A dental implant is a “root” device, usually made of titanium, used in dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth to replace missing teeth.
Virtually all dental implants placed today are root-form endosseous implants, i.e., they appear similar to an actual tooth root (and thus possess a “root-form”) and are placed within the bone. Dental implants will fuse with the bone over time.
Dental implants can be used to support a number of dental prostheses, including crowns, implant-supported bridges, or dentures. They can also be used as anchorages for orthodontic tooth movement. The use of dental implants permits undirectional tooth movement without reciprocal action.
Most patients with enough bone can have implants, although individual decisions are made by the patient. Usually, an x-ray and a CT-scan are done to determine if you have enough bone to place the implant and also to determine the size and kind of implant that should be placed.