Specialist Dental Care

How do dental implants work?

In the early 1950s, Swedish scientist Per-Ingvar Brånemark discovered that pure titanium - a very strong and light-weight metal - bonds to bone. He named the process osseointegration. This is the basis for all Brånemark System® dental implants.

The first step in implant treatment is to place a titanium screw in the jaw. It gradually becomes attached to the bone. Just like your natural roots, this metal root provides a stable, well-anchored support for the visible part of your man-made tooth. This stability has helped countless numbers of people improve their oral function and quality of life.

Your natural crown is the functional part of your tooth. It is attached to your root, and visible above the gum. The outer layer of the crown consists of enamel, the hardest tissue in your body. Your man-made crown is attached to an extension of the metal root beneath the gumline. Its shape and colour is made to match your surrounding teeth.

With your entire Brånemark System® dental implant in place, the loss of bone around the missing tooth stops and can even grow back. It is one of the many ways these dental implants restore the function and appearance of your teeth.

Human bone bonds with titanium. This is the basic principle of Brånemark System® dental implants. The picture shows a single tooth implant firmly bonded to the jaw bone.