angulated abutment
An abutment machined at a specific off-axis angle (e.g., 15°, 25°, 30°) to compensate for a non-ideal implant trajectory and achieve optimal prosthetic emergence.
Full Definition
An angulated abutment (also called an angled abutment) is used when an implant has been placed in a non-ideal axial orientation relative to the planned prosthetic axis. Available in various angles — commonly 10°, 15°, 17°, 25°, and 30° — these components redirect the prosthetic axis to achieve acceptable aesthetics and occlusal load distribution. Editors should hyphenate 'angulated' or 'angled' before 'abutment' when used attributively and ensure that the angle value is consistently represented (numeral + degree symbol, no space: e.g., '17°'). The term is distinct from 'custom abutment', which refers to the manufacturing method rather than the angulation.
Usage
Usage note: Express angle values with a numeral and degree symbol with no space (e.g., '17°', not '17 degrees'). Distinguish from 'custom abutment', which describes a CAD/CAM-fabricated component, and from 'multi-unit abutment', which supports multi-unit prosthetic bars.
In Context
- "A 17° angulated abutment was selected to redirect the screw-access channel from the incisal edge to the cingulum of the upper central incisor crown." — Prosthetic case report
- "The degree symbol was omitted after all angle values in the abutment descriptions; the editor added '°' throughout the specifications table." — Copyediting note