The Role of the Abutment in Dental Implants

This small but important aspect of dental implants is often underplayed.

We have written a great deal about dental implants over the last year or two. These articles have focussed largely upon the process and the titanium implant upon which a crown is attached once the procedure has been completed.

One part of the dental implant process that is sometimes rarely mentioned though is the abutment. You may have heard your dentist mention these and wondered what they are. Well, hopefully, this article will help explain it.

The Implant

As we know, a dental implant is, technically speaking, the actual piece which is fitted into the bone in the jaw to provide a firm basis upon which the replacement tooth can be placed. However, the crown, which is what is usually used to complete the process, is not placed on the implant itself but on a small piece of equipment which is attached to the titanium implant. This piece is called the abutment.

A dental implant, if left to fully heal, actually sits just below the level of the gum and would be sealed over by it over time. If the implant itself were left at this stage alone, whilst there obviously would not be a replacement tooth, it would still have the positive effect of providing the bone something to fuse with and would prevent the bone loss which can change the shape of a patient’s face.

This, however, is not the reason that perhaps 99.9% of the patients at this Derby dental practice choose to have dental implants placed by Darren Bywater. Whether for cosmetic or functional reasons, dental implant patients want to see a fully restored set of teeth and this, of course, involves replacing the tooth itself.

The Abutment

Because the implant is placed below the gum line, it is not possible to place a crown directly onto it and, even if this were the case, its strength may well be compromised.

This is where the abutment comes into its own. The abutment can be made from a number of materials but usually from titanium, surgical stainless steel or, increasingly, from a white ceramic material known as Zirconia. It is a cylindrical piece of metal or ceramic which is attached to the dental implant itself and is used as a base onto which a dental crown can be added.

Indeed, once fitted, it can be thought of playing a similar role to a tooth that has been prepared to accept a dental crown.

The crown can then be attached to the abutment with dental cement leaving a strong replacement tooth in place. As with natural teeth, care should be taken to keep the implant, abutment and crown in good health through regular cleaning. This will lessen the risk of gum disease which could even threaten the implant if left to advance too far.

With regular check ups and following advice from the dentists at the Derby Dental Implant Centre, there is no reason why you should not enjoy the benefits that an implant brings for a minimum of twenty five years, and often very many more.

For more information about the benefits of dental implants or the procedure involved, please call us on 01332 550933.

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