A dental implant is a screw-like fixture surgically placed into your jaw. Later, after a healing period, a prosthetic tooth is attached. This gives the patient a replacement that feels, looks and functions like a real tooth.
Dental implants are made of titanium, a very hard and inert metal. Different manufacturers have different surface treatments, different shapes and attachment methods. (See links to manufacturers' websites) They are surgically placed into the jaws very carefully to prevent injury to the bone, allowing the bone to attach to the implant, a process called integration.
The healing phase generally takes two to six months depending on the type of implant and the type of bone.
Copyright © 2009 Dale R. Johnstone, D.D.S.