This is a great innovation in dentistry and came about in the mid 1950s, although the first operation was done in the 1960s. It involves an artificial tooth that is screwed into the jaw to replace a rogue tooth, and make it look natural. The difference between this method of treatment as opposed to a denture, is that you can treat the tooth just like the old one before it went bad. When you consult your dentist they will first take x-rays of the root of the bad tooth. This is necessary to ascertain whether or not it is possible to perform the treatment on an individual patient. It is absolutely imperative that that the patient has a good strong jaw. The bad tooth is extracted and allowed to heal, and then a series of digital photos are taken of the gap left and the teeth either side, the shade of the implant needs to be the same to blend in, so it is colour coded as well. All this information is collated and sent to an orthodontist who will make the implant. It is made from titanium in most cases, and that is then attached to an artificial material that looks like, and wears like, a real enamel tooth. Incorporated into the implant is a metal stud. The dentist then cuts into the gum to expose the jaw bone and screws the plate into place into the jaw line; this is then stitched and allowed to heal. It needs from 3-6 months for the base plate to fuse with the jaw bone, this is called Osseointergration. The base can hold one or several implants. Once the gum has healed and the plate fused, the dentist will insert an abutment into the plate; this is screwed in and leaves a hub exposed. The false tooth is then fixed onto this hub to complete the treatment, for all intents and purposes it look, feels and is as usable as a natural tooth. It is cleaned exactly the same as the other teeth. For the first few weeks the dental implant has to be carefully used, this is because it needs time for the jawbone to get used to a tooth being in place again. The usual visits to the dentist for your six monthly check ups will allow your dentist to keep the implant free from tartar.