New Stem Cell Technology Grows Implant Teeth, Right in Your Mouth - Will Dental Implants Bite the Dust

Tooth loss has a profound impact on the lives of people, it can be disabling as it is usually associated with an elderly population. It's easy to understand why dental implants have become very popular these days. The technology has advanced rapidly in recent years to provide a solution to the aesthetic, functionality and other health issues resulting from missing teeth. Implant dentistry is highly predictable, offers greater flexibility with regards to treatment possibilities, and can give patients fully functional teeth in as short as an hour with minimum discomfort.

Most of us think of dental implants procedures as an advanced futuristic development in dentistry but conventional dental implants are not the ideal solution for replacing missing teeth as the healing process extends from 3-9 months and there is an additional failure rate varying from 5 to 10% depending on patients general health as well as the quantity and quality of the bone in the recipient site. Moreover, dental implants are estimated to last for about 15-20 years.

Despite much advancement in implant technology conventional titanium implants do not provide a long-lasting solution for a missing tooth. However the answer could lie in a highly researched new dental technique - stem cell dental implants which could well be the promising future of implant dentistry.

The recent discovery that stem cells exist in teeth has the potential to transform dentistry and the future of medical treatments. Researchers use stem cells to create living dental implants. Further technological advancements could possibly become more common worldwide, perhaps in few years' time, Titanium implants could be a thing of the past and stem cell dental implants may become the most prominent tooth replacement option. It is likely that this knowledge will enable all cosmetic dentists to regenerate missing teeth within the patients' mouth as an alternative to Conventional dental implants that have involved placing a screw in the jaw, which is attached to a "post" with a porcelain replacement tooth.

Stem Cell grafting is the latest technology in helping bone to grow in deficient parts of the jaw. The stem cells used are derived from tissues originating from the tip of the removed tooth root, called root apical papilla. These stem cells have the capability to reproduce and develop other tissue such as bone, cartilage and skin. Stem cells are collected by needle aspiration from the hipbone and placed against the receiving site in the jawbone. This technology means people previously unable to have implants - or who could have them only after lengthy surgeries - can now be given "new" teeth -a fully formed replacement tooth in less than nine weeks from initial implantation. Unlike current dental implants, these teeth adapt to changes that occur to the jaw bone over time, limiting the need for costly and time consuming adjustments or replacement implants.

New developments in stem cell research are presented almost every day, just as new ground is being made with dental implant procedures in dentistry, and using these advances researchers are able to extract stem cells from wisdom teeth which are then banked and used to preserve and protect patient's teeth / smile in a special cryogenic storage facility.

There are currently several on-going researches trying to improve these techniques and develop more cost-effective stem cell procedures. Stem cell implant technology is in its beginning and is currently not an option for replacing missing teeth. Conventional techniques of implant dentistry are not likely to soon disappear as it could be many years until this new dental expertise becomes commercially available. For the time being, conventional dental implants will remain the most cost - effective tooth replacement option.

If you have lost teeth that you would like replaced or if you are unhappy with your denture or bridge and would like to discuss alternative dental implants solution, visit your local Preston dentist in Ashton.