Custom-Milled Dental Implant Abutments

Dental implants offer one of the most successful and predictable restorative options for patients missing one or more teeth. The relative ease of placement of dental implants coupled with advances in implant design have made this process largely routine.

However, due to the fact that implants require certain volumes of bone in order to integrate in the mouth, implant placement often presents challenges for the restorative dentist. Traditionally, angled or two-piece stock abutments were employed to allow the prosthodontist or restorative dentist to correct for less than ideal implant placement. These stock abutments often presented limitations because of the sizes and shapes available to the restorative dentist.

With the advent of custom-milled patient specific abutments that are computer designed and milled, prosthodontists and restorative dentists can offer patients unsurpassed accuracy and precision when restoring dental implants. Custom-milled abutments can compensate for offset or angled implant placement while maintaining an anatomical shape This process combines state-of-the-art 3D optical scanning, advanced computer software, and precise manufacturing methods to deliver patient-specific abutments needing minimal or no modification. Each abutment is unique to each patient and is designed to simulate the natural tooth shape it replaces. Custom abutments are fabricated to mimic the crown preparation of a natural tooth while following the existing gum and soft tissue contours.

CAD/CAM custom-milled implant abutments are available for a wide range of implant systems. These unique abutments can be made of titanium, titanium anodized to a gold color, or zirconia, a tooth-colored ceramic material that gives a more aesthetically pleasing result when restoring anterior teeth.

At SAN DIEGO PROSTHODONTICS, Drs. Harold Gulbransen and Scott Recksiedler maintain a fully-equipped dental laboratory where he is able to offer the latest advances in implant restorations. Our two full-time dental laboratory technicians provide on-site support when restoring dental implants.