Intermediate Abutment-Healing Cap System Ensures Accurate Single Implant Scans, suggests study

Researchers have found in a new study that the intermediate abutment-healing cap system appears suitable for single implant intraoral scans, providing clinically acceptable levels of scanning accuracy. The study evaluated multiple intraoral scanners and found that all devices achieved acceptable trueness when used with the intermediate abutment-healing cap system. Among the scanners tested, the Dexis IS 3800 demonstrated higher precision, indicating more consistent reproducibility. These findings suggest that the intermediate abutment-healing cap system can facilitate accurate digital impressions and may improve workflow efficiency in clinical implant dentistry. While promising, the authors recommend further validation through in vivo studies to ensure consistent performance under real clinical conditions, including the presence of saliva, soft tissue dynamics, and patient movement.

The study employed an in vitro experimental design in which single implant models were scanned using various intraoral scanning devices with the intermediate abutment-healing cap system in place. Trueness and precision were assessed against a reference model to determine the accuracy of the scans. Results indicated that the presence of the healing cap did not compromise scanning quality and in fact supported standardized positioning for the scan body. These results have implications for improving digital workflows in implant prosthodontics by reducing potential errors and enhancing the reproducibility of digital impressions across different scanners.