Just the Dental Implant Facts, Ma’am

Dental implants are the best way to replace a tooth. There’s not even a close second. Kind of like Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky and then everyone else!

Dental implants have really taken off in the past decade, and people think they are a relatively new option for replacing missing teeth. But they really aren’t. Archeological digs have unearthed implanted seashells and ivory in the jawbones of ancient Mayans and Egyptians.

Since Dr. Egger loves dental implants, here’s some information on these prosthetic marvels.

Implant invention

The history of the modern dental implant can be traced back to 1952. Swedish orthopedic surgeon, Per-Ingvar Branemark, was studying bone healing and regeneration. He inserted a titanium screw into a rabbit tibia to mend a break, but found that when he tried to remove the screw later the bone had fully adhered to it and it couldn’t be removed. This is the basis of the modern dental implant, which debuted in 1965 after research.

Fifty years later, implants are now relatively commonplace. That’s because once an implant is in place, it functions, feels, and looks just like one of your natural teeth. Dr. Egger places the titanium implant down into the hole from the former tooth root. The implant is shaped like a screw and is screwed into place. Then the jawbone is given a few months to accept and grow around the implant, making it a part of the jaw. A post is then attached to the implant and a porcelain artificial tooth is attached to the post.

Here are some other facts about dental implants:

• An estimated 69% of Americans age 35 to 44 have at least one missing tooth.
• 25% of Americans over age 74 have lost all of their natural teeth.
• Dental implants are made of titanium that is set into the jawbone where the tooth root was. The jawbone then grows around the implant in a process known as osseointegration.
• Implants are the only dental restoration that preserves and stimulates the natural bone, as a natural tooth does. This stimulation is responsible for the jawbone continually renewing itself, a process that prevents bone loss.
• Implants can also be used to anchor partial or complete dentures.
• Implants now have a 98% success rate.

If you’re missing a tooth, let’s get to work placing a dental implant to replace it. Call Dr. Egger at (989) 773-3560 to make an appointment.