Dental Abutment – What Are They?

Dental Abutments - What Are They?

Dental Abutments

If you haven’t come across this English technical term from dentistry, dental Abutment, then you probably don’t have any implants in your jaw. Implants are artificial tooth roots that have been inserted into the jawbone and grow there.

 

Fixed dentures can be attached to them, but they can also serve as anchors for prostheses. The desire for natural-looking, safe dentures while at the same time meeting the highest aesthetic standards, is the reason why many patients opt for the technically demanding, time-consuming and costly treatment.

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If an artificial tooth root is inserted in the jawbone in order to later wear dentures, various work steps are required. The connection piece between the replacement root in the bone and the denture is the abutment.

 

A dental implant consists of three parts:

 

  • The implant body, 
  • The abutment
  • The implant crown, the actual denture. 

What is an Abutment?

Abutment is an English word that translates to “pillar”. In the context of dentistry, abutment is the connecting element between the implant body, which is firmly attached to the jawbone, and the denture, which is fixed on top of the implant. This can be a single crown, a bridge or a removable prosthesis that is securely held on several dental implants.


Implant abutments can be angled or straight in shape and are screwed onto the implant body. The abutment is made from the same materials as the replacement tooth root: Titanium or tooth-colored zirconium ceramic.

What Materials are Abutments Made Out Of?

Titanium or, for some years now, Zirconium Ceramic is used to manufacture the connecting elements. Most implant screws are also made of Titanium. It does not cause allergies and combines perfectly with human bone. Compared to zirconium ceramic, it grows faster in the jawbone (Titanium takes about six to twelve weeks, ceramic up to 24 weeks). 

What Are One-Piece Implants?

With one-piece implants, the implant body and the abutment form an inseparable unit. These ready-made implants have a smaller diameter and the advantage of not having a gap in between (less risk of bacterial contamination and infection). 

 

On the other hand, they offer significantly less flexibility in the optimal alignment of the dentures, since the implant structure cannot be individually taken care of. Two-part implants are the most commonly used system, despite the greater effort involved. Replacing the abutment in the event of breakage or damage is only possible with two-piece implants

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Temporary Dentures During Healing

To ensure that the chewing function and aesthetics of the teeth are not impaired during the weeks or months of the healing phase, patients receive a temporary denture from their treating dentist for this transitional period.

What are Instant Implants?

Under certain conditions, a dental implant that has been placed can also be provided with a temporary solution immediately. Especially in the area of the front teeth, if a tooth has been lost after a blow or an accident, the aesthetics can be restored quickly.

 

In this case, the implant is placed in the fresh wound immediately after the extraction of the tooth, but at the latest after 48 hours. The special thread structure of these implants creates a high level of primary stability in the bone. The healing time can thus be dispensed with, and the patient can often leave the practice after just one visit with a complete set of teeth. 

 

Due to the immediate reloading of the jawbone by the artificial tooth root, the bone cannot regress either. The conditions for this are a sufficiently large amount of bone substance in the jaw and an inflammation-free mouth.

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