The History of Implant Dentistry in St. Charles

Due to technological advancements over the years, attractive and stable dental implants are now available to more people than ever before. However, the process of replacing missing teeth has been around for thousands of years, dating as far back as 2000 BC in China. Over the years people have used all sorts of materials to fill the gaps in their smiles. Most notably, George Washington’s famous teeth supposedly made of wood evidently contained ivory, metal alloys, and—most disturbingly—the teeth of other humans.

The fascinating history of implant dentistry has led to the modern procedures we use to restore missing teeth today. Dr. Keith Bram only uses the latest and greatest techniques to give you the gorgeous smile you’ve always wanted.

Ancient History

The earliest record of a version of a dental implant was used in ancient China. Dating around 2000 BC, the tooth replacement was a hand-carved bamboo peg that was used to fill the gap caused by a missing tooth.

From there, it took about 1000 years until the first case of an implant that was made from metal was recorded. Researchers discovered that the body of an Egyptian king who lived in 1000 BC had a copper peg hammered into his upper jawbone.

After that, the next significant discovery was from an archaeological excavation in France. While exploring a Celtic grave, they found a replacement tooth made of iron dating around 300 BC. Since its exposure, experts that have studied the body believe that the tooth was inserted post-mortem. This is because of the pain associated with the procedure would have been unbearable.

Subsequently, it’s not uncommon to find people with teeth from animals or even other people throughout history. Using teeth from another living thing puts the person at risk for infection and implant rejection/failure is higher in those situations.

Archaeologists have found many different materials in the jaws of ancient skulls, including gemstones such as jade and ruby, and more common items like seashells.

It wasn’t until the modern day that substantial developments in dental implant technology and technique were established.

Modern Implant Dentistry

Modern dental implants, as we know them, came into popularity in 1913. At this time, platinum gold posts were used to support the crown. By the 1950s, dentists turned to a screw-like design to help make inserting the post easier. Finally, in the 1960s the first titanium post was used as an implant post. It was used on a patient with a jaw deformity marking the start of what we now call dental implant surgery today.

Since then, technological advancements have continued to fuel improvements to the dental implant process. Today’s implants are transforming the restorative dental industry, becoming the gold standard for replacing missing teeth.