Dental implants are small screws designed to replace the root of a tooth and restore the physical appearance and the chewing function of patients with partial or full tooth loss. Dental implants are intended for use in either the upper and/or the lower jaw to support prosthetic devices, such as artificial teeth. By integrating with the jaw, they enable restorations that range from replacement of one single tooth to an entire arch of bridgework, or as stabilizing elements for over-denture applications. Most dental implants are manufactured from titanium, which is both biocompatible ( suitable to bond with human tissue) and strong.

Dental implants should not be used in patients that have inadequate amounts of bone to permit placement of implants in sufficient size and numbers to support their biomechanical loads (the restorative tooth/teeth to be placed on the implant). Mechanical failures, including fatigue fracture of implants, prosthetic screws, and/or abutment screws, may occur if dental implants are insufficient in size or number to support their biomechanical loads(the restorative tooth/teeth to be placed on the implant), or are not properly positioned.

To reduce the risk of overload or fatigue failure, dentists must place the implants and design prosthetics to accommodate the physical or medical conditions of their patients, such as bruxism (i.e., grinding or clenching of teeth), tooth or gum disease or unfavourable jaw relationships amongst many other considerations, which if not addressed adequately, will result in the failure of long-term treatment.