Dental implants are artificial root replacements for the teeth; the implant is essentially a rod that is rooted into the jawbone to support cosmetic replacements (crowns, dentures or bridges). It is an artificial substitute or 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 (osseointegration) creating a stable support for the new teeth.