Prizes

Dental implants have a long history of use around the world, with evidence of their use in Mayan civilisation that dates back over 1500 years. However, the titanium dental implants that are in use today are very different to those that have been used in the past, due to the materials used and the expertise involved with the surgery. The first evidence of dental implants goes back to about 600AD, when a Mayan burial site was excavated in Honduras in 1931. However, while this example of a dental implant used a piece of shell, modern versions are much more technically advanced. Typical modern dental implants are made from titanium, with a number of grades of titanium used that relate to different levels of purity.

The vast majority of modern dental implants are made from titanium, with the different grades relating to the amount of carbon and iron contained in the final product. Recently, a fifth grade of implant has entered the market called Titanium 6AL-4V. This grade is made from 6% aluminium and 4% vanadium alloy, and is believed to offer similar osseointegration levels as commercially pure titanium. The process of osseointegration refers to the process of the jaw bone growing onto the implant, which is of vital importance in any dental implant procedure. While most implants are made from one of the four grades of pure titanium, some products do use the Ti-6AI-4V alloy.

Along with the actual materials used in modern dental implants, there have also been a number of advances in the methods used in surgery and the tools available for surgeons to use. Modern dental implant operations are planned out carefully using radiographs and other imaging techniques, with CT scans and extensive computer modelling also sometimes used in complex cases. The kinds of tools used by dental surgeons have also improved in recent years, with hand osteotomes and precision drills available in a number of regulated speeds to improve the process of drilling. Dental implants are widely available all over the world, and a number of advances have taken place in recent years to improve the way they are fitted and combined with other dental restoration procedures.