The popularity of dental procedures using some type of implant has grown steadily over the past decade. Patients enjoy the fact that most dental implants provide long lasting replacements for missing or damaged teeth, while looking and feeling much like the natural teeth they replace. If you are considering having this type of procedure performed in the future, the following toothy trivia will give you some fun facts that you can use to quiz your family and friends, or maybe even your dentist.

1. Dental implant recipients have something in common with more than 30 million Americans who also have one or more dental implants, and the number is increasing by a half-million per year as more patients ask for them and more dentists become qualified to do the implant procedure.
2. Most dental implants are successful, with some statistics indicating a 98 percent success rate.
3. Dental implant recipients brush and floss the dental implant along with their natural teeth, and they are not susceptible to cavities because they are made from artificial materials that do not react to acids, sugars and other substances like the enamel of a natural tooth does.
4. Endosseous implants are those that are placed within the jawbone, using either a screw, cylinder or blade type of implant.
5. Subperiosteal implants are placed on top of the jawbone using a metal frame attached to the bone.
6. Transosteal implants are placed through the jawbone and held in place by use of pins or a U-shaped metal framework.
7. The condition of the jawbone and the amount of actual bone that the patient has are used as determining factors that help the dentist decide if they are a good candidate for a dental implant and which type they should have.
8. Even if a patient has sufficient available bone in the jaw, their dentist may still not recommend an implant for them if they smoke, have had some forms of radiation therapy, have an uncontrolled diabetic condition or have certain autoimmune diseases.
9. Rabbits were instrumental in a discovery that made dental and other implants possible when it was discovered that the bone of some laboratory rabbits was found to have fused to titanium tubes during a bone study experiment nearly seven decades ago.

Before making a final decision on getting one or more dental implants, take time to discuss your overall dental health goals with a dentist like Louisville Family Dental. They will be able to use this information, along with your previous dental care records, to determine if you are a candidate for an implant and which type of implant will work best for you.