Healing Abutment vs Cover Screw: What is the Difference?
Posted on 5/8/2023 by Brandon Cooley
When dentists mount a dental implant within the jawbone, they place a cover screw or a healing cap, also referred to as a healing abutment. In a case where a cover screw is put in, a patient must wait until the osseointegration process is over to have the cover screw removed and a healing abutment placed. At the time of placing the crown, the healing cap is taken out to give way for the implant crown to come over the dental implant fixture.
What's a Healing Abutment?
You can think of an abutment as a small connecting piece mounted over the implant. It is placed between the post and the crown. It serves the pulp of aiding the soft and hard tissue to heal around the implant.
Ideally, it gives the gum tissue the shape and tight fit that is needed as it grows around the implant. As such, healing abutment prevents food parts from being trapped or stuck around the implant. A healing cap sticks out through the gums.
The healing abutment remains there for about 2 weeks when the crown is being fabricated. It will be replaced with the final abutment. Nonetheless, if a dentist placed the healing cap at the time of implant surgery, then it stays for roughly 4 to 6 months until the final abutment is placed.
What is Cover Screw?
When we talk about a cover screw, it is a piece of screw that goes into the hole of the implant post. It is fastened deep underneath the gums where it remains buried by the gum tissue. As such, it does not stick out as the healing abutment does.
Basically, a cover screw is pretty thin and covers the hole of the dental implant post. This way, it prevents bone or gum tissue from growing inside the hole. The cover screw is later on removed after the projected wait time, and a healing cap is placed to prepare the implant for crown placement.
Give us a call to request an appointment to see if you are fit to receive dental implants.
When dentists mount a dental implant within the jawbone, they place a cover screw or a healing cap, also referred to as a healing abutment. In a case where a cover screw is put in, a patient must wait until the osseointegration process is over to have the cover screw removed and a healing abutment placed. At the time of placing the crown, the healing cap is taken out to give way for the implant crown to come over the dental implant fixture.