First, the damaged tooth will be removed, and your jawbone will be prepared for surgery- some patients may need bone grafting if their jaw is not thick enough to support an implant. The surgeon will create a very small hole in the jawbone to allow for the implant screw, after which the dental implant itself will be placed deep into the bone. Although there will still be a gap where your real tooth was, some patients opt to have a temporary crown placed on top. Others may choose to wait about 6 months for the jawbone to grow into the implant before having a realistic-looking artificial tooth attached.