Implants have been around for a lot longer than many of us realise, but the history of them does make for uncomfortable reading. If you’re not too squeamish, then read on…
Dr Chris Wood
Dental Implant Surgeon
BDS MFGD, Dip Imp Dent (RCS Eng) FFGDP (UK) GDC No: 57428
When I talk about dental implants many people think it’s a relatively new technique. The truth is implants were invented hundreds, if not thousands, of years ago although thankfully today’s techniques are safer, far more hygienic and involve less animal teeth!
Implants in early civilisation
The earliest evidence we have of dental implants dates back to 600AD and was discovered by archaeologists researching the ancient Mayan civilisation. Skulls were recovered that had their teeth replaced by various different objects, including carved stones like Jade, and fragments of seashells.
The most exciting thing about the discoveries was not just the evidence of primitive innovation, it was that in some cases it had actually worked, with the implant fusing itself to the jawbone. To this day, fusing to the jaw is how we assess whether an implant procedure has been successful.
Rotten luck
Replacing teeth with other objects continued right up until Victorian times, becoming common practice for those in wealthy circles. Implants were made from ivory, precious metal and even carved wood, which I’m sure made for a variety of very interesting smiles.
George Washington famously had dentures made from a combination of gold, ivory and lead as well as both human and animal teeth. Nowadays, it’s easy for us to understand that these are not ideal implant materials, usually they would rot away in the mouth often with unpleasant consequences for the wearer. However, at the time implants like this would have been a sign of great social standing.
Keeping it real
With the Victorian era came a new approach to implantology, and human teeth became the most common method used. Obviously, this was only possible with a vast supply of human teeth and as grave robbing was illegal, they turned to the battlefields of Europe. As thousands of young men were dying in battle, they had access to an infinite supply of teeth which were scavenged and shipped back in barrels to the UK. Those who received the teeth, were delighted and proudly wore their ‘heroes’ teeth’ as a patriotic badge of honour – despite not actually knowing which side of the battle their teeth originated from!
However, others also realised this demand for human teeth could be an opportunity to make money and some of the poor began pulling their own teeth out to sell. One New York newspaper from 1783 even ran an advert for a local dentist who was advertising for ‘Teeth Wanted’ offering two guineas (£2.10) for a healthy tooth.
The modern era
In the 1950’s, implants entered the modern age as researchers from the University of Cambridge began experimenting with embedding titanium chambers into the soft tissue of the gum. Swedish orthopaedic surgeon, Per-Ingvar Brånemark then moved the research on a step further adapting the design to mimic a tooth root. However, when he tried to remove the titanium post, he found it was stuck fast, having successfully fused to the jawbone – and the first modern day implant was born.
Since then, the practice has gone from strength to strength with thousands of implants carried out around the world every year. Over the next sixty years the process was continually adapted and improved with the introduction of x-rays and digital imaging as well as more sterile practice to reduce the chance of infection.
Implants at Audley
We take a great pride in what we do here at Audley. Understanding how far implantology has come is an important part of recognising what a brilliant service we are able to offer our patients today.
The process itself is now so sophisticated it is relatively pain-free. We can carry out anything from a single implant or bridge, to our Teeth in a Day service, which is where we replace an entire jaw of teeth with implants in just one day. Our state-of-the-art practice, coupled with the cutting-edge technology we use, means we are able to offer our patients a seamless, straightforward process that they can feel confident in.
If you’re thinking about dental implants, please get in touch and book your free telephone consultation on 01280 848945 or visit our website. We promise not to use any wood, gold or ivory!
