A dental implant is a metallic device designed to update lacking enamel. The tool is usually produced from titanium and is surgically positioned into the jawbone in which the tooth is missing. unlike a dental bridge, an implant is permanent. A dental implant is designed to act because the teeth root and might anchor artificial teeth or teeth which include a crown, bridge, or denture.

It is an advanced medical technology for the treatment of tooth loss. A titanium implant is implanted in the toothless area of the jawbone. The jawbone fuses with the titanium surface providing a strong anchorage for the implant. The implant functions as a support for the dental prosthesis constructed over it.

• It can treat cases untreatable with conventional methods of dental bridges and dentures.
• It prevents further resorption of the jawbone following tooth loss.
• It can perfectly restore chewing function.
• It avoids cutting down and overloading the natural teeth occurring with conventional means of replacing tooth loss.
• It helps restore a patient’s self-esteem and confidence since it gives the feeling of regaining the real teeth.
• It functions better than conventional dental bridges and dentures.
• It gives superior aesthetic results.

The surgery can commence after thorough diagnosis and treatment planning. A recipient site of the same size and shape as the implant is created in the jawbone with drilling instruments. The implant is inserted into the site prepared. Usually, a healing period of 3 to 6 months is required for the jawbone to fuse with the implant. The jawbone has different densities in different areas – the denser the bone, the shorter the healing period. After this healing period, the prosthesis is constructed over the implant and the treatment is completed. Usually, a straightforward implant treatment takes about 4 to 7 months to complete. Longer periods are required for complex situation such as cases requiring bone grafting.

Modern dental implant treatment is highly successful, as a general guideline, the five-year success rate of dental implant is over 95% with the lower jaw (mandible) and about 90% with upper jaw (maxilla). The success rates may slowly decrease as the implant stays longer in function. In difficult cases, the success rates are expected to be lower. Despite the overall high success rates with dental implant treatment, there is still the possibility of failure, which can be contributed by various factors and conditions, such as poor healing power, poor bone quality, smoking and diabetes.

Whereas no medical treatment can be guaranteed 100 percent without risks and failures, implant operation can be considered very safe. The prosthetic phase of treatment is basically non-invasive and non –invasive and non-surgical in nature.