The application of individualized abutment-crown integrated provisional restoration in optimizing the peri-implant soft tissue contour in the esthetic zone.

OBJECTIVE

This article introduced a modified method to fabricate an individualized abutment-crown integrated provisional restoration for single-tooth implant restoration in the esthetic zone, which created a satisfactory peri-implant soft tissue architecture.

CLINICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Three months after the implant placement, the individualized abutment-crown integrated provisional restoration was designed and fabricated in the laboratory, by referring to the profile of natural contra-lateral tooth digitally, and seated on the implant afterwards. The peri-implant soft tissue architecture was evaluated and the Pink Esthetic Score (PES) was recorded. The provisional restoration stayed on the implant for 3 months until the individualized definitive ceramic abutment and crown were fixed on the implant.

CONCLUSIONS

This protocol provided an alternative solution for shaping the peri-implant soft tissue morphology in the esthetic zone by using an individualized abutment-crown integrated provisional restoration and showed promising effect on the esthetics of anterior single-tooth implant restoration.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The individualized abutment-crown integrated provisional restoration whose emergence profile mirroring that of the natural contra-lateral tooth, was designed with the help of computer-aided design-manufacture (CAD/CAM). It may help shaping the peri-implant soft tissue in the esthetic zone with merits of saving amount of hand labor of technicians as well as clinicians, and reducing the visits of patients.