dentistry Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions o ...

, an abutment is a connecting element. This is used in the context of a fixed bridge (the "abutment teeth" referring to the teeth supporting the bridge), partial removable dentures (the "abutment teeth" referring to the teeth supporting the partial) and in implants (used to attach a crown, bridge, or removable denture to the dental implant fixture). The implant fixture is the screw-like component that is osseointegrated.

Bridge abutments

Dental bridge A bridge is a fixed dental restoration (a fixed dental prosthesis) used to replace one or more missing teeth by joining an artificial tooth definitively to adjacent teeth or dental implants. Definitions Fixed bridge: A dental prosthesis that ...

abutments are made such that the path of insertion of the teeth involved is nearly parallel with each other.

Partial denture abutments

Partial denture abutments are unique in that they may incorporate elements such as rest seats, guide planes, and recontouring.

Implant abutments

These are usually called prosthetic implant abutments and are responsible for making the connection between the prosthesis and the implant. These abutments can be made from a variety of materials, such as

titanium Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resistant to corrosion in ...

, surgical stainless steel,

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

and

zirconia Zirconium dioxide (), sometimes known as zirconia (not to be confused with zircon), is a white crystalline oxide of zirconium. Its most naturally occurring form, with a monoclinic crystalline structure, is the mineral baddeleyite. A dopant sta ...

. The adjacent images show how a ceramic abutment can enhance a ceramic crown by giving it a more lifelike appearance. Ceramic abutments have to be used with care, however, since their compressive strength is nowhere near that of titanium, gold or other noble metals. Most clinicians feel more comfortable using a metal prosthetic abutment in the posterior molar areas, due to the increased masticatory forces present in these areas. An abutment is not necessarily parallel to the long axis of the implant. It is utilized when the implant is at a different inclination in relation to the proposed prosthesis. Most crowns and fixed partial dentures have a cemented or screw-retained fixation on the abutment.

Three piece implant

In a three piece implant the abutment is fixed on the implant with a screw butt joint. This screw needs to be tightened to a predetermined

torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). It represents the capability of a force to produce change in the rotational motion of th ...

with a

dental torque wrench A dental torque wrench or restorative torque wrench is a torque wrench used to precisely apply a specific torque to a fastener bolt for fixation of an abutment, dentures or prosthetics on a dental implant. Manual mechanical torque wrench Toggle ...

, in order to avoid screw loosening during chewing, which can often create a counter-clockwise torque on the implant-abutment interface, encouraging the abutment screw to come loose. This can largely be prevented with proper screw design and torquing of the abutment.

Two piece implant

In a two piece implant the abutment is morse tapered or cold welded on the implant. Microbial leakage and colonization between the implant and the abutments can result in inflammatory reactions and crestal bone loss.

Morse taper Morse may refer to: People * Morse (surname) * Morse Goodman (1917-1993), Anglican Bishop of Calgary, Canada * Morse Robb (1902–1992), Canadian inventor and entrepreneur Geography Antarctica * Cape Morse, Wilkes Land * Mount Morse, Chur ...

conical abutments showed a cumulative implant survival rate of 98.23% in terms of seal performance, microgap formation, torque maintenance, and abutment stability.

One piece implant

A one piece implant (OPI) incorporates the trans-mucosal abutment as an integral part of the implant. This type of implant is often used with a flapless procedure and immediate loading (the crown is placed in a short time after placing the implant).

References

{{reflist

External links

Dental Implant Options
Dentistry