Over the last 20 years, dental implants in Santa Barbara have revolutionized the practice of dentistry and tooth replacement there. Dental implants are not a new concept. Mayan civilization, as far back as 600 AD, attempted their use. The successful dental implants in Santa Barbara today consist of replacing the root of a natural tooth and attaching a crown. No visible difference is noticed when someone smiles. Advantages of dental implants include being relatively free of gum disease development and they don’t decay.
Implant dentistry requires expert planning, crown fabrication, and surgical placement. It is just as much about experience and art as scientific knowledge. Teamwork between the dentist in Santa Barbara, the technical technician, and the patient is required.
What are Dental Implants?
Teeth have two main parts. They are the part above gum tissue, called a crown, and the part suspended by periodontal ligaments holding teeth in the bone, called the root. Dental implants in Santa Barbara are root replacements. Unlike roots, they become anchored to the jawbone. They integrate or fuse into the bone. They are primarily made of pure titanium. Titanium dental implants are used by a dentist in Santa Barbara because the body does not reject them. The process is a biochemical fusion of bone structure and living bone cells to a layer of oxide on the titanium surface.
A dentist in Santa Barbara first used dental implants for patients who had trouble tolerating or stabilizing dentures when all their teeth were extracted. The problem was due to lost jawbone needed to support the dentures. Dental implants fuse to the jawbone stabilizing the inserts and preventing further bone loss.
There have been many design improvements. Most implants today replace single or multiple teeth. The implants vary in width and have improved surface characteristics that maximize implant to the bone.