Dental Implant History

Where did Dental Implants Come From?

 

 

Have you ever wondered how dental implants became what they are today, and why more and more people are seeking out Dr. Ken Versman, Dr. Doug Heller, and Dr. Eric Beckman?  Dental implants and other cosmetic practices have been around since 600 AD, and Periodontal Associates is on the cutting edge of dental implant therapy.

Implants are not a new phenomenon.  Taking good care of your oral hygiene has always been a priority since early civilizations, and Periodontal Associates urges everyone to continue to make oral care a habit or even obsession. Implants have been around for hundreds of years; however, dental implants have become more and more successful throughout its evolution.  Dr. Ken Versman, Dr. Doug Heller, and Dr. Eric Beckman are specialists here in Denver, CO, and every implant they perform successfully gives their patients a cosmetically beautiful smile that lasts a lifetime.

But before Periodontal Associates, the Mayan civilization was investing their time in developing the first version of dental implants.  Archaeologists have uncovered ancients skulls displaying teeth made out of other inorganic materials.  The first dental implants were carved from jade, different stones, or even seashell fragments.  These materials may seem unconventional, because they are, but proof that implants are conceivable is the fact that even seashells were seen to be fused to the jawbone.  Also, a human jaw bone found in Slovenia 6,500 year old showed traces of beeswax fillings.  The founding researcher stated, “This is perhaps the most ancient evidence of prehistoric dentistry in Europe.” 

If particles found on the beach can fuse to the bone to make a somewhat stable implant, think about how durable, comfortable, and what high-quality the dental implant used by Dr. Ken Versman, Dr. Doug Heller, and Dr. Eric Beckman are!  

The advances in dental implants that made them as successful as they are today was unexpected.  An orthopedic surgeon discovered the ability for small a small titanium cylinder to heal to bone back in 1952.  The capacity for bone and titanium to fuse is call osseointegration. Drs. Versman and Heller were one of the first U.S. dentists to study directly with the inventors of today's implants. They have educated dentists, periodontists and dental students about dental implants and implant procedures for many years, and have lectured on the subject in the Denver/Aurora, Colorado area, nationally and internationally! 

Dental implants were first used for patients who could not properly use dentures due to the increased loss of bone in the jaw.  However, it is best for osseointegration to be used in dense bone which is mostly seen in the front of the lower jaw.  

Most recently, dental implants are used to replace anywhere from one to multiple missing teeth.  The original implants were made in a one-size-fit all design with no variety in width or length. 

The first versions were also manufactured to be very smooth and sleek. Now dental implants come in an assortment of shapes and sizes to better fit each individual as well as the particular prosthetic tooth.  There texture has also been replaced with more grooves, resembling a screw, to enhance the fusing process.   

 

Now that you have learned about dental implants, you will finally realize that there is a way to improve your quality of life. Even if you have lost just one tooth – whether it is a new situation or something you have lived with for years – chances are you have never become fully accustomed to losing such a vital part of yourself. Dr. Ken Versman, Dr. Doug Heller, and Dr. Eric Beckman are uniquely qualified to provide a full range of implant dentistry procedures. They have been performing a full range of implant dentistry for more than 20 years at Periodontal Associates in the Denver/Aurora, Colorado area.  At Periodontal Associates, The Dental Implant Team, we are the market leader and we are driving the development of new dental implant standards and protocols.

Drs. Versman, Heller, and Beckman wish to share this exciting information with you and answer all of your questions.  Please give Periodontal Associates a call today at (303) 755-4500 to visit our Aurora, CO office.  We serve patients from Denver, CO and all surrounding areas. You can also visit our website at www.periodontalhealth.com to learn more or click here for an appointment.  We look forward to helping you with your dental implant needs as well as helping those with gum disease.

Christmas Cavities

 Christmas Cravings and Cavities

 

Happy Hanukah, Merry Christmas, and Happy Kwanzaa from your friends at Periodontal Associates - the dental implant team!  With the Holiday season among us and treats eaten, carols sung, parties thrown, and gifts given, Dr. Versman, Dr. Heller, and Dr. Beckman want to take a look a closer look about what that means.

The end of the year is often a time of over indulgence, and with the constant snacking on sweets, Americans run the risk of increasing cavities and weight gain.  One study suggests that the average American citizen gains 7-10lbs over the holiday season (Thanksgiving to New Year’s).  Now brace yourself, if we estimate that everyone in American gains 9lbs that means the nation would gain 3 BILLION POUNDS!

Don’t worry, there is hope as another study by Yanovsky in 2000 in the New England Journal of Medicine stated the average American gains less than 1lb.  However, this weight is never lost in the upcoming year. Even so, that equates to a gain of almost 315 million pounds that are never lost!  Each kid eats about 6,000 calories on Christmas Day alone, and Dr. Versman, Dr. Heller, and Dr. Beckman fear this is mainly all in sweets.  No wonder The Biggest Loser is planned to air at the beginning on January.

Now let’s think about how this weight gain and the consumption of sweets affect your health, and most importantly, your oral health.  Dr. Versman, Dr. Heller, and Dr. Beckman wants everyone to enjoy themselves and celebrate over the holidays, but they wish to pass along some advice to make sure the next year is not negatively affected by these holiday traditions.

First thing first, sugar! Between the sugar cookies, egg nog, candy canes, and pumpkin pie, sugar can be found everywhere!  Christmas is the 3^rd largest day for candy consumption after Halloween and Easter.  Each household spends and average of $94.04 on holiday candy and the nation spending $1.4 billion.  Americans use an average of 7lbs of sugar over the holidays in baked good, drinks, etc. There are 1.8 billion candy canes are made every year which is enough to travel from Arkansas to the North Pole and back 32 times!

Just writing those statistics almost gives Dr. Versman, Dr. Heller, and Dr. Beckman a heart attack.  Here at Periodontal Associates, our Denver and Aurora clients are not immune to the holiday sugar high, and we want to make sure you are taking care of your teeth and gums to help prevent cavities, gum disease, and the need for dental implants in 2013.  Dr. Versman says, ‘You don’t have to brush your teeth, just the ones you want to keep.’

Yes, brushing is one of the best things you can do, along with flossing, on a regular basis.  Dr. Heller often tells his patients that slowly snacking on sugar is worse than sugar itself as it continuously feeds bacteria in the mouth, and most people only brush once or twice a day.  Think about eating a breakfast cake at work around 9am then letting that sugar sit on your teeth for another 13 hours until brushing before bed!

Go ahead and make a New Year’s resolution with Periodontal Associates - The Dental Implant Team before the New Year begins.  Let us all brush often, floss regularly, graze less, and visit our great doctors (Ken Versman, Doug Heller, and Eric Beckman) along with our specially trained hygienists for bi-annual cleanings and check-ups.  By developing these great habits, Periodontal Associates can help treat and prevent periodontal disease (gum disease), fight bad breath, and give you a cosmetically beautiful smile with or without dental implants.

Periodontal Associates is located in Aurora, CO, but we happily serve patients in Denver, CO and all surrounding areas like Centennial, Parker, Lone Tree, Thorton, etc.  Drs. Versman, Heller, and Beckman are specialists in gum disease, dental implants, gum grafts, bone grafts, sinus lifts, and other dental needs.  Please give us a call at (303) 755-4500 to schedule your dental implant consultation or hygiene cleaning today! To learn a little more about us, please visit our website www.periodontalhealth.com or visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/periodontalhealth. We look forward to getting to know you and helping you keep your New Year’s resolution for a healthier smile!