A technique is described where an interim abutment and crown are fabricated in the laboratory by utilizing computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology and placed the day of dental implant surgery. The design and contours of the interim crown are designed by the computer software to be identical to the contours of the tentatively designed definitive prosthesis. The interim crown satisfies esthetics immediately after dental implant surgery while allowing the tissue to heal and obtain contours similar to the contours of the definitive prosthesis. The interim crown can be either cement retained or screw retained. The presented technique describes fabrication of a screw-retentive interim crown. After osseointegration is confirmed, a definitive impression is made with a CAD/CAM impression coping. The definitive prosthesis is then fabricated.
Investigational Clinical Trial of a Prototype Optoelectronic Computer-Aided Navigation Device for Dental Implant Surgery
