Not so long ago, a novelty appeared in dentistry - an abutment. This article will help you find out what it is.
An abutment is a link that connects a dental implant and a denture.
A few months and six months after this operation, respectively, on the lower and upper jaws, using a probe, the locations of the intraosseous parts of the implants located under the mucous membrane are determined. Specialists above them excise the mucous membrane, unscrewing the plug and screwing in the gum shaper. After a few weeks, this design is replaced by a supporting abutment (titanium head), which protrudes into the oral cavity. The abutment is installed only after reliable and final engraftment of the implant.
Working principle
The implant abutment is screwed in, but this procedure is not as quick and painless as it seems. This is because after the implant installation procedure, it takes at least 3 months to heal.
There is also a root abutment. What it is, they can explain at a consultation with a doctor. This is an implant that is capable of performing the same purpose as the tooth root, and for this it must beits similar location: the root implant needs to be surrounded by bone tissue, and at the same time it should not protrude from under the gum. The crown part of the tooth at the same time should be above the gum. Just for its installation, the presence of a “transitional link”, namely an abutment, will be required.
Features & Benefits
- The raised abutment is 2.5mm high.
- The design is self-localizing.
- It is possible to compensate for teeth misalignment up to 40°.
- Abutment placement is acceptable for patients with removable dentures.
- Simplified insertion of the prosthesis, which reduces the number of repeated consultations and surgical interventions.
- Can also be used in clinical situations where there is a problem with implant angulations (the distance is incorrect).
Pain level
During a visit to the dental office, most often there is an irresistible desire to return home as soon as possible. Anxiety may arise after evaluating subsequent manipulations. To protect yourself, you need to prepare in advance, in particular, read about the abutment, what it is, find out, since this procedure is very long and serious, all kinds of awkward movements of the patient are undesirable during it.
Dentistry has provided for all this, as well as the most basic - the suffering of the patient. To prevent them, there is anesthesia, which allows you to make the specialist's manipulations absolutely painful. There is also pain afterinstallation, but this is a completely natural phenomenon. After all, the integrity of the body was carried out surgical intervention, and therefore, the processes of restoration and healing must take place. Pay attention to pain and discomfort only after a week of rehabilitation.
Types of abutments
There are many types of abutments, but the most common are Healing Abutment, Uni-abutment, Ball Abutment and Angled Abutment.
Healing abutments are used during soft tissue healing to ensure that the length of a conventional abutment is correct.
Standard (ordinary) abutment has six length options, which is measured by the size of the cylindrical vertical part of the implant, and two options for the angles of the upper cones (45 and 20°).
Angled abutments provide an angle of inclination from the longitudinal axes of attachment. It is equal to 30°. There are only two length options. Upper cone - with an angle of 20°, as with a standard abutment. The abutment is a single component without a separate central screw. Installation is greatly simplified to ensure that the element is in the correct position, as well as preventing micro-leakage of cement slurry from the oral to the subgingival area.
Custom abutment or standard?
From the name itself, you can understand that the first type of abutment is made individually and only in a single copy. It is characterized by a strict, necessary form for a particular case. An individual zirconium construction is made strictly according to a certain shape, which in most cases the central incisor should also have. As a result, the gum is better supported. There is no space deep under the gum for "streaks" of cement.
Most often, standard abutments are titanium, they are installed in the oral cavity. The titanium abutment has the shape of a "cylinder", while the shape of a real tooth is not repeated, nor is the correct shape of the gums maintained. In addition, during the process of fixing the crown to such an abutment, particles of cement can penetrate into the gap between the gum and it.
Abutments are attached in this way:
- Screw method: the crown is screwed onto the abutment. This method of fastening is very convenient where it is possible to remove the structure for restoration.
- Cementing: the prosthesis is fixed on the abutment with the help of special cementing solutions. The convenience of this type of fixation is that the aesthetic qualities and comfort during operation of the structure are increased.
Benefit of custom abutment
Its most important advantage is complete individuality and anatomy. This is not only an important aesthetic component, it also helps to prevent cement from getting under the gum during fixation to the crown abutment. This is a very important quality, since the formation of even an imperceptible film of cement between the gum and the standard abutment after a while can cause peri-implantitis (bone loss around the implant).
It's happeningdue to the fact that such an ordinary abutment is narrower than the crown itself, so that the fixation of the latter with cement occurs in such a way that it is literally pressed between the abutment and the gum. This situation is aggravated by the fact that in the process of masking the abutment, the doctor places a ledge below the gum level in order to deeply enter the edge of the crown and completely cover the metal support. This can lead to the inevitable entry of cement into areas from which it will no longer be possible to get it. Inflammation in such a situation does not occur immediately.
Post-operative care and complications
Special postoperative care required after successful abutment placement. What is special care?
This period is the main component of rehabilitation. Often it is a little painful, but only at first. A thorough cleaning with a soft toothbrush will be possible a few days after the operation. A personal dentist can explain the methods of care, about the abutment, what it is, recommend additional oral hygiene products.
You need to see a doctor if:
- The gum that surrounds the structure is still swollen and painful after a week.
- Fluid leaks from the gum pockets around the abutments.
- Pain persists or there is tenderness around any of the implants.
About prices
In the market of dental prosthetics, the pricing policy is quite diverse. Average costabutment is from 30 euros and above. Such a price depends on the materials of execution and the level of their quality, since the device has been in an aggressive environment for many months. The abutment must not harm the wearer in any way. Therefore, the price is appropriate. Dentistry today conscientiously approaches the production of this design, so there is no reason to worry.
