Dental Implants: Q&A

Answers to FAQs, containing examples, reflections to know and understand dental implants.

What is a dental implant?

A dental implant is the artificial substitution of the natural missing roots, and it could support:

–         a single dental crown;

–         a fixed or removable prosthesis

In order to restore the optimum conditions of a structure damaged by a trauma or by other reasons, other dental implant procedures are also available, however being that many kinds of implants exists, every single problem must be corrected by turning to the most appropriate indication related implant. Generally, implants are composed of metallic alloys and can take the shape of screws, cylinders, plates, needles, etc... placed within the bone (endosteal implants, the most common kind) or above it.

When are dental implants employed?

At least four specific conditions exist for which dental implants represent the preferred choice:  

• conditions in which a single tooth must be replaced

• replacement of various teeth in which the quantity of the residual teeth is insufficient for realizing a conventional dental prosthesis that hooks on to the remaining teeth. (dental bridge)

• replacement of all the teeth of one arch

• replacement the portions of a dental arch for aesthetic or functional reasons

last update: 21 January 2008