When fitting dental implants, your gums will be numbed with local anesthetic, so you shouldn’t feel any pain during surgery. Your dentist will make an incision in the gum and will then drill into the bone. The implant fixture will be inserted into this space in the bone, replacing the roots of your missing teeth. After the implant has been inserted, it will need some time to heal. During this period (which can be several months in some cases), your bone grows around the implant to hold it firmly in place – this is called ”osseointegration.” If you need several implants, your dentist may give you temporary partials to wear after surgery while you heal, so that you don’t have to go without teeth. Once your mouth has healed, your new artificial teeth can be fitted onto the titanium posts. If you’re getting just one implant, your dentist will customize a new tooth for you called a ‘crown’, designed to blend in with the rest of your teeth.