Technology keeps moving forward, and that’s just as true in modern dentistry as in any other field. Perhaps nothing illustrates this point better than dental implants.
In restorative dentistry, dental implants are the new gold standard in teeth replacement. Whether you need to replace a single tooth or every tooth in your mouth, we recommend implants whenever possible at our dentist office in Buffalo Grove, IL.
North Shore Smile Surgery has been helped countless patients reclaim their smiles and their ability to eat the foods that want to eat. Today, we will discuss the origins of modern dental implants as well as some ways we used dental implants to help our patients.
The Accident Of Modern Dental Implants
In 1952, Dr. Per-Ingvar Brånemark wasn’t trying to develop dental implants. Instead, he was trying to study blood circulation and its effects on healing bone.
Dr. Brånemark and his team placed titanium cylinders into the leg bones of rabbits as part of their research. His intention was to remove and reuse the cylinders as needed.
Instead, he made a fortunate discovery. Bone will bond directly to titanium. This made it difficult to remove the cylinders from the rabbits’ legs. This led Dr. Brånemark to devote the next decade to finding a practical use for his discovery.
In the mid-1960s, he placed dental implants into the mouth of a patient who had no lower teeth. Those implants supported dentures, which the patient uses until he died four decades later.
Today, dental implants are widely used by dentists and oral surgeons around the world. Fortunately for patients living near Buffalo Grove and Chicago, Dr. Scott Frank is one of the leading experts on implant placement in the region and around the country.
Make your appointment at North Shore Smile Surgery to learn how Dr. Brånemark's past discovery could help your life in the present.
How Dental Implants Can Be Used
Dental implants are meant to be used with other teeth replacements. Dental implants replace the roots of natural teeth.
To get the full benefit of your implants, you need to attach replacements for the crowns of your teeth.
➤ Dental implant and a dental crown
At one time, dental bridges were the common replacement for individual lost teeth. Traditional bridges were formed by fusing dental crowns together.
Before the bridge could be attached, however, the dentist had to grind down the two teeth adjacent to the missing one. Then, the bridge could be bonded to those teeth.
Thanks to dental implants, you can replace a missing or extracted tooth without harming adjacent teeth. Your dental implant will replace the root of your lost tooth, and your dental crown will complete the tooth replacement.
➤ Dental implants and dental bridges
Dental bridges still play a valuable role in replacing multiple teeth. Dental crowns are fused together to form bridges.
Now, you can get one or more dental implants (depending on the size and location of your bridge) to support a dental bridge.
➤ Dental implants and dentures
The value of dental implants is perhaps best shown in how they are used to support dentures. A carefully placed set of dental implants will hold dentures securely in place.
This added stability also improves your bite force with dentures. Research has shown that patients with traditional dentures (which rest outside your gums) can provide a maximum of 25 percent of your original bite force.
You can still eat. Yet, you may not be able to eat everything you want to eat, and some foods take a lot more effort to chew than they did when you had all your teeth.
Dental implant-supported dentures can restore 80 or 90 percent of your original bite force, depending on which expert you ask. Either way, this is much closer to the bite of a person with a set of healthy teeth, which means you will be able to bite and chew your food comfortably thanks to your dental implants.
Other Options For Dental Implants And Dentures
Dental implants have been around for more than 50 years, and dental professionals have continued to build on Dr. Brånemark’s efforts in that time.
One example of this is ReVita Smile, which we offer at North Shore Smile Surgery. Using this technique, Dr. Frank strategically places four dental implants for maximum benefit.
As a result, he can attach a set of temporary dentures on the same day as your implant placement procedure. With other techniques, you may have to wait months for your mouth to heal before you can get any dentures.
Another innovation has made it possible for more people to get dental implants. Mini implants have a small diameter than full-size implants. They can be used for the same purposes, but mini implants can be placed in jawbones that have shrunk to a point where full-size implants can no longer be supported.
Dr. Scott Frank can explain the benefits of dental implants and the process of getting them when you schedule a consultation at North Shore Smile Surgery today!
