The Incredible Effects Of Dental Implants

Starting in the 1940s, scientists began to notice an interesting trait of titanium: when you attach it to a bone, titanium can fuse with it to the point where it becomes impossible to remove, a process which today we call “osseointegration.”

While this process helps with all sorts of joint replacements and internal splints, as of the 1980s titanium screws have been used as artificial roots for artificial teeth which can perform almost identically to real teeth. If treated well, a ceramic crown can last ten years or more without any of the periodic removal or washing which dentures demand.

One of the major advantages of dental implants is the way they simulate actual teeth within the jawbone itself. Normal dentures sit on top of your gums, and without the sort of stimulation which real teeth provide, your jawbone will slowly shrink and wither as the years pass, and this tends to add wrinkles to your mouth as it collapses inwards. However, titanium screws have the same effect on your jaw as normal tooth roots, and this means your gums will remain strong and thick.

Caring for a dental implant is a breeze. Depending on the individual kind of implant, care could be as simple as applying the same dental hygiene to your implant as you’d apply to the rest of your teeth. The ceramic crown is meant to stay put until it wears away, a fact which applies equally to real teeth. Other kinds of implants involve snapping a set of dentures into place, and if that’s the case then there’s nothing special you need to do on top of normal denture care except to make sure that the O-rings which attach the dentures to your mouth don’t wear down.

If there’s one unfortunate fact about dental implants, it’s the fact that they cost significantly more than a simple set of dentures. It’s still money well spent, however, as implants provide significant benefits and last far longer than the average set of dentures.