Teeth are very rarely lost in this day and age, because every effort is made to save them. There are a number of reasons why teeth may need to be removed:

• Structural reasons: When there has previously been a lot of decay and very little of the tooth remains. For example root filled teeth with post crowns or broken teeth.
• Gum disease: The supporting bone around the tooth is lost due to pocketing and infection.
• Unsuccessful root canal therapy: Teeth that have been root canal treated can be prone to persistent infection resulting in a poor prognosis and are often better removed.
• Incorrect positioning: Such as when a tooth is buried under the gum or has come through in the wrong place.

Whatever the cause of the problem, the end result is the root of the tooth is removed. Dental implant therapy is the replacement of the root with an artificial root that is made from titanium. This procedure can be used to replace one tooth, several teeth, or all the teeth.

What is a dental Implant ?

A dental implant is an artificial substitute / replacement for the root portion of your natural tooth and is anchored into a pre-drilled socket in your jaw-bone to support a crown, bridge or secure a denture firmly in place. Implants are made from titanium, a material that is well tolerated by bone and integrates easily with bone tissue. During the placement of a dental implant the goal is to achieve a close contact between the outer surface of the implant and the surrounding bone tissue so they can "fuse" together creating a stable support for the new teeth.

Once the implant has been placed it is left to heal and integrate with the jawbone for between 6 weeks to 6 months. The bone tissue will grow and anchor itself into the microscopic rough surface of the implant. During this "healing period" patients are given temporary teeth (bridges) or continue to wear dentures. It is important that any temporary teeth do not exert any forces on the healing implant. After the healing period the gum is lifted again and a post is attached to the implant with a temporary crown. Four to six weeks later when the surrounding gum tissue has matured the final permanent restoration can be fitted to the implant.

How long do dental implants last?

Dental implants have been used for over 30 years to replace missing teeth and they can last a lifetime depending upon how you look after them. Like any other restoration your implant-supported teeth can still be damaged.