What are Dental Implants?

A Dental Implant is a substitute tooth root used to replace the root of a missing tooth.  The implant is made of titanium, very similar to that used in artificial hips and knees.  The implant provides a solid foundation for an anchor, sometimes referred to as an abutment on which a crown or cap is placed.  So there are three parts- implant, anchor (or abutment) and crown (or cap).  The reason it is so important to replace missing teeth is that the natural tooth roots provide the stable foundation necessary to bite and chew.  Without tooth roots, the bone in your mouth atrophies.  Therefore, the bone holds the tooth roots in place and the tooth root (or implant) preserves the bone.