The implant is inserted into the jawbone in the area of a missing tooth, and a crown is constructed to replace the visible portion of the tooth. Dental implant surgery is generally less painful than having a tooth surgically extracted. The implant is placed into the jawbone and allowed to heal and “osseointegrate,” meaning that it will bond to the surrounding bone in the next two to four months. While the healing process takes place, the patient may wear a temporary replacement tooth. Once the implant has healed in the surrounding bone, a post is attached to the implant. At this point, we build a crown for the tooth. The final result is a replacement tooth that looks, feels and acts like a natural tooth.