What you need to know
An implant is a titanium post placed into the jawbone in the space where a tooth used to be. The bone grows around it over several months, and once it is stable a custom crown is attached on top. The result looks and functions like a natural tooth and is cleaned the same way.
The advantage over a bridge is that nothing is done to the healthy teeth on either side. A bridge requires reshaping both neighbours to carry the replacement; an implant stands on its own.
Did you know…
The jawbone shrinks where a tooth is missing, because the bone that held the root no longer has a job to do. That is why people who lose teeth young can develop a sunken look around the mouth decades later. An implant is the only replacement that puts load back into the bone and slows that process.