Dental Implant Abutment: All You Need to Know
Dental restoration procedures can give patients a second chance to regain their vivacious smiles. If you are missing one or more teeth, our Jordan and Pham Dentistry dentist may recommend dental implants as a viable option. Dental implants have a system consisting of three parts that aren’t placed in your mouth simultaneously. And together, the parts will deliver you a permanent solution that looks and performs like a natural tooth.
Dental Implants
A dental implant is an artificial tooth. It consists of three parts: a metal post, an abutment, and a fake crown. The metal frame is surgically fixed into the jawbone below the gums to act as the root. And the abutment connects the implant and the crown. The crown is that part of the implant that looks like your natural tooth. Crowns are fitted after the gums around the abutment have fully healed. The crown is custom-made to ensure it fits together with the rest of your natural teeth.
Understanding The Abutment
Abutments are used as a connector between the tooth and the implant. They are mas of titanium or other materials such as zirconia, gold, or stainless steel. If you are getting dental implants near you, your dentist will advise you on what material, procedure, and whether or not you will have an abutment. Abutments are placed either at the same time as the implant or during the second surgery that follows the implant placement.
The design of your abutment will depend on whether you have a bridge, denture, or crown. For crowns, the abutment is like a stumpy screw. The abutment may also be connected via an internal hexagon in the implant post or an external hexagon connector on top of the implant post.
Healing Abutment
Are you getting dental implants in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA? The dentist may use a healing cap to facilitate gum tissue regeneration. Healing abutments are placed over the implant and have larger width to make space for the crown. They are used to eliminate the need for multiple surgeries. Without a healing cap, the dentist would have to reopen your gums after the implant has fused with your jawbone for the crown to be fitted. When you’ve had a healing abutment, all that will be done is reshaping the gum area around the crown to ensure it’s a natural fit.
Placement of Abutments
There are two options when it comes to successfully fixing a dental implant into the jawbone. The gum tissue may be sued to cover up the abutments, and it usually takes about six months to heal. Your dentists in Central Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, will then make a small incision on your gums to expose it and make way for the crown to be fitted.
The second option is attaching a healing abutment. A healing cuff will be attached to the external part of the implant. The healing abutment is much wider than the implant screw, providing enough room for the crown while the gums around it heal. The healing cap is preferred since it eliminates the need for having a second surgery.
After the metal screw has fully fused into your jawbone, the healing abutment is removed, and the crown is fitted on the implant. Your gums may require reshaping since the space created by the healing cap doesn’t always match the size of your crown.
It will take four to six weeks for the gums around the abutment to heal. During this tie, follow your dentist’s instructions.
Aftercare Tips When You Should Call Your Dentist
Following your dentist’s instructions on appropriate diet and oral hygiene will ensure a smooth healing process. Luckily these aftercare tips are quite similar to the general oral care routine recommended for natural teeth.
Brush your teeth twice daily and have a proficient brushing technique. As part of your hygiene, include water flossers to clean in between your teeth. The dentist will also recommend suitable mouth rinses or other measures between your checkups to keep your oral health in shape.
Contact your dentist immediately if you are bleeding uncontrollably and have a fever of over 100.4˚F. Other signs you should call your dentist include a cracked prosthesis, uneven bite, a loose abutment, or facial pain that cannot be relieved using prescribed painkillers.