Influence of Implant–Abutment Connection Biomechanics on Biological Response: A Literature Review on Interfaces between Implants and Abutments of Titanium and Zirconia

Abstract

The interface between a dental implant and an abutment is stabilized by two mechanical characteristics: a preload of an abutment screw and the friction between the contact surfaces of the implant and the abutment. These mechanical properties are quantitatively analyzed by using physical and mechanical formulas. The important thing is that such mechanical properties cause various biological phenomena when medical devices are inserted into human bodies. Some mechanical complications in dental implant prostheses are closely associated with biological complications. This literature review explores the mechanical complications of the implant–abutment connection and their biological effects in a titanium dental implant system, which is the system most widely used in dental clinics. Understanding the biomechanics of the implant–abutment connection helps to predict the merits and limits of zirconia dental implants, which have been recently introduced and clinically applied.

Keywords

• dental abutments
• dental implant–abutment connection
• dental implants
• zirconium oxide