What is a dental implant?

A dental implant is a surgical device, most commonly used to replace one or more missing teeth by fusing to the bone and acting as an artificial tooth root. The term, dental implant, technically refers only to the portion of the structure that is in the bone. To become functional, however, other parts are attached including an abutment, that comes through the gums, an abutment screw that joins the abutment to the implant and the crown which attaches to the abutment.
    

Single Tooth Replacement

To replace a single tooth, an implant is placed into the bone, where the previous root existed and is allowed to heal for a period of time. The time allowed for the implant to heal varies with the location, load, bone type and surgeon preference. Once the healing is complete a second piece, called an abutment, is secured to the implant with a screw. The crown is then cemented to the abutment.

Multiple Tooth Replacement

In multiple tooth replacement, the same concepts used in single tooth replacement apply. However, two or more implants may replace many teeth. In this case, the teeth that are directly over an implant are called the abutment teeth and the teeth without implants under them are called pontic teeth. Collectively, the fixture is referred to as an implant supported bridge or implant supported fixed partial denture.

Restoring an Entire Arch of Teeth

To restore an entire arch of teeth, the restoration can be either fixed or removable. In a fixed complete denture, a denture with a metal substructure is attached to four or more implants. Alternatively, a larger version of a dental bridge can be fabricated. A removable denture can also be created, where the implants have a small button or ball abutment and the denture houses a female adapter which grabs the abutment. In this case, the denture can be removed with finger pressure by the denture wearer. This is referred to as an implant supported overdenture.