Step 4. Final impressions

To make your final teeth, the lab needs a very precise copy of your teeth and implant. This step is done by your regular dentist.

What happens

The healing abutment is taken off for a few minutes. In its place goes a small measuring post: an impression coping for a traditional mold, or a scan body for a 3D scan. A mold is taken with high-precision silicone material, or the area is scanned. The part is then removed and the healing abutment goes back on.

Other records may be taken too, such as your tooth shade, photographs of the area and, for front teeth, a photo of your full smile.

At the lab

Over the next 3 to 4 weeks, the lab turns the mold or scan into a model and makes your final restoration. That is usually one of two things:

• An abutment and a separate crown. The abutment is a connector, held to the implant by a screw and shaped like a tooth prepared for a crown. The crown is made to fit precisely over it.
• A screw-retained crown. The crown is joined to the abutment at the lab and the whole piece is screwed in, leaving a small access hole on top. The benefits are no leftover cement under the gum, and the crown can be removed later if it ever needs attention.

The finished pieces go to your dentist for the delivery of your final teeth.