How do Dentists make Dental Implants in Ann Arbor, MI?

We know that when our teeth are missing it is an overall sign of bad health. Without them, no one could understand us while we are talking, be able to chew our food, or protect ourselves from a possible threat. That's why we do our best to keep them in our head once the permanent ones grow in. However, things like accidents, disease, or just plain ignorance can be enough to get them damaged prematurely. So, what do we do when an emergency like that happens? We either get something to function as temporary teeth, or we get dental implants.

Dental implants are a process what works on a case by case basis. Some people need to just replace a tooth. Others need a replacement for the entirety of their bottom jaw. These tools have been in place and perfected for over the last hundred years. However, that does beg the question. Is there room for improvement? What are the materials we use now? How long-lasting are they? Let's find out.

Current Materials for Dental Implants

The Socket and Implant Itself

A dental implant of today would consist of four parts, the fixture, abutment, screw, and crown. Three out of the four parts are typically made with titanium. But why titanium? Is there a reason our gums work well with it? When did it first make an appearance in the world of dental implants?

There are several reasons that titanium is the main standard since 1965. For starters, it has a low level of toxicity to the human body. This is because the human body cannot absorb titanium when we ingest it. The metal itself is not poisonous and we have a pretty high tolerance to it. This high tolerance is also the reason why it is much less likely to be an allergen potential compared to something like nickel or cobalt. It is also very resistant to corrosives. This is a huge deal because our natural teeth can corrode from long term exposure to negative gram bacteria.

It was put to the test, unintentionally by Per-Ingvar Brånemark, a Swedish researcher who was busy studying the anatomy of blood flow. According to nobelbiocare.com "He attached an optical device to the leg of a rabbit, allowing him to observe the microcirculation in the animal’s bone tissue. The device was encased in a titanium chamber, and when it came time to remove the optics from the rabbit, Brånemark found that the metal and bone had become almost inseparable."

This fusion combined with these other factors made it the most suitable metals for dental implants since then.

The Crown

What about the crown? Is there any sort of material that is long-lasting, looks natural, and is hard enough to do the same sort of work that our regular teeth can do? Surprisingly, it's a material we think of when we talk about precious objects found in china sets, fancy dolls, and knick-knacks from the Victorian era. Porcelain. Why porcelain? According to Colgate.com, porcelain is,"

A glass-like ceramic material, porcelain has the same translucent appearance as natural tooth enamel and can be color-matched closely with other teeth in the patient's mouth.

Porcelain teeth feel similar to natural teeth. This makes it easier to adapt to than other materials.

The heating process used to make them causes the dentures to become considerably harder, which means they last longer."

The only problem that porcelain even poses is a few environmental issues. Even then there has been research showing that fired scrap can be reused and recycled if it goes through a special process of thermal quenching.

Conclusion

Dentures and implants are at the top of their game when it comes to materials. While that does not mean that there is no possible room for growth, our current materials are a testament to what we are willing to understand in order to achieve our goals. If the dental industry, or really any part of the healthcare industry can look at this sort of problem-solving and discovery and follow this as an example the world will be a better place.

If you are looking to get dental implants in Ann Arbor, MI , feel free to stop by the website at www. .com. Give us a call if you need answers to your questions or are wanting to set up an appointment. We can't wait to meet you.