Titanium Dental Implants
When you have lost a tooth or multiple teeth and are looking to determine which replacement is best for you, talking to the dentist about titanium dental implants should be high on your list. With dental implants, you can return to enjoying all the foods you love but could not eat. Unlike dentures and crowns, the dental implant is secured in place with your jaw bone so it has a strong foundation. This dental advancement is closest to your natural teeth that a replacement option can be.
In 1952 Dr. Per-Ingvar Branemark found that titanium fused with bone in a way that other materials could not. That advancement in Sweden helped move medical and dental treatments forward offering people joint replacements and dental implants that had not been available previously. Titanium is an ideal material for a number of reasons.
- Its biocompatible, or it can fuse with your bones. The process of osseointegration allows implants to remain in place for decades. Titanium is nontoxic and does not cause allergic reactions.
- Its corrosion resistant from the outside layer of titanium dioxide that prevents penetration from water and other chemicals.
- Its very light weight but exceptionally strong. As compared to steel, it weighs less, its stronger, and after bending it returns to its original shape.
If you have talked to the dentist in the past about dental implants and the dentist determined you were not an ideal candidate, you may want to ask about narrow body implants. This new version of a dental implant is much smaller than the original one. Mini dental implants have a smaller diameter so they do not need the jaw bone to be as thick and can help you avoid having bone graft procedures.
There is more than one type of material for dental implants and there is more than one type of implant as well. Titanium implants are important to consider because they help maintain your bone health and density. Titanium implants will offer you a more durable solution as compared to subperiosteal implants.
The basics of titanium dental implants will help you understand why they are so successful and popular for tooth replacement. The dentist places the titanium post below your gums surgically and the post fuses with the jaw bone to form a new root for your replacement tooth. The implant allows the replacement tooth to function almost exactly like your natural teeth with the stability and strength you do not get with crowns and dentures. Subperiosteal implants are placed in the gums above the jaw bone and without the added support of the jaw bone.
Titanium implants are composed of a few parts including the post, the abutment and the crown. The post is the titanium implant and the abutment sits on top of the implant which attaches the replacement tooth to the implant.
You should take the time to talk to the dentist about their experience with dental implants and the options they would suggest for your tooth replacement. The entire process of endosteal implants will take more than one appointment and depending on the health of your mouth you may need a procedure to prepare your mouth for the implant process.