How a Special Metal Revolutionised the Dental Industry

Did you know that there is one metal that bonds together naturally with the bones in your body? This can be very advantageous to you, if you've lost some teeth over your lifetime. Why could this be beneficial in your case?

The Titanium Breakthrough

A number of years ago, dentists discovered quite by accident that titanium integrates very naturally with bone. It has the ability to biochemically seal together with any bone to which it is introduced, making the fusion stronger than even concrete. As a consequence, titanium is now used in the vast majority of dental implants, due to its extremely high success rate.

The Process

One of the issues when you lose a tooth through extraction, perhaps due to decay, is that the natural bone tends to "melt" away in a process known as resorption. This makes the area in and around the gap less stable and calls for a very specific process if a replacement is to be introduced. Because of resorption, dentists have to introduce a post that's able to naturally bind with the remaining bone and produce something which is as strong as the teeth all around it. In this way, the titanium post acts just as if it was the original root of the tooth. Over a period of some weeks the bone will accept and fuse with the post, providing a rock-solid base for the new crown.

Your Options

In an ideal world, it's best if the replacement post and crown are implanted as soon as the original tooth is removed. If a dentist has told you that you need to get an original tooth taken out due to decay, for example, then it would be in your best interests to go ahead straight away with the implant.

Nevertheless, even if it's been some time since the natural tooth disappeared, dentists can generally still succeed with dental implants. Although the bone may have retreated considerably, techniques are now available that allow the dentist to rebuild the area prior to the introduction of the titanium post.

Precise Planning

In addition to this fantastic material, dentists also have access to special tools and imaging systems that allow them to very precisely plan where to locate the post for best results. Once they have done this, typically a temporary crown is put in place until the post has completely fused with the bone. After this, a secondary visit to the dentist's surgery will be planned for the permanent crown.

Take advantage of the very latest in technology to restore your mouth to its full complement.


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