Titanium Dental Implants
For many people who have lost their teeth, either due to periodontitis or for other reasons, dental implants can be a life-changing investment that allows the wearer to live life as if they still had a mouth full of healthy, beautiful natural teeth. Implants are, in many ways, an ideal solution when teeth are missing. While removable dental restorations, like the traditional dentures your parents may have had, can be an affordable replacement option for a brief period, eventually, these become ill-fitting and cause discomfort, as well as causing or worsening other problems. Dental implants are designed to fuse to the bone in which they’re placed, creating a thoroughly stable and comfortable dental replacement option that allows wearers to enjoy a considerable variety of foods with no discomfort, and providing a secure option for replacement teeth that will function and appear as much like healthy, natural teeth as possible. There are a few different options for materials that may be used to craft dental implants, and your dentist can help you determine which material may be most appropriate for your needs.
Dental implants are made up of two or three separate parts, depending on the type of implant. All implants have an implant fixture and a crown, and some implants also have a separately attached abutment that is used to attach these pieces to each other. The implant fixture looks like a small screw and is implanted directly into the bones of the patient’s jaw. The crown is the replacement tooth that appears above the gumline; crowns can be made from a wide variety of tooth-colored materials, depending on the location in the mouth and the specific needs of the patient. The implant fixtures are surgically implanted into the patient’s jaw, and, once the implants have fully healed, the crowns, or abutments and crowns, are affixed to the top of the implant fixtures, above the gumline. The implants themselves must be strong and stable, made from a material that is known to have few, if any, adverse interactions with natural tissues. Since 1952, a titanium has been a popular choice for dental implants, largely due to its inclination to naturally and securely bond with bone, a feature that provides the ultimate stability for dental implants. Titanium is commonly used in dental implants and also in joint replacements and prostheses in other parts of the body.
Biocompatibility is the most appealing feature of titanium when used in dental implants. Biocompatibility is defined as a material’s ability to perform properly, with no adverse reactions, when combined with the host response of living tissues in a particular application. One of the most important characteristics of successful dental implants is the process of osseointegration, which occurs when the implant fixture fuses with the bone that surrounds it. Osseointegration allows the implant fixture to function like a natural tooth root would, supporting the dental restoration for excellent function and aesthetics. Osseointegration also serves the added benefit of stimulating the health and growth of bone tissue, improving the health of the jaw over time, and titanium implants are particularly effective in this regard. Because of the long history of success with titanium in implants, titanium can be expected to facilitate osseointegration and provide a long-term, stable support system for dental prosthetics; evidence suggests that titanium implants can easily be expected to last 30 years or more. Titanium is also corrosion-resistant, lightweight, strong, and durable, making it an excellent option for many dental-implant patients. Your dentist can help you determine if titanium is the optimal material for your dental implants.