Dental implants have replaced a variety of other methods used over the years. Here we look at some of the earlier procedures used to replace missing teeth, leading up to this new technology.
Dental implants have revolutionized the "false teeth" industry. These devices are adhered to the jawbone with titanium in order to keep them securely in place. This wasn't always the case with dentures. Slipping and falling out were common problems with earlier prosthetics. Here are some things to think about regarding the evolution of dentures and implants:
- Early materials: The earliest false choppers were made from a variety of materials. George Washington,
the first president of the United States of America, was rumored to have wooden teeth. This is a myth, however, as George's were made from ivory that came from hippopotamuses. His teeth were stained and damaged from a medication that he took. Wood was used, however, to fashion false choppers in Japan and other regions. Some prosthetic teeth were taken from the jawbones of human skeletons in graveyards as well as some other types of animal fangs. Eventually porcelain was used but when it was made into a full set, it often chipped. Acrylics and synthetic compositions were developed and began to be used in more recent times.
- Lots of tooth loss: In earlier times, tooth loss was quite common. They were lost mainly because of poor nutrition, lack of dental hygiene and primitive dentistry. With the advance of oral hygiene, more nutritious diets and accessibility of well trained dentists, more people are keeping their teeth into their later years and sometimes for their whole lives.
- Problems with early dentures: Poor fitting apparatuses left wearers with a few problems. Some examples include discomfort, slipping, difficulty eating, talking, and sensitivity in the surrounding region due to the bridge pressing on them.
- Why wear them? It's difficult to eat, chew and talk without all of the proper teeth. Human mouths are designed to line up with the uppers and lowers meshing in order to survive. The incisors, molars, and bicuspids are designed to tear, mash, grind and prepare food for proper digestion. Successful verbal language skills require proper movement of the tongue, mouth, lips and teeth in order to enunciate and pronounce all letters of the alphabet. It's also important for social status and healthy self esteem to have a nice smile and has been that way for many years. A bright healthy smile is a boon in social and business circles. In the olden days, a woman needed a set of teeth to be marriageable.
- Dental implants hit the scene: In the 1950's, a European doctor named Dr. Branemark discovered these devices by accident. He was doing research about bones healing when he realized the amazing quality of titanium. Titanium is able to permanently bond to bone which makes it a great candidate for attaching dental implants. With this method, instead of having a removable tooth or bridges, the implant is adhered to the jawbone with titanium. A process called osseointegration takes place which means that the bone actually grows around the screw portion of the new tooth.
False teeth have been needed ever since humans began to lose theirs. The earlier devices comprised of wood, ivory, and porcelain gave way to synthetics and were eventually attached as dental implants.
