Detailed Information:
An implant is device that is surgically inserted into or onto the jawbone in place of teeth that have been extracted. The portion that protrudes through the gum tissue is designed to support a crown. The implant gains its support, stability, and retention from the bone into which the implant is attached. Crowns restore the anatomy, function and esthetics of a natural tooth and are a fixed appliance that is intended to be permanently attached to the teeth or roots.
Crowns are useful when sufficient natural tooth mass exists to support the crowns. In cases where little tooth surface is left or when the roots of teeth fail and an extraction is required, implants are an increasingly common way of filling the missing space with an artificial tooth.
Implants are generally more expensive than crowns and can require bone augmentation or grafting.
Last updated: 12-May-05
