Dental implants are designed to act like tooth roots, fusing with your jaw bone and preventing it from resorbing where the tooth was. This process is known as osseointegration. Dental implants also allow you to chew and speak normally. They offer a permanent solution to missing teeth, while traditional dentures require periodic adjustments and can slip.

Almost anyone who is healthy enough to undergo oral surgery can receive an implant. Candidates should be committed to practicing good oral hygiene and visiting their dentist regularly. Heavy smokers, patients with uncontrolled chronic health conditions (such as diabetes or heart disease) and people who have received radiation therapy to the head/neck area should be thoroughly evaluated by a physician prior to pursuing implant treatment.

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Before the procedure begins, your dentist will review your medical history to ensure that you don’t have a condition that would interfere with healing or cause implant failure. You will also need to give your dentist a current list of medications and supplements that you take. Your dentist may recommend a blood thinner, such as an anticoagulant, to prevent clots from forming in the blood vessels around your implant.

During the implant surgery, your surgeon will make a small incision in the gum tissue to access the bone and drill a hole to place the metal implant post. A connector piece called an abutment will then be placed on the top of the implant post, extending past your gum line. Some patients choose to have this abutment placed at the same time as their implant, while others prefer to wait for a separate procedure.