Dental implants are titanium screw-like structures used to replace missing teeth.  They are placed into the jaw bones and act as a foundation supporting single crowns, bridges, or dentures.

Disadvantages associated with traditional complete and partial dentures include:

1. they are often bulky and unstable
2. they often cover the entire palate and interfere with speech and taste
3. they limit chewing capacity and forces

Disadvantages associated with a conventional fixed bridge replacing a few missing teeth include:

1. the necessity to prepare the natural teeth on either side of the missing tooth/teeth, which may possibly illicit pain and sensitivity, and hence the need for root canal therapy
2. difficulty keeping a conventional bridge clean
3. re-decay of the teeth supporting the bridge and hence possible failure of the bridge.

Dental implants circumvent the disadvantages of conventional prostheses by offering comfort and stability without touching the adjacent teeth in a treatment modality which mimics as closely as possible the natural dentition.