Ancient Dental Implants
Dental implants have been tried in many different cultures over the years with varying designs and materials. Although modern dental implants are more advanced, their origins can be traced back to the Ancient Chinese civilisation around 4000 years ago, when bamboo was shaped into pegs to replace missing teeth. Dental implants can also be linked to the Mayan civilisation around 1350 years ago, where carved pieces of shell were embedded into the jawbone to function as teeth.
Titanium: the modern implant material
Titanium is the material used for implants nowadays.
Titanium was first identified by William Gregor in 1791. It was independently discovered a few years later by the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth, who named it titanium after the Titans of Greek mythology – “the incarnation of natural strength” – and who confirmed that it was the same element Gregor had found.
Titanium is silver in colour, has low density, and high strength. It also exhibits excellent corrosion resistance to many mineral acids, sea water, and chlorides. Titanium is nontoxic and is biologically compatible with human tissue and bone.
The discovery of osseointegration
A Swedish physician, Dr Per‑Ingvar Brånemark, an orthopaedic surgeon, was interested in studying bone healing and regeneration. While studying, Dr Brånemark observed that bone grew into close proximity with titanium and effectively adhered to the metal. Subsequent studies on animals and humans confirmed titanium's unique property, which Dr Brånemark termed “Osseointegration”. He performed his first dental implant in 1965.
What our patients say
On Christmas day I broke my front tooth,searched around for a good dentist to give me two implant which I desperately needed. Went to this dentist and they were the only people with with CT scanner. Had my consultation here and scan and then went ahead with the implants.they seemed most professional and I can only say the job th…
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On Christmas day I broke my front tooth,searched around for a good dentist to give me two implant which I desperately needed. Went to this dentist and they were the only people with with CT scanner. Had my consultation here and scan and then went ahead with the implants.they seemed most professional and I can only say the job that is done is absolutely excellent 👌 and I will be using Dr Rikki Dhody and his team again. 💯 percent recommend them.
I've had several treatments at The Dentist, Implants, Veneers, Emergency Centre, including wisdom tooth extraction, crowns, and fillings, and I couldn't be more pleased with the care I've received. The team is professional, caring, and ensures every visit is as comfortable as possible. The dentist took great care to make sure I …
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I've had several treatments at The Dentist, Implants, Veneers, Emergency Centre, including wisdom tooth extraction, crowns, and fillings, and I couldn't be more pleased with the care I've received. The team is professional, caring, and ensures every visit is as comfortable as possible. The dentist took great care to make sure I felt at ease during each procedure, and the results have always been excellent. Whether it's routine dental work or something more complex, I highly recommend trying this place. They truly go above and beyond to provide exceptional service
I went to this dentist to have a consultation to see if they could finish off the work on my teeth which was done by an another dental clinic which went into liquidation after fitting my implants.
I found Rikki and Ana very courteous and knowledgeable about the work I needed doing. It was explained to me the positives and negati…Read full review
I went to this dentist to have a consultation to see if they could finish off the work on my teeth which was done by an another dental clinic which went into liquidation after fitting my implants.
I found Rikki and Ana very courteous and knowledgeable about the work I needed doing. It was explained to me the positives and negatives about the different treatments on offer. I chose to have a full arch of teeth on my upper and a few teeth on the bottom. Although the implant surgery was done others , Rikki put my mind at rest and I gave them permission to go ahead.
The whole process was explained at each stage and the treatment went perfectly. I have now achieved my perfect smile and I am over the moon with the result. I thank Rikki ,Ana, and all the staff who are extremely polite and friendly and I would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in having similar work.
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