The constantly emerging technologies that are  growing so fast in the dental implant field have truly revolutionized dental implant care. From placing dental implants using CBCT scan technology to the advent of custom abutments has truly become predictable. Being able to see the bone under the gums before any treatment is performed, truly assists in eliminating surprises and allows for better long term results. This is all possible with CBCT scans, such as the NewTom, which we have in our office. It eliminates the guesswork and unknowns of what we are working with under the gums in three dimensions.
Custom Abutment on left photo, stock abutment on the right
  The next truly wonderful and highly under utilized component of implant dentistry is the  custom abutment (see photo). Abutments are the piece that is screwed into the implant that allows for the crown to be placed on the implant. When stock abutments or “standard” abutments are used they are designed in the shape of a circle. Natural teeth are not round or in circle.  This is a problem that compromises the esthetics of the crown, often causes food impaction around the implant, and can even make it difficult to clean causing gum problems (periodontal). The above photo shows some Atlantis Custom Abutments for a fixed bridge. The optimal way to obtain the best results is to place a provisional restoration that is ideally shaped. This optimizes the gum tissues as well as provides healthy and naturally shaped gum tissue for the long term crown. This termed soft tissue sculpting. In overview, correct planning combined with custom abutments and soft tissue shaping allows for the best cosmetic dentistry and functional dental implant results. If you have any questions regarding Houston Dental Implants or Houston Cosmetic Denstistry,  please feel free to contact our office, Ronald W. Konig DDS, FAGD, LVIF 713-668-2289. Â
