Dental Implant Restorations

A dental implant restoration replaces a missing tooth using an artificial root — a titanium or ceramic implant placed in the jawbone — that supports a prosthetic crown, bridge, or denture. The restoration is the visible prosthesis built on the implant, distinct from the implant fixture itself, and depends on osseointegration of the fixture for support.

Definition

A dental implant restoration is the prosthetic component — a single crown, fixed bridge, or removable overdenture — supported by one or more osseointegrated implants that function as artificial tooth roots, retained on the implant by a screw or by cementation.

Scope

This topic covers the prosthetic restoration of dental implants: how the prosthesis is anchored, the difference between the implant fixture and the restoration it carries, how restorations are retained (screw versus cement), and the survival and complication patterns reported over long follow-up. It is a reference-educational overview and does not cover surgical placement technique or individual treatment planning.

Core questions

• How does an implant-supported restoration differ from a tooth-supported crown or bridge?
• What is osseointegration and why is it the basis of implant support?
• How are implant restorations retained, and how do screw- and cement-retention compare?
• What survival and complication rates are reported for implants over long follow-up?

Key concepts

• Osseointegration
• Implant fixture versus prosthetic restoration
• Abutment (implant connection)
• Screw-retained versus cement-retained restoration
• Single crown, fixed prosthesis, and implant overdenture
• Survival versus success criteria
• Peri-implant biological and technical complications

Mechanisms

An implant restoration carries occlusal load into the bone through an osseointegrated fixture rather than through a natural tooth and periodontal ligament. A prosthetic abutment connects the restoration to the fixture, and the restoration is held either by a retaining screw or by luting cement (Manso & Carvalho, 2017). Because there is no periodontal ligament, load is transmitted rigidly, and outcomes are described in terms of fixture survival, biological events around the implant, and technical events such as screw loosening, screw or framework fracture, and veneer chipping (Moraschini et al., 2015; Goodacre et al., 2003).

Clinical relevance

Implant-supported restorations are a major option for replacing missing teeth, and long-term reviews describe how their evidence is reported — distinguishing survival (the implant remains in place) from success (defined biological and functional criteria), and tabulating technical and peri-implant complications (Moraschini et al., 2015; Goodacre et al., 2003). This entry explains how implant-restoration outcomes are summarised and is not guidance for an individual case.

Epidemiology

A systematic review of longitudinal studies with at least ten years of follow-up reports high cumulative implant survival, while noting that reported success rates — which apply stricter biological and functional criteria — are lower and more variable than survival, and that complication reporting is heterogeneous across studies (Moraschini et al., 2015).

Evidence & guidelines

The principal long-term evidence is a systematic review of implant survival and success in studies followed for at least ten years (Moraschini et al., 2015), complemented by structured synthesis of prosthetic complications affecting implant and tooth-supported restorations (Goodacre et al., 2003).

Debates

Survival versus success as the reported outcome

Implant studies report 'survival' (the fixture is still present) and 'success' (meeting stricter biological and functional criteria) inconsistently; because success criteria vary between studies, pooled figures must be read with attention to which outcome is being measured.

Screw-retained versus cement-retained restorations

Retention method affects retrievability and the risk of residual cement-related peri-implant problems versus screw-loosening; reviews of luting and retention discuss the trade-offs without establishing one approach as universally preferable.

Seminal works

• moraschini-2015

Frequently asked questions

Is the implant the same as the crown on top of it?

No. The implant is the artificial root placed in the bone; the restoration is the crown, bridge, or denture built on top of it. This topic concerns the prosthetic restoration supported by the implant.

What does osseointegration mean?

Osseointegration is the direct structural bonding of living bone to the implant surface, which provides the stable anchorage that lets the implant carry a prosthetic restoration.