Recent Advances in Dental Implant Technology
When dental implants were first developed, they were mainly installed on patients that had lost a tooth or a few teeth many years earlier. The jawbone naturally shrinks in an area with a tooth missing, and over time the remaining teeth spread out slightly, making the gap smaller. The shrunken jawline often makes it more difficult to properly implant the anchoring screw, but new technology is changing this.
Dentists are now able to install dental implants shortly after a tooth is lost or removed, making it much easier for the osseointegration to anchor the implant. This bonding process also takes much less time, meaning healing time is shorter and the dental appliance can be attached sooner. However, the shifting of the teeth means a gap will surround the dental implant for some time. Many dentists avoid this issue by shifting the teeth surgically during the installation process of the implant, making it fit more naturally.
Smaller mini dental implants are also possible now. It was once difficult to replace a single incisor tooth with an implant, but now smaller screws and more delicate drilling methods are available. This means very small teeth can be just as easily replaced as a molar.
Tags: Dental Implant, Technology