I just got home from my fourth dental implant. This is in lieu of bridge work, which is attached to other teeth and endangers them and, on average, lasts 10 years. An implant is a porous ceramic piece that is implanted into the bone. The bone grows into the pores in the ceramic and it becomes part of the bone. The crown is attached to the implant.
My dental surgeon uncovered the bone, drilled a progressively bigger hole in my jawbone, threaded it, and screwed in the implant. He then closed the surgery site. In six months I go back for "the great uncovering" - when he cuts away the flesh that has grown over it and puts in a plug.
This one is all the way back and a little more difficult than the others. I am now on pain meds and will be on a preventative antibiotic.