Overview of the Dental Implants and Its Components What is a dental implant? Dental implants are the most popular and effective treatment for replacing the lost or missing teeth. When performed under proper surgical technique, success rates of dental implants have surpassed 95%. Implants are the artificial tooth roots mostly made of titanium. These work as a support to the restorations for a missing tooth and are surgically placed in the upper or lower jawbone. An implant looks and feels like a natural tooth. It fits securely and even don’t move when you chew and speak. A single-tooth implant is a free-standing unit and does not involve treatment to the adjacent teeth. With a dental implant, the surrounding teeth can remain untouched if they are healthy, and their strength and integrity may be maintained. The implant can stabilize your bite and help prevent problems with the jaw. Components of dental implants A dental implant typically consists of three parts: Implant It is made of titanium and is surgically placed in the upper or lower jawbone. Its purpose is to serve as the missing tooth root and is attached permanently to the individual’s jaw. Abutment It can be made either of titanium, gold or porcelain. Abutment is the part that connects the implant to the crown. It is attached to the implant with a screw. This part of the implant is also permanent but can be removed by the dental surgeon. Restoration It is the part that looks like a tooth is termed as a crown. This is usually made of porcelain fused to a metal alloy (PFM), but also could be an all-metal or all-porcelain crown. The crown can be attached either to the abutment or directly to the implant. It is basically screwed or cemented onto the abutment. If the crown is screwed to the abutment, the screw hole will be covered with restorative material such as tooth-colored filling material such as composite. Types of dental implants There are mainly two types of dental implants which are mentioned below: Endosteal implant