium is an inert metal, which means that it cannot interact with and have a reaction to any other chemicals. As a dormant metal, it will not release any toxic substances into the blood stream.
2. Titanium is non-toxic, hence it cannot cause any adverse reactions in the body once the dental implant has been put in place.
3. Titanium is non-corrosive, so oxygen found in highly moist areas, like a root cavity, do not have the effect of causing the metal to rust.
