Dental Implants are made up of three parts: The implant itself, an abutment, and a crown. Here, our Surrey & Langley dentists provide a brief overview of each of the components.
Implant
The actual implant itself is a tiny screw that's made of titanium. It's the part that's actually implanted into the jaw, and it functions as an artificial tooth root.
Titanium is a metal that's compatible with body tissues. It can even bond with the bone of your jaw in order to form a new, stable, tooth root that functions just like a natural root does.
Abutment
The abutment is most often made of either ceramic or titanium. It anchors the implant to the crown (the artificial tooth), ensuring a secure fit.
Crown
Once your mouth has healed from the surgical implant procedure, and the dental implant and the abutment are in place, the final step of the process is the addition of the dental crown.
This is an artificial tooth that looks and functions almost exactly like a natural tooth does.
Sometimes, when an implant is being placed to secure a dental bridge or denture, the crown portion is not required.