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Open tray impressions
Closed tray impressions
Express Abutment
Fitting implant retained prostheses
Managing the occlusion
Glossary of terms
Glossary of Terms
Abutment
This is the component that connects the implant to the crown, bridge or denture. There are many different types of abutment. An example is the Express abutment by Neoss. Unfortunately other implant components also get the name "abutment" which is confusing. For example you may hear "healing abutment" or "transfer abutment"
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| A Neoss Express abutment being fitted onto an implant |
Abutment level impression
An impression of an abutment in place on an implant. You can use closed tray or open tray techniques for this.
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| A closed tray abutment level impression |
Abutment replica
This is what your technician uses in his models to represent the implant with connected abutment in the patients mouth. They will need these if you have taken an abutment level impression.
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| A Neoss Express abutment replica |
Abutment screw
The screw that secures an abutment onto an implant. These are pretty well always tightened to 32Ncm using the torque wrench.
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| Abutment screw |
Closed tray technique
An impression technique using a conventional closed tray. In other words without a window.
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| Closed tray technique |
Custom abutment
An abutment which is custom made for an implant. Typically they are made by waxing onto a plastic pattern which is later cast to form a custom abutment. They will be more costly than a standard abutment.
First stage surgery
Surgical placement of an implant into bone
Fixture
This just means a dental implant. Why on Earth did we start calling them fixtures?
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| A Neoss Tapered implant |
Fixture head impression
See implant level impression
Healing abutment
Not an abutment at all because it doesn't connect an implant to a prosthesis. However we are stuck with the name. In the Frialit system these components are named "gingival formers" which is much more descriptive of what they do. A healing abutment is the component which is screwed into the implant at the second stage of surgery to form the gingival cuff.
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| A Neoss healing abutment |
An impression of an implant in place without an attached abutment. You can use closed tray or open tray techniques for this. Just to confuse matters these are often referred to as "fixture head impressions"
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| An implant level open tray impression |
Implant replica
This is what your technician uses in his models to represent the implant in the patients mouth. They will need these if you have taken an implant level impression. You will also hear them called implant analogues.
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| A Neoss implant replica |
Impression coping
This is the transfer device which records the position of an implant or abutment in an impression. They are available for both open tray and closed tray techniques and for both implant level and abutment level impressions. Unfortunately you will also hear these referred to as transfer abutments, transfer copings, impression posts, etc, etc.
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| A Neoss implant level, open tray impression coping |
Ncm (Newton centimetres)
The Newton centimetre is a unit of torque. In the context of dental implants it is a measure of how tight your screws are. The tightness of implant screws is set with the torque wrench
Open tray technique
An impression technique which uses a tray with a window cut into it. You then have access to unscrew the open tray impression copings so that they are removed with the impression
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| Open tray technique |
Platform
The platform refers to the width of the top of the implant to which prosthetic components can be fixed. Nobel Biocare Replace implants have four colour coded platforms available. They are:
NP - narrow platform 3.5 mm - magenta
RP - regular platform 4.3 mm - yellow
WP - wide platform 5.0 mm - blue
6.0 - extra wide platform 6.0 mm - green
In the Nobel Biocare system, the prosthetic components must match the platform of the implant.
In the Neoss sytem, all implant body widths have the same width of restorative platform of 4.1mm. This makes it easy to choose the correct components because they are the same for all implants. The exception to this is the rarely used 3.25mm width of impant which has it's own, specific, impression components.
Second stage surgery
At second stage surgery an implant is exposed to the oral cavity. To do this a small flap is raised or a tissue punch can be used. A healing abutment is then connected which pokes through the surface of the mucosa. The mucosa heals around the healing abutment forming a gingival cuff.
Standard abutment
An abutment which is ready made for use on an implant. These can be used if the implant is in a favourable position. In other circumstances a customised abutment can be used.
A selection of standard abutments from the Neoss system. These can be prepared in the mouth or laboratory to refine the shape.
Torque wrench
The device which is used to screw down implant screws to the correct tightness. They are sometimes called ratchets.
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| A torque wrench being used to place a Neoss abutment |