From Washington's Dentures to Modern Dental Implants: A Journey through the Evolution of Dental Restoration

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Why Do Teeth Become Missing?
What are the Remedies for Missing Teeth?
What Exactly Is a Dental Implant?
What Should I Pay Attention to After a Dental Implant?

Have you ever seen Washington printed on the $1 cash?

Washington’s name printed on the dollar is well known, but probably no one has ever seen the president’s dentures. It looks like this:

Due to the backwardness of dental technology at that time, Washington’s dentures were very simple, made of animal teeth and gold carvings. But this pair of dentures looks extremely luxurious, but it is very uncomfortable to use. Not only did President Washington find it challenging to chew food, but it’s also reported that he was hesitant to speak audibly due to concerns about his bad breath.

But today, centuries later, removable dentures continue to be utilized. However, they are gradually being superseded by a more advanced restoration technique – dental implants.

Why Do Teeth Become Missing?

Generally speaking, there are three reasons: Congenital deficiency, Spontaneous loss, and Extraction.

Congenital deficiency: Some people are born with fewer teeth than ordinary people, but it is rare.

Spontaneous loss: Baby teeth fall out when they are replaced by permanent teeth – but this loss is biological and does not result in a (permanent) tooth void.

But there is another kind of shedding that is pathological-for example, severe periodontitis leads to loose teeth. If the teeth are loose to a certain extent, there is no way to grow on the gums stably, and if they are left untreated, the teeth will fall off.

Extraction: Teeth have various lesions, such as irremediable tooth decay, root inflammation, broken teeth, periodontitis, etc. All kinds of pain will occur if they are kept, so these teeth can only be extracted.

What are the Remedies for Missing Teeth?

If a tooth is missing (except for wisdom teeth, of course, no implants are needed after the wisdom teeth are pulled out), in general, dentists have 3 options to fill the missing teeth:

1. Movable dentures

The advantage is that the course of treatment is quick, the price is low, and it does not grind (very little) the adjacent teeth; the disadvantage is that it needs to be removed and worn every day, which is very inconvenient.

And, just like Washington’s dentures, although there has been a lot of progress, the functional restoration will not be as easy to use as your own teeth, and sometimes they are easy to wear and fall off by themselves;

2. Fixed dentures

It works well and is as strong as your own teeth. However, it is generally necessary to irreversibly grind the front and rear natural adjacent teeth (sometimes the completely healthy teeth are ground), and the damage is relatively large. Moreover, the cost is not low – after all, repairing a tooth gap requires “three” dentures (as shown below);

3. Dental implants

This brings us to today’s topic – dental implants. The feeling of using dental implants is excellent, which is comparable to that of your own healthy teeth, and it does not need to be put on and taken off and does not damage adjacent teeth, but the price is higher.

The advantages of dental implants are–good effects and less damage.

Dental implants are suitable for missing teeth in most cases, and there are various kinds, but there are also requirements for implants to be planted well.

For example, in tooth loss cases caused by periodontitis, the patient must undergo periodontal health maintenance before repairing the missing teeth. It’s akin to ensuring the foundation of a building is stable before construction begins.

Therefore, patients with periodontitis must receive basic periodontal treatment, such as scaling, and adopt proper oral hygiene habits before getting dental implants.

Skipping these preparatory steps and rushing into the next phase can lead to premature loss of the implants.

What Exactly Is a Dental Implant?

What we call a “dental implant” is equivalent to planting a “screw” in the bone.

It is actually a very precise “screw.” We call it an “implant.” This implant acts as a tooth root in our bones.

Generally, after three or four months, when the artificial tooth root grows firmly on the bone, we can make a crown on top of it, which is a bit like the porcelain teeth and all-ceramic teeth we traditionally see.

What Should I Pay Attention to After a Dental Implant?

Before attaching a permanent crown to the implant, one must be mindful of their eating habits to prevent excessive force on the implant.

It’s crucial to maintain the cleanliness of the tissues surrounding the implant – regular brushing remains the primary method! Only when oral hygiene is upheld can the implant remain secure within the bone.

Upon completion of the dental prostheses, it’s not recommended to use implants to bite hard food. Even natural teeth can’t withstand excessive hardness! Regular oral examinations, at least once a year, are crucial.

Therefore, if you lose a tooth in the future, it would be ideal to opt for implant treatment.

From Washington’s Dentures to Modern Dental Implants: A Journey through the Evolution of Dental Restoration