Medical Encyclopaedia › Dental implant (short definition)
In brief: A dental implant is an artificial tooth root, usually made of titanium or zirconia, which is inserted into the jawbone and carries the dental prosthesis attached to it. Implants can replace single teeth, support bridges or stabilise dentures.
Structure
An implant system consists of the implant body in the bone, a connecting part (abutment) and the visible prosthesis, such as a crown, bridge or denture. Titanium has been tried and tested for decades; ceramic implants made of zirconia are a metal-free alternative with shorter long-term experience.
Procedure
The process begins with an examination, an X-ray and, if necessary, a three-dimensional scan (CBCT) to assess the available bone and the position of nerves and the maxillary sinus. The implant is placed under local anaesthesia. It then fuses with the bone (osseointegration), which usually takes about two to six months. Only then is the final prosthesis made. In suitable cases, immediate implantation directly after tooth extraction or immediate loading is possible.
Bone grafting
If the jawbone is insufficient, it can be built up beforehand or at the same time, for example with bone substitute material and membranes or by raising the floor of the maxillary sinus in the upper jaw (sinus lift). This lengthens treatment and increases effort and costs.
Durability and risks
In studies, the vast majority of implants are still functioning after ten years. The most important late complication is peri-implantitis, a bacterial inflammation with bone loss around the implant. Other risks are wound-healing problems, injury to the mandibular nerve with numbness, opening of the maxillary sinus, and loosening or fracture of components. Smoking, untreated periodontitis, poorly controlled diabetes, radiotherapy in the head and neck area and certain bone-acting medicines increase the risk.
Care and costs
Implants require careful oral hygiene with interdental brushes and regular professional check-ups. German statutory health insurers pay a fixed subsidy for the prosthesis based on the diagnosis; the implant itself is only covered in narrowly defined exceptional cases. A written treatment and cost plan provides clarity before treatment begins.
Related terms in the encyclopaedia
Dental implant, Peri-implantitis, Osseointegration, Bone grafting, Immediate implantation, All-on-4 concept, Guided bone regeneration, Cone beam CT
Sources
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Implantologie (DGI) und Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde (DGZMK): S3-Leitlinien zur Implantologie, u. a. zu periimplantären Infektionen
- Kassenzahnärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KZBV): Patienteninformation Festzuschüsse beim Zahnersatz
- Bundeszahnärztekammer (BZÄK): Patienteninformation Implantate
Note: This article is for general information and does not replace advice, diagnosis or treatment from a doctor, dentist or pharmacist. Last updated: October 2026.