Titanium is an element that many people would miss dearly, were it to disappear. Only brought in to use as a medical implant in the 1970s, this metal has revolutionised the way that we treat a huge number of medical ailments.
Medical implants had been attempted for millennia, using a huge variety of materials. However, problems with compatibility dominated these early attempts. Very few materials encouraged bone growth, while being strong enough to be of use as an implant. Metals, including stainless steel, actively discouraged bone growth, and bone would recede around the screw after it’s insertion in to the bone. But this was set to change.
Titanium was the first strong and bio-compatible implant to be brought in to broad use in modern medicine. This meant that long-term implants were now a possibility, and the dental field took advantage. The first long-term dental implants, replacement teeth screwed directly in to the jawbone, were now viable.
One of the reasons that titanium is able to coexist with bone so well is its unique ability to adapt. When exposed to saline environments – like those encountered within a human body – the titanium produces a thin layer of oxide, essentially preventing any further interaction between the metal and its surroundings.
With some surface modifications, the metal can actually be accepted by the surrounding bone. Once inserted in to a bone, the bone will actually grow around the screw – strengthening its hold and improving the density of the bone surrounding it. When used with dental implants, the end result is a strong replacement tooth, and a jawbone that has been preserved from decay. To learn more about this remarkable substance, ask your dentist – the local Central Coast experts at Coastal Dental are a great place to start.