While modern dental implant technology has been practiced since the 1970s, archeological evidence suggests that the early civilizations experimented with implants hundreds if not thousands of years ago. The Mayans were the first known society to attempt replacing missing teeth with dental implants. Archeological digs have uncovered Mayan skulls with tooth replacements dating back as early as 600 AD. The Mayans fashioned dental implants out of a range of crude materials, including carved stone, jade, and shards of seashells. The key to successful dental implant integration, titanium, would not be discovered until the 1952, but these ancient artifacts demonstrate that even early civilizations recognized the importance of replacing missing teeth.

One reason that Dr. Randolph Snyder, a periodontist in Yuma, AZ, and other dental professionals recommend dental implants is their long-term viability; patients who received dental implants in the 1980s and 1990s continue to report that their implants function at an optimal level, proving that this particular tooth replacement solution can indeed stand the test of time. In addition, dental implants offer the advantage of an extremely high success rate without the complications that often accompany bridges and dentures.

Unlike dental implants, which stimulate the jaw bone and prevent bone loss, bridges and dentures provide no jaw bone stimulus so bone deterioration is inevitable. Moreover, since fixed bridges use the neighboring teeth for support, the extra stress can damage healthy teeth over time, even leading to further tooth loss. Although bridges and dentures are still frequently used to replace missing teeth, dental implants are the only treatment with the ability to fuse with the jaw bone and function just like a natural tooth.

If you are looking for an experienced periodontist in Yuma, AZ and would like to learn more about the advantages of dental implants, please call Dr. Randolph Snyder’s office to schedule a dental implant consultation today.