Custom Abutment: Here’s What You Need To Know
The dental implant procedure has become one of the most reliable and popular restoration techniques for people who have lost teeth. Its convenience, longevity, and recent design advancements have made it a go-to option with impressive results.
Nevertheless, because dental implants require a certain amount of bone mass for successful placement in the mouth, restorative dentists may sometimes encounter difficulty inserting them, and two-piece or angled abutments are needed to compensate for unconventional implant positioning.
By utilizing computer-generated custom abutments, dentists can now provide their patients with greater accuracy and precision when it comes to the dental implant. These customized solutions can adjust even offset or tilted implants without compromising the anatomical shape.
What is the difference between stock and custom abutments?
If you’re confused about types of abutments, you’re not alone! Patients often ask us questions like “what is an abutment anyway?” “How does the crown fit into it all?” “What kind of abutment and crown will be placed?”
There’s a lot to consider, and it’s important to know that not all crowns and abutments are created equal. Let’s talk through some basics:
Stock Abutments
Stock abutments are pre-made and produced in standard sizes to ensure easy deployment for patients needing bone-level and tissue-level implants. Using pre-made abutments can reduce the cost and time required for getting dental implants. Stock implants can be either angled or straight.
Stock implants may be multi-use but are not suggested for front teeth, as the gum tissue surrounding them might not fit the shape of the abutment. Stock abutments are better suited for back teeth.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to accurately decide the ultimate margin position of the crown because these two elements are dependent on one another: elevation of the abutment and depth of the implant. The consequence of this lack of precision can be severe for patients, potentially leading to implant failure due to peri-implantitis – a condition that stimulates soft tissue inflammation and bone deterioration post osseointegration.
Custom Abutment
What is a custom abutment? A dental lab crafts custom-made abutments to fit the tissue crests of each individual, and because they can be designed in either gold, titanium, or zirconium, they create a more precise match for your teeth. This is particularly useful if you lose a front tooth as custom abutments offer greater aesthetic appeal than other options. Even with gum recession present, these precisely tailored fixtures will perfectly replicate your unique dentition.
To ensure a perfect fit for your custom abutment, the dentist will take an impression or digital scan of your mouth and send it off to the lab. This data not only accounts for contour and shape but also ensures that it matches the eruption profile of your teeth exactly.
Benefits of a Custom Abutment
- Natural emergence profile
- Customize crown margin depth
- Improved hygiene and aesthetics
- Allows for better alignment with angled implants
By leveraging advanced 3D optical scanning, computer software and precise manufacturing techniques, we can create patient-specific abutments requiring minimal (if any) modifications. These custom abutments will precisely conform to the structure of the original tooth being replaced for a uniquely tailored fit exclusive to each patient.
Developed to work with the crown of a natural tooth, a custom implant abutment is designed to fit around existing gum and soft tissue contours. These pieces can be crafted from zirconia, titanium or even anodized in gold hue.
While stock abutments may be cheaper and quicker, they often fail to meet the patient’s expectations. Custom abutments are most often recommended for dental implant restorations in aesthetic areas. Talk to your dentist about whether a custom dental implant abutment is right for you.