A dental implant is a type of false tooth that actually screws into the jawbone; there is a cap or covering put over this screw and then glued into place, so it takes the place of a missing or extracted tooth. Your dentist may have recommended you get a dental implant, or you may prefer the idea of a permanent false tooth over dentures or a bridge, but note some questions you might have about the procedure overall. This will ensure you know what's involved and what to discuss with your dentist.

How long does the procedure take?

Note that a dental implant is attached in two procedures; the first is to put the screw or base into the jawbone, and then the cap is applied once you have healed from this procedure. This time frame will vary from patient to patient; in some cases, there is bone grafting done to make the jawbone strong enough to manage the dental implant and you may need some time to heal from this grafting work, which may be months. In other cases, the bones are strong enough on their own and you may heal very quickly from this first stage, so the cap is put over the implant within days or weeks. Your dentist can tell you how long the entire process will take for your case.

Is there a gap in the teeth between the two stages?

Since you cannot have the cap put over the implant on the same day it's installed, there is a gap in that area between these two stages. However, you can often be fitted with a bridge or an artificial tooth held in place with wires in order to cover that gap. This can maintain your appearance and also help to protect the area of your gums where the dental implant was installed while you heal.

How strong are dental implants?

One advantage of dental implants is that they are typically as strong as your natural teeth. You don't need to worry about cutting up your food as you would when you wear dentures, or worry that the implant might chip or crack when you play sports that involve impacts. An implant may chip or crack if it suffers a blow that would break a natural tooth, so you still need to protect your implant as you do your other teeth, but it usually doesn't need any special care or handling once it's in place.