Anyone who needs to have a permanent tooth replaced has probably heard of dental implants. These are a permanent, non-detachable tooth replacement option that is anchored in your jaw, unlike dentures or dental bridges. But how can a false tooth actually be anchored? How do dental implants stay in place?

Anchored in Your Jaw

For all intents and purposes, your dental implant becomes part of your jawbone. Your natural teeth are securely anchored in your jaw, and dental implants are the same—after a little integration.

Density of Your Jaw

Your jawbone can only safely host a dental implant if the bone has sufficient density. When a tooth is lost, the jaw no longer has to support the pressure experienced by the tooth, and so some of its mass can be lost. Some patients need to have this reversed via bone grafting, which is a separate procedure prior to implant placement. Your dentist will have told you if this was relevant in your case. But when your jaw is ready, the implant will be placed.

Placing the Implant

The actual dental implant is a small titanium alloy rod. Your dentist will make an incision in your gums to access your jaw, and will then drill a tiny hole in which the implant will be placed. Don't worry—you will have received a powerful local anesthetic and won't feel a thing.

The Healing Process

The implant is then inserted into the guide hole. Your dentist may need to place a healing cap over the implant site, helping your jawbone and soft tissues to mend themselves. As soon as the procedure is complete, the healing process begins, and it's with this process that a dental implant stays in place.

Bone Growth

Connected groups of cells called osteoblasts get to work in your jaw, helping to heal your bone. Because the implant is now within your jaw, the bone heals around it, with osteoblasts causing the bone to actually regrow around the implant. This process is called osseointegration. 

Implant Health

Because the bone and the implant will integrate with each other, this is why an implant can be just as secure as a natural tooth. The process can take several months, and you'll need to take the best possible care of your teeth. Neglected oral hygiene during the healing process can result in an infection of the implant site. The soft tissues will first be affected, but a more serious infection can reach the bone, disrupting the integration process and causing your implant to detach. Smoking can also delay healing, and is extremely unwise for anyone with a new dental implant.

Dental implants essentially assimilate with your jaw, and that's how they can be so secure on a permanent basis.