Dental Implants

A dental implant is a titanium screw of similar dimensions to a tooth root placed into the jaw bone to act as a root of an artificial tooth. Over a period of two to three months following implantation the bone cells around the implant produce bone mineral against the implant surface and there is a biological “cementation” of the implant into the bone. This process is called osseointegration and is a dynamic process – that is, the supporting bone for the implant constantly undergoes the normal process of renewal as it does throughout our skeletons.

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After a healing period which varies slightly from person to person, depending on bone density and procedural variables, the implant is tested for osseointegration and an appropriate dental restoration is constructed and fixed to the implant via an intermediary component called an abutment. The abutment is screwed into the implant and the restoration may also be screwed to the abutment or cemented in a similar fashion to a conventional tooth crown.