Abutment
Pronunciation: ah-BUT-ment
In fixed prosthodontics and implantology, the tooth or implant component that provides support and retention for a prosthesis.
Full Definition
An abutment is a structural support element in dental prosthetics. In conventional bridge work, it refers to the natural tooth (or tooth root) to which a retainer crown is cemented and from which the prosthesis is suspended. In implant dentistry, the term denotes the prefabricated or custom component that connects the implant fixture to the overlying crown or prosthesis. Editors must take care to distinguish between the natural-tooth abutment, the implant abutment, and the abutment tooth in removable prosthodontics, as these are related but contextually distinct uses. The term is also used in orthodontics but with a different meaning.
Usage
Usage note: Context determines meaning: 'abutment tooth' in conventional bridgework versus 'implant abutment' in implant prosthodontics. Editors should query ambiguous uses where both types of abutment appear in the same manuscript.
In Context
- "The zirconia abutment was torqued to 35 Ncm prior to seating the all-ceramic crown." — Clinical protocol, implant prosthetics article
- "The manuscript used 'abutment' to describe both the implant component and the natural tooth; the editor queried which was intended in the third case." — Copy-editing query, oral rehabilitation journal