When people talk about getting a dental implant, they generally think of getting a brand new tooth in their mouth. While you do get a new tooth, that tooth is not actually referred to as the dental implant — the dental implant is actually the part that is anchored into your bone and holds onto the tooth.
Many dental offices charge a fee for each part of a dental implant, so it’s important to be informed about the cost of the total procedure before getting a dental implant.
Dental implants are made up of three main parts: the implant, the abutment, and the crown. Below you’ll find a brief description of each part.
Parts of a Dental Implant
The Implant
The actual dental implant is placed down in your jawbone. It is made of titanium, a metal that easily integrates with your existing bone so that it is anchored firmly in your jaw.
The Abutment
The abutment is the connector between the fake tooth and the implant that is anchored in your jaw. It is usually screwed into the implant.
The Crown
The crown is the portion of the dental implant that you see inside of your mouth. It attached to the abutment by either a screw or using a strong cement.
Questions About The Parts of a Dental Implant
Hopefully this article helped you understand dental implants a little bit better.
Do you have any questions, comments, or concerns about what makes up a dental implant? Feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!
Hi Tom
I have found your site a great source of information on dental matters and think you have done a great job.
I have recently had a molar extracted – I caused microscopic crack through the root, biting unexpectedly on a hard nut in some chocolate. I am considering an implant to replace this tooth, but was wondering about the success rates of implants, and the possible issues one may encounter when having an implant placed. Do you have any information that you could share about what is involved and how successful it is? Thanks so much.
Hello, I have several crowns and root canals. I’ve had them for several years. Went to a new dentist for xrays and cleaning. He tells me that I’ll need at least two implants and possibly a 3rd because I have BIG cavity under my crowns. I know I have some issues because of the twinges of pain I have at times, but I think he’s exaggerating. I’m going for a 2nd opinion at the local university dental school. I really don’t want dental implants because 1) I really can’t afford them – no insurance for that 2) I believe keeping ones teeth even if it’s just the part in the gum is best. If I do have serious cavities under the crowns what is the likelihood of rebuilding the underlying teeth and new crowns?
Thanks for you answer
I have had the implant procedure completed with no pain or problems, but it seems I have been having differculty with getting the crown to stay put in my mouth for more than 2 days. First 2 tries they put the permanent crown in with 2 different kinds of cement. Third try they made a temporary crown with temporary cement. That fell out in 2 days. I have been careful of what I eat(soft foods),but it seems to drop to the bottom of my mouth. They are making a new permanent crown, but in the meantime It is differcult and frustrating in dealing with this. I am a little concerned with how this next crown is going to fit. I originally lost the tooth to a bad fitting crown and infection set in. I don’t know if they should just put the permanent cement in . I worry if its not a proper fit will I have problems again.
I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your sites
really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to
come back later on. Cheers
Is it normal for a dentist to leave root tips in after extractions?
Hi Kelly – It’s not normal. Sometimes it is necessary to leave them in due to the risk of getting them back out. If I can’t get a root tip out, I won’t charge for the extraction and refer them to the oral surgeon to get it removed.
Thanks for the great post. I had no idea what an implant really looked like until reading this post. Now I understand why it takes so many months wow!
Thank you for showing how dental implants really work! I’ve only ever seen the crown portion, so this was very interesting. I’m wondering if the implants are always made of titanium. Do people with metal allergies have other options for dental implants?
Hey Tom, I have a problem. I am 14 years old right now and I have had a baby tooth that hasn’t fallen out when the rest have… I tried to tell the dentist what we could do about it and he said that we could take the baby tooth out and wait 2-3 years for the grown one to come down… The problem is that I don’t want the gap to be there for 2-3 years if I’m out in public because it’s really embarrassing. Then they told me the other option was to get an implant which included taking out the baby tooth and the grown one on top and putting an implant but then they told me they can’t do that because I’m supposed to be 18 to get an implant since my mouth has to be grown. I don’t want to keep going to school with the front baby tooth still there. I need help I don’t know what to do. Do you think they can still put an implant or what should I do? I want them to do something as soon as possible. Thank you.
My upper, right “I” tooth had to be extracted because a cavity was too close to the nerve, so it was extracted. Problem was that the tooth broke off and left the remaining root tip. The dentist said that it was not necessary to remove the root tip. This was 3 months ago and I have had no pain, or problems since. The Dentist plans to place the implant next week. My concerns are that if the implant is screwed into the root tip, even partially, that I may have complications after the implant is screwed in. The dentist told me that there are risks to any surgery. My question is shall I go ahead with taking my anti-biotics & mouth wash, and have the implant placed and not worry about any problems that may or may not happen?
I have paid my dental surgeon for 2 implants, & have the pins & safety caps. My dentist is making my snap denture & she billed me for the abutments, but the surgeon will put them on & bill me. I thought the implants included all this, and feel I might have been charged twice for the abutments.
Hi Grace – Normally the dentist places the abutments because they align with the part attached to the denture to allow it to snap on.
After the implant surgery, the oral surgeon will place the “healing caps” on the implants, but those are not the abutments. I hope that helps!
I want to make sure that I get my dental implants put in properly. It makes sense that having a professional handle it would be absolutely necessary. There would be no way I could put in the proper metal implants!
I lost a tooth, so I need to have a replacement put in. It makes sense that dental implants would be perfect! It’s so interesting how the implant is essentially a replacement of the root of a tooth.