Daryl E. Malena DDS
Periodontics
10838 Old Mill Road
Omaha, Nebraska 68154
402 330 4100

Modern implants

Implant surgery

Tooth replacement

Partial denture retention

Denture retention

Other uses

Questions & Answers

Twenty years ago, good dentists usually warned their patients to stay away from dental implants. For many years dental implants existed, but had a very poor long range track record with most failing within five years. They were made from a variety of materials and were in the shape of a flat plate that was forcibly placed into a slot cut in the bone. The "Swiss cheese" holes were there for the bone to grow through--a good idea that never worked. Dr. Malena has removed many of these implants, but never placed them.

Modern implants are in the shape of the roots of the teeth they replace. They are always made of titanium. Some have threads like screws and some are relatively smooth, but all are slightly roughened because bone will only integrate with a rough titanium surface. All have an attachment with which we can connect a dental device or a tooth.

If you are a serious net surfer you will soon discover that there are hundreds of patents and designs for implants, and dozens of companies making them. All claim to have advantages over the others. The fact is that aside from the criteria in the paragraph above, they only differ in the details--And most of them have an excellent track record of better than 90-99% still in place and functioning ten years after placement.

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