In today’s world, dental implants are recognised as the most advanced solution for missing tooth treatments and aesthetic dental treatments. Technology helps dentists to provide faster, more accurate and reliable treatment to their patients. Before the invention of modern dental implants in 1952, people searched for treatment methods for missing teeth by various methods. Through decades of scientific research and clinical practice, researchers have improved implant design and functionality. Let’s take a historical look at the development of dental implants and how far we have come.
Past History
In 2000 BC, it was a traditional practice in China to replace missing teeth with carved bamboo stakes. Around 1000 BC, a copper nail was found to have been driven into the jawbone of an Egyptian king. This can be considered the first recorded case of a metal dental prosthesis inserted into the jawbone. Only 2000 years ago, it was common practice to try to replace a tooth using an animal tooth or a tooth from a person of lower social status. These implants were rejected, most likely due to infection and decay. However, it was also observed that bone had healed around some implants placed in place of teeth in skulls found in BC, which tells us that some implant cases were successful at that time. Significant developments in the field of dental implants took place only centuries later.
Today
In 1952, a Swedish doctor and researcher placed a titanium cylinder in a rabbit’s leg to study how blood flow affects bone healing. Later it was found that the titanium had fused to the bone and could not be removed.
The property of bone integration, called osseointegration, is the biological basis for the success of modern implants. With this knowledge, the Swedish doctor discovered that the body can tolerate the long-term presence of titanium, so that titanium can be used as a root for artificial teeth.
Dental implants have come a long way. Currently, dental implants have a success rate of over 98% in most patients and dentists can now customise implants to the specific needs of the patient. Implants can be made in various sizes and diameters depending on the desired aesthetics and functionality and can be placed with various techniques.
In addition, smart hydrophilic implants that give better results in diabetes or systemic diseases and special zircotitan implants that are thinned without compromising the strength of the implant can be applied to very thin bones.