Cell Adhesion to Acrylic Custom Provisional Abutment Placed on an Immediate Implant: A Case Report

This article presents the results of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of the surface of an acrylic custom provisional abutment following first disconnection from a post-extraction immediate implant placement. An implant was placed immediately after extraction, the site was grafted, and a barrier membrane was adapted for graft containment. A custom acrylic shell was then relined, polished, and steam-cleaned prior to being screwed onto the implant. After 5 months of undisturbed healing, the custom provisional abutment was disconnected for the first time and processed for SEM examination. The surface of the custom acrylic abutment revealed well-spread fibroblast-like cells with filopodia inserting into the porous surface. These observations suggest that the surface topography of the acrylic provisional restoration/ abutment can function as a substratum for cellular adhesion and may serve an important role in supporting peri-implant mucosa at the time of immediate implant placement.