Use of temporary abutment to assess implant osseointegration before final impression: A case report

In implant dentistry, a temporary abutment, either plastic or metal, also called an implant cylinder, is used to construct a provisional restoration. This provisional restoration can be cemented on or integrated with a temporary abutment for a screw-retained prosthesis. It can be further used as a diagnostic tool to evaluate esthetics and promote tissue healing around implants. After achieving osseointegration of the implant with the adjacent bone and a proper soft tissue profile, both the temporary abutment and the prosthesis can be replaced with permanent ones. In the present case report, a simple technique using a temporary abutment was utilized for the assessment of implant osseointegration before making the final impression. In this study, we discuss the advantages of this method over other methods. It is impossible to verify the stability of the implant at all stages of implant placement; however, the clinical procedure explained in the case report is easy to apply and provides good results.