Dental implants can be used for many different things. In this case a patient had a missing bicuspid tooth. The image on the left is the xray after we placed the implant.  It takes a few months for the implant to heal before we can put a tooth or crown (as seen in the image on the right) on the implant.  There are many factors that can determine if a patient is a good candidate. Patients who smoke, grind their teeth, have gum disease, poor oral hygiene can be good candidates but it takes a lot of planning and some lifestyle changes to make sure the case will be successful.   Implants can be a great alternative to dentures and even bridges.  (Images of actual implant patient of Peter Mani DDS. Used with consent and permission of patient.)