Dental Implants Increasing Popularity
- Feb 21 2018
Why have dental implants become so popular?
Dental implants may be experiencing a surge in popularity, but they have been around far longer than most people realize. Scholars believe that the Egyptians, whose civilization started roughly 4,000 B.C. in Africa, used carved shells or stones to replace missing teeth. About seven centuries later and 7,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, the Mayans appear to have done the same sort of thing. Archeologists have discovered Mayan burial sites that contained remains that had tooth-shaped shells inserted into empty tooth sockets.
4,000 years ago or today, the issue is basically the same. Tooth loss is a very common problem. According to studies done by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, more than two-thirds of adults in the U.S., aged 35 to 44, have lost one or more of their permanent teeth due to gum disease, infection or injury. More than a quarter of those in their mid-seventies have lost all of their permanent teeth. While there are still those who choose bridges or dentures, the advantages of implants have made them the popular choice that they are today.
What Exactly is a Dental Implant?
The implant process has come a long way from the days of rocks and shells being shaped to resemble teeth. There are more than a half million dental implant procedures being done every year, according to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. That figure is only expected to rise.
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots, typically with attached crowns, that are inserted into the jaw and resemble the natural teeth of the individual. They can be used as either permanent or removable fixtures, and because they help maintain the integrity of the jaw structure by preventing bone loss, they have become the preferred method of dental professionals. Other forms of tooth replacement, like dentures and bridges, were moderately effective, aesthetically, but did nothing to slow down or prevent bone loss.
Surgically secured directly into the jawbone, implants are made of titanium, which has proven to be a substance that the body does not typically reject. Titanium is exceedingly strong and has the ability to fuse with the jawbone in a process known as osseointegration. Because of the stability this provides and the fact that they look so natural, dental implants currently enjoy a success rate of almost 95%.
Benefits of Dental Implants Leading to Current Popularity
The process has been improved dramatically and is now considered to be less painful than having a tooth extracted. With proper care, which is the same care you would provide for your natural teeth, implants will probably last for the rest of your life. Other common advantages to implants include:
- The confidence and esteem-building transformation that comes with a smile that you can be proud of and not ever having to ever remove bridges or dentures again.
- Anyone with dentures is familiar with the anxiety of knowing there is always the embarrassing possibility of them slipping and resulting in slurred speech. With implants, that fear is totally gone.
- Eat whatever you want exactly the same as you would with natural teeth.
- Implants fill in a natural space better than even the most well-made dentures and bridges, which often require extra space be made to allow them to fit. This can result in other teeth being negatively impacted.
If you are considering dental implants or any other sort of dental procedure or preventative care, Forest Hills Dentistry is dedicated to delivering the highest quality of dentistry possible. We offer the latest and most current information and services to our patients with a new state-of-the-art facility in Forest Hills, Queens. Patient comfort, individualized care and complete satisfaction is our priority.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, you are invited to use our online form by clicking here.
Categories: Dental Implants