Intraoral digital impressions to enhance implant esthetics

Providing an accurate soft-tissue transfer for anterior implants is not a new concept; however, it is currently an especially relevant one. There are numerous documented cases in which residual excess cement with cement-retained implant restorations was a contributing cause in periimplantitis. In 2012, Wadhwani et al reported the importance of placing the crown abutment margins supragingivally for ease of cement removal as a possible solution to address this important issue. Therefore, if placement of the crown abutment margin location is imperative, making an impression that reproduces the soft tissue is equally critical. In 1997, this author introduced the "custom impression coping" to achieve such an accurate transfer. Given the wide use of intraoral digital impressions in 2014, this discussion describes how to fabricate a "custom scan body" using that technology to replicate the transition zone in the virtual environment.