We love a good story here at our office. You may be surprised to learn that one of the most interesting is actually the long, surprising history of dental implants! That’s right — they’ve actually been around for approximately forever, though in many different forms from the successful ones we use today. Intrigued? Keep reading to learn the how science, time and a bunch of rabbits (yes, rabbits) led us to today’s modern dental implants in Colorado Springs!
A Slow Beginning in Tooth Replacement
Missing teeth have plagued humans since the beginning of time, so it makes sense that tooth replacement has a long history. The very first evidence of dental implants can be found in Mayan skulls dating back to 600 A.D. Of course, these solutions were crude attempts at stabilization — carved bones and shells which were inserted into the bottom jaw. Perhaps not the best method, but they seemed to know what they were doing. Recent radiographs show there was some bone formation around these earliest dental implants.
Not many noticeable or noteworthy advancements were made in implant dentistry until the 1970s, when a man with a bunch of rabbits made an important discovery…
Osseointegration Provides the Ultimate in Stability
Physician and professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark was studying bone regeneration in rabbits when he accidentally discovered something that would forever change the way dental implants (and many other things) work: the fact that titanium and bone can fuse together. This is key for the stabilization we enjoy in implants today, and it wouldn’t be long before the dental world was making use of this information with titanium dental implants.
Modern Dental Implants in Colorado Springs
The procedure for dental implants steadily improved throughout the years following the osseointegration discovery, and dental implants have never been as good as they are today. In fact, they’re now absolutely the best tooth replacement option available. What was once a costly, highly invasive procedure with a low rate of success is now the most effective way to replace one or more missing teeth.
The benefits of today’s dental implants are easy to see when compared to other options. Some of them include the following:
- Renewed ability to eat, speak and smile, free from the stress caused by an ill-fitting device.
- Enjoy the sturdiest possible fit thanks to osseointegration (and Per-Ingvar Brånemark!)
- Never bother with denture adhesives again
Dr. Gregory Solich is happy to perform dental implant restoration in Colorado Springs. If you’re interested in learning whether or not this tooth replacement option is just the thing you’ve been hoping for, please don’t wait to contact our office to learn more. Dental implants can truly transform your life — let’s get started today!