Restorative responsibilities for achieving exceptional implant esthetics

The restoration of a dental implant in the esthetic zone requires many steps for a predictable result. There are four different scenarios that the restorative dentist is presented with: immediate placement with immediate load; immediate placement with delayed load; delayed placement with immediate load; and delayed placement with delayed load. Each scenario requires different restorative responsibilities to achieve an esthetic outcome. The ability of the restorative dentist to manipulate the soft tissue to achieve an esthetic tooth replacement and communicate this accurately to the dental laboratory is paramount. Toward this end, the fabrication of a screw-retained provisional, custom transfer coping, and custom healing abutment are discussed.