The history of dental implants and its impact on Charlotte residents

Dental implants are an excellent solution for virtually anyone who has lost a tooth. Many years ago, missing teeth were the hallmark of age. No one batted an eyelash over an elderly person who had a few missing teeth or who even might have been missing all of their teeth. Dentists invented dentures and partials to correct the problem of missing teeth, and give those missing teeth a more youthful appearance, while also improving their ability to enjoy a wider variety of foods. Still, dentures and partials were removable, as they are today, and patients complained that they were not very comfortable to use.

In the 1950s, a doctor combined the miraculous way that bone naturally bonds and fuses to titanium with the practice of dentistry to create the ultimate in denture alternatives – dental implants. However, evidence suggests that denture alternatives, such as implant dentistry, date back even further than just the 1950s. There is some historic evidence that suggests dental implants may have been crudely developed by the Mayan civilization.

 Dr. Leonard Linkow and the birth of modern implant dentistry
Unfortunately, the knowledge surrounding this ancient Mayan practice was lost with the death of their civilization. However, by the time the 1950s arrived, scientists and doctors were researching the way that animal bone tissue naturally grows around and adheres to titanium. By 1952, Dr. Leonard Linkow had successfully installed his first dental implant made from titanium only four months after finishing his dentistry education. Dr. Linkow ultimately devoted much of his career to placing dental implants, and by 1992 he had performed more than 19,000 procedures. For that reason, Dr. Linkow is revered today for his contribution to the field of implant dentistry and patients of Ballantyne Center for Dentistry continue to benefit from his discoveries.

Implant dentists learn more
By the 1960s, many different doctors and implant dentists were researching and improving the process of installing dental implants. One doctor devised a special kind of titanium screw, which proved to be highly effective as an implant. Today, this form of screw-like titanium implant is the most popular form of dental implant used.

The denture alternatives of today
Implant dentistry has indeed come a very long way since its initial use in the 1950s, and implant dentistry is now performed throughout the world, even in Charlotte NC. Implant dentistry boasts a 95% success rate in patients who are shown to be good candidates for the procedure. In fact, even if a patient is not a good candidate – for example some patients do not possess a sufficient level of jawbone density in order to accept an implant – there are many things that can be done to get around and circumvent such problems. For example, an oral or maxillofacial surgeon can perform a bone grafting procedure to bolster the jawbone and create the necessary density for a dental implant to be successfully received.

Do you want to experience the miracle of dental implants?
If you live in Charlotte NC, you can visit Ballantyne Center for Dentistry, Charlotte cosmetic dentists, for all your dental implant needs. If you have dentures, need new dentures, if you are looking for denture alternatives, or if you are simply missing a tooth, then you may be an excellent candidate for dental implants. If you would like to know more about dental implants, get in touch with Ballantyne Center for Dentistry now!