Prosthetically formulated natural aesthetics in implant prostheses

The discrepancy in the anatomic dimensions between an endosteal root-form dental implant and the root of a natural tooth can compromise the aesthetic appearance of the final restoration. For the past five years the authors have used an abutment system, the components of which are designed to enable the clinician to achieve a predictable aesthetic result. This article describes and illustrates the anatomic abutment system (AAS). Until recently, the restoration usually began at the gingival line where a cylindrical implant emerged to be restored with a noncylindrical prosthesis. The new system uses components which compensate for the difference between the diameter of the natural tooth root and the endosteal implant. The importance of teamwork is emphasized, and a step-by-step procedure is presented, indicating which steps are performed by the combined team and which are the responsibility of the laboratory or the restorative dentist. The learning objective of this article is to introduce this system to the reader.