Currently, more than 120 million Americans are missing one or more teeth. Tooth loss is nothing new, though; humans have been trying to replace their missing teeth since ancient times. These early attempts at tooth replacement weren’t exactly advanced, but they paved the way for the best option available today – dental implants in Cherry Hill. Read on to learn how dental implants have evolved into the closest thing to having your natural teeth back!
Early Tooth Replacements
Various civilizations around the world have tried replacing the roots of the teeth over the centuries using various objects. For example, the Chinese used carved bamboo pegs, while the Egyptians used rods crafted from ivory, jade, and all sorts of metals. The ancient Mayans used carved stone and seashell fragments, and archaeologists have found evidence that these solutions even fused to the jawbone like dental implants do today.
Modern Dental Implants
For several centuries, Europeans replaced tooth roots with small tubes of mixtures of gold and other metal alloys, silver, porcelain, and even iridium. However, it wasn’t until 1952 that the perfect metal for the job was discovered.
A Swedish orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Per-Ingvar Branemark, had been studying bone regeneration and found that, after placing titanium in a rabbit femur, he was unable to remove it. The titanium had fully merged with the bone. In 1965, he placed his first titanium dental implant in a patient, who went on to enjoy his replacement teeth for the remaining four decades of his life. Branemark’s research became widely accepted in the 1980s, when dentists worldwide began increasingly recommending dental implants for patients suffering from tooth loss. Today, they are considered the gold standard for replacing missing teeth.
Benefit from Today’s Best Tooth Replacement!
Why are dental implants so widely regarded as the best? In short, they’re the next best thing to recreating your original pearly whites. After the titanium post has integrated with your jawbone, it can support a dental crown, a bridge, or even a denture with the utmost stability. Your new teeth should look and feel precisely like your old ones. Not to mention, the foundation the implants have should ensure they stand the test of time. On average, dental implants can last for 30 years or even a lifetime with the right care.
These days, you don’t need to settle for anything less than the best when it comes to your smile. Talk to your dentist today to find out if dental implants are right for you!
About the Practice
At South Jersey Dental Studio, we focus on delivering stress-free dentistry for families in Cherry Hill, NJ and the surrounding communities. Dr. Joe and Dr. Dara have partnered with the best dental implant experts in the area, so you can be sure that the surgical portion of your treatment will be of the highest quality. To learn more about dental implants in Cherry Hill and get started on rebuilding your smile, please contact our office by calling 856-406-6570.
