ABOI/ID key terms

Direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of a load-bearing implant without intervening soft tissue. It is assessed clinically by absence of mobility and radiographically by maintained bone-to-implant contact.

Mechanical grip of an implant in bone immediately after placement, derived from friction and bone compression. It determines whether an implant can be loaded early and is influenced by bone density, drill protocol, and implant geometry.

Stability that develops after placement through new bone formation and remodeling at the implant surface. It increases as primary mechanical stability declines, and the two together define the stability dip.

Rotational force in newton-centimeters required to seat an implant. Values around 30 to 50 Ncm are commonly used as a threshold supporting immediate or early loading decisions, though no single value guarantees success.

A dimensionless reading, typically 1 to 100, obtained by resonance frequency analysis of an implant's response to vibration. Higher values suggest greater stability, and serial readings help track changes over healing.

Preparing an osteotomy with a final drill narrower than the implant, increasing bone compression and torque. It is used to raise primary stability in soft bone but risks overheating and fracture if overdone.

Radiographic reduction in marginal bone height around an implant, measured from the implant shoulder or first thread. Early remodeling of roughly 1 to 2 mm is common; progressive loss suggests peri-implant disease or biomechanical overload.

Reversible inflammation confined to the soft tissues around an implant, with bleeding on probing and no progressive bone loss. It is treated by debridement and improved plaque control, and it may progress if untreated.

Inflammatory condition of peri-implant tissues characterized by bleeding on probing and progressive loss of supporting bone beyond expected remodeling. Management includes nonsurgical debridement, surgical access, and sometimes implant removal.

Soft tissue seal comprising junctional epithelium and connective tissue attachment that forms around an implant or abutment. Its dimensions influence where the restorative margin should sit relative to bone.

Use of an abutment narrower than the implant platform, shifting the implant-abutment junction medially. It is associated with less crestal bone remodeling and better preservation of marginal bone.

Grouping of jaw bone quality by trabecular and cortical character, commonly using the Lekholm and Zarb or Misch scales. It guides drill sequence, implant choice, and healing time expectations.

Three-dimensional radiographic imaging used to assess bone volume, ridge shape, and proximity to vital structures such as the inferior alveolar nerve and maxillary sinus. It supports surgical planning and guide fabrication.

Clinical and radiographic assessment of the width, height, and contour of an edentulous ridge. It determines whether implant placement is feasible and whether simultaneous or staged grafting is needed.

A stent, often fabricated from planning software, that transfers planned implant position, angulation, and depth to the surgical site. It may be tooth-supported, mucosa-supported, or bone-supported.

Implant surgery performed through a small punch or tissue-level incision without raising a mucoperiosteal flap. It reduces morbidity but limits visibility and is best suited to adequate bone volume confirmed by imaging.

Technique using a barrier membrane, with or without particulate graft, to exclude soft tissue and allow bone to fill a defect. It is used for ridge augmentation and for defects around implants.

Procedure that lifts the maxillary sinus membrane to create bone height for implants in the posterior maxilla. It may be done through a lateral window or a crestal approach, with or without grafting.

Insertion of an implant into a fresh extraction socket at the time of tooth removal. It can reduce treatment time but requires acceptable socket walls, absence of acute infection, and stable primary fixation.

Placement of a functioning restoration on an implant within roughly one week of surgery, so the implant bears occlusal load during early healing. It demands high primary stability and careful occlusal control.

Interface where the abutment meets the implant platform. Its design and fit affect microgap size, bacterial leakage, and stress transfer to crestal bone.

Component that connects the implant to the prosthesis, providing retention and support. Abutments may be stock, custom, or multi-unit, and their selection depends on angulation, tissue depth, and restoration type.

Abutment designed to support splinted prostheses, often with a conical connection and screw retention. It simplifies retrieval and is commonly used in full-arch fixed restorations.

Condition in which a framework seats on its abutments without induced strain. Poor fit concentrates stress, risking screw loosening, fracture, and bone loss, and is checked clinically and in the laboratory.

Loss of preload in the screw retaining an implant restoration, allowing the prosthesis to loosen. Causes include inadequate torque, misfit, parafunction, and settling of interfaces.

Tensile force stored in a tightened screw that clamps components together. It depends on applied torque, thread friction, and material, and it must exceed functional separating forces to prevent loosening.

Implant prosthesis fixed with dental cement rather than a screw. It offers esthetic and angulation flexibility but carries risk of retained cement and peri-implant inflammation if excess is not removed.

Implant prosthesis secured with a screw through the implant or abutment. It is retrievable and avoids cement, though it requires access-hole management and favorable implant angulation.

Contour of the restoration and soft tissue as they exit the gingival or peri-implant margin. It influences esthetics, cleansability, and soft tissue health, and may be shaped with provisional restorations.

Temporary prosthesis used during healing or before final fabrication. It can guide soft tissue form, provide function and esthetics, and test occlusal and phonetic outcomes.

Forces on an implant exceeding its or the bone's adaptive capacity, often from parafunction, cantilevers, or premature contacts. It may contribute to bone loss, screw loosening, or component fracture.

Arrangement of contacts and guidance designed for an implant-supported prosthesis. Mutually protected or group function patterns are chosen to direct forces along the implant axis and reduce lateral stress.

Extension of a prosthesis beyond its most distal support. Longer cantilevers magnify force and bending moments on implants and are generally limited, especially in the posterior maxilla.

Bleeding elicited when a periodontal probe is gently passed along the peri-implant sulcus. It is a key sign of inflammation and, with increasing probing depth, raises suspicion of peri-implant disease.

Distance from the mucosal margin to the base of the peri-implant sulcus or pocket. Serial measurements detect attachment loss, and a trend of increasing depth is more informative than a single reading.

Structured long-term maintenance including reassessment of probing depths, bleeding, occlusion, and radiographs at intervals tailored to risk. It aims to prevent disease onset and detect recurrence early.

Systematic evaluation of patient factors such as smoking, diabetes, periodontitis history, bone quantity, and parafunction before treatment. It informs prognosis, treatment planning, and recall frequency.

Breakage of the implant body, most often from fatigue under overload, misfit, or narrow-diameter implants in posterior sites. It usually requires removal and replacement.