Anyone can unexpectedly lose a tooth. All it takes is one bad fall, a serious cavity or a case of untreated gum disease. To replace a missing tooth, you might want to consider a DENTAL IMPLANT. It looks and feels like a real tooth, and it's sturdy enough to handle chewing even the toughest foods. A dental implant is basically a false tooth, but it's attached to the top of a titanium screw instead of resting on your gums like a denture, or being attached to OTHER teeth like a bridge. AND It's PERMANENT... because the titanium screw has been surgically implanted into your jaw and gums.Getting a dental implant is usually a two-step process involving both your dentist AND a periodontist or oral surgeon; if your general dentist isn't trained to perform the surgical implant placement. Together, Your dentist and surgeon MUST carefully plan the treatment before any surgery is performed. This often requires diagnostic models of your teeth as well as a special 3-dimensional x-ray (a type of CAT scan) to show whether you have enough bone to place the implant. The fist step in the actual treatment is embedding the implant, which is like a fancy titanium screw, into the jawbone through a small opening in the gums. Then...[slight pause]...you usually need to wait 2 to four months for the implant to fuse to your bone. Once the implant has integrated with the bone, an impression is taken and the crown, which is the "tooth" part of the implant is made by the lab. In the meantime, while the implant heals, if the missing tooth is in a cosmetic area, you'll probably want some type of temporary replacement - either a removable tooth on a retainer, or a false one that's bonded to the adjacent teeth. Sometimes, especially when a front tooth has been lost, an implant can be placed immediately into the tooth socket. That's right, the same time the tooth comes out, the implant is placed. And, if the bone is strong enough and the gums are healthy, a temporary crown can be immediately attached to the implant.. If you're a smoker, it's best to stop smoking a month before implant surgery and a month after to increase the chances of success. Also, if you have other medical issues, like diabetes, it's important that your blood sugar is under control and you're in good and stable health. If you take baby aspirin or other blood thinners, or even vitamin E daily, you should consult with your dentist and your physician about stopping these medications well before any dental surgery.You should know that unfortunately dental implants are usually NOT covered by insurances. And implants can be costly, with the minimum expense averaging l over $3000 for a single tooth. But, it's an investment worth every penny when you compare this to the alternatives of wearing a removable denture or cutting down healthy teeth for old-fashioned bridges.To learn more about implants, check out other videos in this series.