Successful aesthetic implant therapy has several sequential goals such as prosthetically
driven 3D implant placement. Implant placement must be done in the ideal position to
support the restoration and the surrounding soft and hard tissues. The placement of a
definitive restoration should also be in harmony with the adjacent natural teeth and
surrounding soft tissue.
Guided implant surgery can provide precise, predictable, and safe implant placement.
Computer-generated surgical guides vary in design according to the dental condition
(edentulous or partially edentulous), type of support (tooth, mucosa, or bone), and the
degree of limitation (non-limiting, partially-limiting, or completely limiting).
The use of healing abutments has the function which enables adequate healing of
peri-implant soft tissue and promoting a good profile of peri-implant mucosa that allows
an adequate emergence profile of the prostheses supported by the implant. They are
available in different lengths and project through the soft tissue into the oral cavity.
Janakievski stated that prefabricated healing abutments are unable to support the
supracrestal soft tissues because of their circular profile. Therefore, a custom healing
abutment is preferred because it provides a replica of the definitive restoration of the
patient's gingival architecture.
An evaluation of the use of customized healing abutments has been performed aiming to
assess possible advantages associated with this treatment modality. This procedure allows
to maintain the peri-implant tissue and improve aesthetics until crown delivery. CAD/CAM
enables the fabrication of high-quality implant abutments from solid blocks of different
materials.
The contours of the healing abutment are based on the contours of a provisionally
designed definitive prosthesis. The healing abutment promotes tissue healing and obtains
contours that are well-matched with the contours of the definitive prosthesis.
Currently healing abutments made of polymers such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) which
have been used in orthopedic surgery, are used in dentistry, because of aesthetic &
biological reasons maintaining the health of peri-implant soft tissues during healing.
Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) healing abutments can be chosen instead of titanium healing
abutments because of their superior properties such as biocompatibility, inert chemical
properties, white color, and decreased liability for biofilm accumulation.
Research Question "May PEEK healing abutment have a favorable effect on peri-implant soft
tissue that may be related to the superior biological properties of PEEK regarding both
decreased biofilm accumulation& healing stimulation?"