The Anatomy of a Dental Implant

The successfully completed dental implant certainly shows off that perfect set of teeth for Palm Beach Gardens patients. It is an art that takes time to produce that beautiful smile. It also has to be well planned for the teeth to become mechanically functional.  In actuality, the dental implant is basically composed of three parts and the majority is hidden within the gum line. The tooth restoration is the visible part of dental implant anatomy. It is usually made up of a porcelain crown and matches the color of the surrounding teeth. The tooth restoration can be a single crown. It can also be set as a bridge or as a denture. The tooth restoration can also be fixed or removable.

The tooth restoration is attached to an abutment. The abutment is the part of the anatomy of the dental implant which connects the tooth restoration and the underlying implant post. It is made from a body compatible metal. Dental cement or a set of screws are used to attach the tooth restoration to the abutment. In the process of placing a dental implant, the abutment and dental crown are usually placed after three to six months of healing time from the setting of the implant post.

The implant post is the largest portion in the anatomy of a dental implant. It accounts for more than 50 percent of the size and length of the whole dental implant. It is embedded in the bone of the dental alveolus and is thus a part that is not visible. This is the reason why dental implants are also called endosseous implants or fixtures. The size and length may vary depending on which part of the jaw it will be implanted. Most implant posts are made of titanium and are shaped like screws. They are inserted like screws and function as the original roots of the tooth. Titanium is compatible with bone and other tissues. The surface and titanium material of implant posts have special functions. They allow the implant post to eventually fuse with the alveolar bone for Palm Beach Gardens patients. As the bone where the implanted post heals, the tissues integrate with the titanium screw thus becoming a strong and stable structure that can endure chewing and grinding. This healing and integration process between bone and titanium is called osseointegration. As previously mentioned, osseointegration can take anywhere from three to six months.