The use of CAD/CAM technology to fabricate a custom ceramic implant abutment: a clinical report

Well-placed dental implants are a prerequisite of functional and esthetically successful dental implant-supported crowns. The presence of soft tissue is essential for excellent esthetics because the dental implant or titanium abutment may become visible if the soft-tissue contour is not acceptable. This clinical report describes the use of a custom ceramic implant abutment designed with computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology by milling a zirconia framework that was cemented extraorally to a prefabricated titanium abutment with a reduced diameter. This ceramic abutment has the strength and precise fit of a titanium interface and also the esthetic advantages of shaded custom-milled zirconia, with no visible metal.