The History of Dental Implants

At SmileRenu by Dr. David Crumpton, we are proud to offer dental implants as a treatment for replacing missing teeth.

The Evolution of Dental Implants

Throughout history, people have placed a high value on having an entire set of teeth for practical and aesthetic reasons. This craving has propelled individuals around the world across different eras to find ways to replace missing teeth, ultimately resulting in the groundbreaking innovation and use of dental implants.

smiling man in green jacket looking up at the sky

Laying the Roots for Modern Tooth Replacement

Dental implants have quickly gained popularity in recent years, offering several significant benefits over traditional treatments. In addition to restoring the basic function of your missing teeth, dental implants are stable and more comfortable, and they work to preserve the strength and integrity of the jawbone. However, how, exactly, did they come to be? On this page, you can learn more about the history of dental implants from your Trophy Club, TX, dentist.

Early Dental Implants

While the dental implants we know and use today are the result of modern research and development, dental implants have a much longer history. The earliest dental implants were discovered in the jawbone of a young woman and date all the way back to 600 AD. The jaw was found with bits of seashell and bone in it where a tooth once was.

Discovering Osseointegration

The implants that we use today are the result of a discovery made in the 1950s. The discovery was completely accidental. A Swedish orthopedic surgeon by the name of Per-Ingvar Brånemark was researching bone healing and regeneration. He placed a titanium cylinder in the femur of a rabbit. When he went to remove the cylinder later, he discovered that the bone had begun to fuse to the metal. What Brånemark had discovered was osseointegration. He took this discovery and began further research and development.

All his work eventually led to the successful placement of dental implants in 1965. The work of Brånemark did not stop there. In fact, he continued to research in a quest to improve the success and stability of dental implants. He entered a partnership with Bofors AB, now known as Nobel Industries, in 1978. Bofors AB helped Brånemark to develop and market his dental implants. The company founded Nobelpharma, now called Nobel Biocare, in 1981. The sole focus of Nobelpharma was dental implants. Today, Nobel Biocare is among the industry leaders in dental implants, with over 7 million of the Brånemark systems placed.

Early Implants and Osseointegration

What was most interesting about the discovery was that the bone had begun to fuse to her implant, which is an indication that the implant was placed while she was living. This was not the only instance of ancient implants. In fact, evidence of implants has been discovered all over the world. Ancient Egyptian mummies were found with gold wire in their jaws. Middle Eastern skeletons have been found with ivory for teeth. Moreover, there has even been evidence of a Roman soldier with a piece of iron where a tooth once existed.

The Technology of Dental Implants: An Advancing Field.

Research and development continue in the present day to further improve the stability and success of dental implants as well as make them more widely available to more patients.

Some significant improvements include posts available in different circumferences and lengths, where original implants were only available in a single circumference.
Another improvement is the texture of the posts. Originally, posts were smooth. Today, posts have a rough texture, which improves the rate of osseointegration.
There is also research being done into alternative materials to provide metal-free options, with zirconia implants becoming ever more popular.

Why Choose SmileRenu by Dr. David Crumpton for Your Dental Implants?

At SmileRenu, our team of experts provides advanced dental procedures such as All-on-X for full mouth, implant-supported dentures, and restorations. We use cutting-edge technology and techniques and stay at the leading edge of the latest developments in cosmetic dentistry in Grapevine, TX. We are committed to ensuring all our patients achieve world-class results. Our main priority at SmileRenu is providing excellent care and service to our guests; people are our priority and changing lives with advanced dentistry is what we do every day.
If you are missing teeth, dental implants may be the right solution for you. For more information and to schedule your consultation, call SmileRenu by Dr. David Crumpton today.