Implants are titanium screws that replace the roots of missing teeth.
On top of the titanium screws [called implant fixtures] a secondary piece is custom fabricated and screwed into the fixture. The secondary piece is called an abutment and it represents or replaces what would’ve been the tooth structure that had been prepared to receive a crown. On top of the abutment a crown is cemented into place which looks and acts just like the tooth that it is replacing.
Implants can replace anything from a single tooth to multiple teeth.
In addition several implants can be used to anchor a full denture. As a result the full denture stays in place while you chew too much greater degree than without implants. In this case the denture is still removable by the patient.
Finally implants can be used to fix a complete denture to the jawbone. In these cases the dentures can only be removed by your dentist.
Implants are now a mainstream treatment option with a very good worldwide success rate in in the hands of properly trained dental professionals.
So in summary if you’re missing anything from one tooth to all your teeth implants may be the answer for you.