Dental implants have become an important advance in dentistry over the past few decades, and the procedure has also been recognized as the best solution for replacing missing teeth.
Before dental implant technology came on the scene, persons with missing teeth had few options. Depending on how many teeth needed to be replaced and where they were located, fixed or removable bridges and dentures were the recommended treatments. Because additional dental problems typically occurred within 15 years after fixed bridges or dentures were used to treat the problem, replacement was necessary. Dental implants have a much better record of performance, with the majority of implants still functioning well after 20 years or more.