A dental implant is really a very simple metal screw which is designed to thread into the bone of the jaw and to allow for the attachment of a (prosthetic) tooth at the top. Implants are made of Medical grade Titanium or Titanium Alloy. Your dentist will purchase the implants in sterile packaging and place them in a small hole in the bone which he or she has prepared as part of the implant placement procedure. The bone will fuse to the implant over a short period of time in a process referred to as 'osseointegration' and once this process is successfully completed (3 to 4 months) the implant is permanently in place.