Titanium Dental Implants

Dental implants are among the most popular options for people who want to replace one or more missing teeth, and they are, in many ways, an ideal replacement option. Dental implants are stable and secure, allowing their wearers to smile, speak, and enjoy a wide variety of foods without fear of their dentures slipping or interfering, and they can be made to closely resemble the natural teeth in shape and color. Because dental implants are made of highly biocompatible material, they fuse with the bone as they heal, providing a strong, long-lasting foundation for dental restorations like permanent crowns or permanent dentures. Most dental implants are made of medical-grade titanium, though other materials are available for patients who are allergic or have a hypersensitivity or reactivity to metals. For most patients, however, titanium dental implants provide years of satisfaction

Dental implants are made of three components: implant fixtures, abutments, and a dental prosthetic. The implant fixture is surgically placed in the jawbone and allowed to heal. Implants are placed where a tooth’s natural root once lived and essentially serve as roots for prosthetic teeth or dentures. Once the implant fully heals, an abutment is affixed to the top of the implant; the abutment will serve as the platform for the dental prosthetic, which could be a dental crown or permanent denture. The most commonly used material for dental implant posts is titanium, which has been used for medical implants for decades. The biocompatible nature of titanium was first discovered in 1952, by a Swedish scientist named Dr. Per-Ingvar Branemark, who noted the efficacy with which titanium bonds with bone, and titanium has become the preferred material for dental implants and for other types of prosthetics and implants. Titanium is also appealing for medical use because it is nontoxic and non-allergenic, which means it is highly unlikely for titanium to have any adverse effects on the patient when it is implanted into the body. This helps guarantee the longevity of titanium dental implants, which can be expected to last for at least 25 years, if not longer, when they are cared for properly.

The characteristics of titanium dental implants contribute to the preservation of bone density, which helps maintain the health of the jaw and the structure and shape of the face, and they are highly durable, non-corrosive, fracture-resistant, and lightweight. The healing process is an important part of the dental implant procedure, as it is during healing that the bone fuses to the implant post, in a process called osseointegration. This can take several months, but it is imperative that the bone surrounding the implant has healed fully before placing abutments or crowns, since this is what provides dental implants with the stability that sets them apart from other types of dental restorations. When titanium dental implants are placed by an experienced dental surgeon, given adequate time to heal, and cared for properly after placement, it is not uncommon for them to provide their wearer with a lifetime of comfort, utility, and natural-looking smiles.