TITANIUM IMPLANTS

Solution to the teeth loss Like almost all discoveries, dental implants, as they are known now, began from accidental form. At the present time it constitutes a relief for many people. Dental implants consist on the positioning of a titanium piece in the interior of the maxillary bone or the jawbone by means of a small surgery. On this base it is placed later what it is known, as crown. Afterwards, on this base is place what is known as a crown. In other words, there are instruments that replace the root of the tooth.This alternative brought solution to the problem of the absence of teeth and constitutes the best option against other temporary or less stable prosthesis, whether they are removable or fixed.Teeth can be lost or become incomplete by cavities, accidents, infections or negligence and although it only seems to be a matter of appearance, not to have one or more teeth implies problems to eat, to speak or to coexist with the others, It even can cause complexes, low self-esteem and other psychological upheavals. For that reason, dental implants mean the permanent solution for people who lose their teeth.

Historical review of dental implants

In the 60´s, the Swedish professor Per-Ingvar Branemark made experiments to investigate certain aspects of the bone marrow. For this, he constructed a metallic camera, in order to study to bone with a light microscope. The metal chosen to manufacture them was titanium.The beginnings of dental implants used at the present time, began when Branemark discovered that he could not remove the metallic camera from the tibia (long bone that forms the internal part of the leg) of the animal that was used for this study, in other words, the bony weave had adhered to the titanium. This meant that a metal adaptable to the bone had been found or, what is known as biocompatibility. Later, several experiments were developed that culminated in the design of titanium implants in screw like form and partial dental prosthesis were placed in dogs. This worked for 10 years, previous to the implantation in humans. This way, they began to commercialize dental titanium implants of titanium in Europe and in the beginning of the 80´s in the United States. To this day many companies are dedicated to the production of this instrument. In El Salvador, the first in placing dental implants was Dr. Antonio Hasbún Zamora. Doctor Lorenzana, who had specialized and practiced the modern dental implantology in the United States, came to El Salvador to apply and to spread the knowledge of dental implantology.