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What a dental implant actually does at Dr. Raffi General & Implant Dentistry

A missing tooth reaches beyond your smile: chewing changes, speech can shift, and over time neighboring teeth start drifting to fill the space. Among the ways to replace a tooth permanently, dental implants remain the most durable and the most natural-looking. Seeing the process laid out tends to demystify what is, underneath the surgery, an elegantly simple idea.

Here's the mechanism, step by step. A small titanium post takes the place of the missing tooth's root inside the jawbone. Over the following months, the surrounding bone fuses directly to that post, a process called osseointegration, and once fusion is complete, a custom-made crown attaches on top to deliver full chewing strength and a tooth that looks and feels like your own.

What happens below the gumline matters just as much. Because an implant stimulates the jawbone the same way a natural root does, it heads off the bone loss that usually follows an extraction, which is why implant patients tend to keep their facial structure intact longer than those relying on a bridge or denture alone.

Every implant case at Dr. Raffi General & Implant Dentistry starts with 3D imaging so placement is planned before we ever pick up an instrument. Replacing a single tooth, several teeth, or a full arch all start with the same conversation about your options.

Want the full story on Single Tooth Implants?

Our complete treatment guide covers what to expect, the procedure step by step, recovery, costs, and answers to the questions patients ask most.

Read the Single Tooth Implants guide
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Visit Dr. Raffi General & Implant Dentistry

Chicago Office

6215 W Touhy Ave

Chicago, IL 60646

(773) 792-1043

Mon9:30am – 4pm
Tue9:30am – 5:30pm
Wed9am – 5pm
Thu9am – 11am
Fri10am – 1:30pm
Sat – SunClosed
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Bourbonnais Office

876 N Convent St

Bourbonnais, IL 60914

(815) 933-4121

Mon9:30am – 4pm
Tue9:30am – 6pm
Wed9am – 5pm
Thu9am – 1pm
Fri9am – 1pm
Sat – SunClosed
Get Directions