Single implant tooth replacement.

It has been shown that direct bone anchorage of dental implants will provide long-term predictability for single tooth implants and multi-unit implants. The function of implant-supported restoration is now routinely achieved. The real challenge facing the restorative dentist and laboratory technician is to achieve optimal aesthetics. The learning objective of this article is to review the prosthodontic procedures essential to maximizing natural aesthetics in implant supported restorations. It will provide a review of master impression techniques, prepable titanium abutments and designing the cement on restoration. Particular emphasis is directed to the soft tissue model from which a series of sequenced techniques can be followed to achieve optimal aesthetics. Analysis of the implant alignment with regard to the neighboring teeth will result in having to make a choice of which prepable abutment will maximize the aesthetic result. The following case outlines how to replace a single missing tooth using an externally hexed implant system and a prefabricated titanium abutment on a 26-year-old male patient.