What exactly is an implant?
A natural tooth has a crown - the part which shows above the gum line, and a root - the anchor hidden below the gum line. When a tooth is missing, a dental implant (NobelReplace, Branemark, NobelSpeedy, NobelActive) takes the place of the missing root and a prosthetic crown (Procera) replaces the natural crown. 
The Implant Procedure
The implant procedure is the same whether one or all teeth are missing. In this video example provided by My Dental Hub, there is two missing lower teeth. For the purpose of demonstration we will assume the patient is healthy and is a candidate for this procedure.
Implant Site Preparation
The gum tissue is opened to expose the bone area where the implant will be placed. In situations where there is insufficient bone structure, bone grafting may be a recommended procedure. Once healthy bone material has been established, a special drill is used to prepare the bone to receive the implant.
Placing the ImplantAfter the bone has been prepared, the implant is placed and the tissue is sutured and in some cases a temporary abutment can be placed with a temporary crown. The Healing Process - Osseointegration (discovered by: Dr. P.I. Branemark) The healing process takes three to six months. This is the amount of time it usually takes the implant to become part of the lower jaw, commonly referred to as osseointegration. The sutures are typically removed however, seven to fourteen days after surgery.
Attaching the Post
When the gum tissue is ready, a special post/abutment either titanium or ceramic is attached to the implant. It is the support for the new porcelain crown. Today's technologies often include zirconium abutments attached to the implant post, to assure that the new Procera Ceramic porcelain tooth possesses translucency properties similar to a natural tooth.
Placing the Crown
After impressions are taken a crown is made and shaded to match your existing teeth. The crown is then slipped over the Titanium or Zirconium Abutment and cemented.
The Completed Implant
The final prosthetic crown appears as a natural tooth.
Video compliments of My Dental Hub
That is so cool that dental teeth can be replaced like this. It is weird to think dentists actually put screws in your mouth to hold the new tooth. The new teeth look like they are the actual tooth, I can not even tell the difference. Maybe in the future I should look into getting some dental implants put in. http://www.forestlawndentalcentre.ca/dental_implants.html
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