A digital intraoral implant scan technique using a combined healing abutment and scan body system

Multiple clinical appointments are generally needed after implant placement for the delivery of definitive implant-supported crowns. Digital and conventional workflows are accompanied by the frequent connection and disconnection of prosthetic components such as healing abutments, interim crowns, impression posts, and definitive abutments before the placement of definitive crowns. Repetitive removal of these components may result in trauma on the component-peri-implant soft tissue interface. This report describes a technique for the fabrication of an implant-supported crown by using a combined healing and scan body abutment in a digital workflow. This technique reduces the number of appointments and allows the formation of a soft tissue emergence profile similar to that of the definitive crown, which can help minimize patient discomfort during placement of an implant crown.