Learn some interesting facts about dental implants in this four-part article series, from their historical conception to their sophistication as a strong and durable tooth replacement technology.
Welcome back to our four-part article series on Chicago dental implants and the many interesting facts there are to learn about this important teeth replacement technology. In our previous article post, the second installment of the series, we found out that the key behind the success of dental implant – osseointegration – was actually an accidental discovery made by Swedish orthopedic surgeon, Professor Per-Ingvar Branemark.
This discovery is so interesting because dentists had struggled for many hundreds of years to find a tooth replacement material that could remain permanently rooted in the jaw, to no avail. It took a single accidental experiment in 1951 to reveal the key to permanent teeth replacement and that was titanium’s total biocompatibility.
We also looked at some of the resultant benefits of osseointegration: the ability of dental implants to remain free-standing (independent) in the mouth without the need of support from the neighboring hard and soft tissues, the teeth and gums. Let’s now take a look at some of the incredible feats of modern implant hardware.
Interesting Fact # 5: Dental Implants Promote a Healthy Jaw Bone
You could be forgiven for thinking that surgically inserting a piece of metal into your jaw would be bad for it, but actually, dental implants are essential for the long term health of your jawbone! This is because, unlike any other teeth replacement technology, dental implants replace both the crown and the root of the missing tooth. Think about it: dentures sit on your gums while dental bridges rest on the filed-down crowns of the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth. Both replace the visible portion of the tooth, but not the structures underneath the gums.
The roots of your teeth are essential to the good health of the bone tissue in the jaw, which, just like any muscle in the body, requires “exercise” to remain strong and healthy. By transmitting the forces associated with biting, grinding and chewing into this tissue, the tooth roots do just this. When they are lost, therefore, there is a serious risk of atrophy and this can cause the jawbone to shrink and waste away at the site/s of the missing tooth or teeth.
The long-term consequences of jawbone atrophy are dental instability of the entire tooth row and even further tooth loss. But perhaps most concerning for patients is the fact that the remodeling process of your jawbone can cause premature aging of your natural facial contours: a shocking and terrifying prospect for anyone.
Tooth implants replace both the crown and the root of the missing tooth, which in turn replaces the source of stimulation needed by the jaw to remain alive and healthy. This makes implants the best and most sophisticated teeth replacement solution on the market – one that promotes excellent jawbone health and prevents complex dental problems and premature aging in the long run (see image below).
Interesting Fact # 6: Dental Implants are Almost Always Successful
The success rate of dental implants in the treatment of single and multiple missing teeth is incredibly high:
- In the case of single tooth replacement, the success rate is 98% over a period of 25 to 30 years.
- In the case of fixed oral rehabilitation (the replacement of an entire arch of upper and/or lower teeth), the success rate is 95% over a 10-year period, without any significant loss of jawbone volume noted.
This is an excellent achievement and surpasses, in lifespan and quality, both dentures and bridges, both of which go hand-in-hand with daily challenges and repeat expenses.
Stay Tuned for Part 4
To read some final interesting facts about tooth implants in Chicago, stay tuned for the final installment of this four part article series.
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