The history of dental implants (Marco Island)
Most people think of dental implants as a relatively new way to restore esthetics and function. They are indeed on the cutting edge of technology with new advancements being made all the time. Dr. Bradley Engle of Engle Implant Dentistry places dental implants on Marco Island using all of the latest proven innovations.
Special surfaces/ coatings on the titanium promote new bone and vessel growth around the implant to speed up the process of healing and osseointegration into the bone. Improvements with the shapes and/or thread designs of the implants requires less invasive. New component designs aid implant placements in patients even with extensive bone loss. 3D CAT scanning technology provides data that enables the doctor to plan the implant surgery with precision. Dr. Engle is a understands the benefits of the latest innovations and even offers implant placement using CAD/ CAM technology. The Teeth in an Hour™ is a revolutionary procedure that aids with ideal placement of a Dental implant without cutting or any sutures.
Implants may be at the top of advancements in patient dental care, but their history is rooted in antiquity. In 1931, archaeologist Dr. Wilson Popenoe discovered a Mayan jawbone dating back to 600 AD. It had three tooth shaped pieces of shell embedded in the bone. There was even an implant made of iron that was found in the jawbone of a second century Roman in a cemetery in France. In Egypt, unwrapped mummies have been found with gold nuggets stuffed in the sockets of missing teeth.
The ancients used a variety of materials in their attempts to find the ideal dental implant material. Evidence has been found that early designed implants were made of semi-precious stones, oxen bone, rubber, copper and ivory. In France, in the 1700s, the wealthy could purchase teeth from young people and have them implanted to replace missing teeth. In the 1800s gold, platinum, and other meal alloys were used in experimental implants. Unfortunately, there was little success in these early efforts to create the perfect solutions for tooth replacement; they early attempts resulted in malfunctions, rejections, and infections.
The birth of titanium-based implants as we know them today began in 1952. Per-Ingvar Brånemark, a Swedish research professor, discovered that titanium would structurally integrate with living bone. In 1965, Dr. Brånemark performed his first successful implant on a human patient with inserts made from titanium. By 1969, the first US patent for titanium implants was issued.
Research, development and refinement of titanium implants continue even to this day. Only a doctor dedicated to advanced education like Dr. Bradley Engle can skillfully get the best results from these newer techniques. Call Engle Implant Dentistry today for a consultation to learn what this modern marvel can do for you.