Implant Bridges and Crowns

Implant bridges and crowns are fixed restorations on dental implants, designed in our lab by CAD/CAM from an intraoral scan with scan bodies. The material follows the site: high-strength zirconia (up to 1,300 MPa) for molars and long spans, multilayer zirconia or lithium disilicate for the esthetic zone. For cases missing one or more teeth that need a fixed, durable replacement restoring natural shape, function and esthetics.

What the lab does in an implant crown or bridge case

You place the implant and capture the data; we design and fabricate everything above the implant. That covers single crowns and multi-unit bridges on implants, with these options:

• Stock abutment from the implant manufacturer with a cemented or screw-retained crown.
• Custom CAD/CAM titanium abutment, see zirconia crown on a titanium abutment.
• Restorations bonded to a Ti-base: a zirconia crown or abutment bonded extraorally to a titanium base, see full zirconia bonded on a Ti-base and our article on hybrid abutment crowns.
• Full-arch work on a bar, see full zirconia on a bar.

For guided placement we also design and print surgical guides from CBCT and intraoral scans.

Choosing the design: screw-retained or cemented, and which abutment

Our practical order of preference is to keep the restoration screw-retained whenever possible, and to switch to cementation only when the margin can sit at or above the gingiva, to avoid residual cement below the tissue. When the implant axis is off, an angled abutment or an angled screw channel usually keeps the case screw-retained. The quick guide we use when reading a prescription:

• Posterior, good axis, thick tissue, enough interarch space: stock titanium abutment, screw-retained restoration.
• Anterior, thick tissue, good axis: custom titanium abutment.
• Anterior, thin tissue: zirconia abutment on a titanium base, so the grey of titanium does not show through the gingiva.
• Limited interarch space: custom abutment to keep as much height as possible.
• Multi-unit bridge on non-parallel implants: consider a hybrid restoration or a bar.

The full reasoning, with references, is in custom vs stock implant abutments.

Material by site

• Molars and long spans: high-strength zirconia such as DD Bio.
• Esthetic zone: multilayer zirconia such as IPS e.max ZirCAD Prime, or lithium disilicate (IPS e.max Press, e.max CAD) for single crowns on hybrid abutments, within the manufacturer’s indications.
• Patients who grind: prefer monolithic zirconia and note it on the prescription so we can adjust the occlusal contacts.

Minimum strength and thickness for each group are in our dental ceramic materials comparison.

What to send us

• An intraoral scan with scan bodies (STL, PLY or DCM), the opposing arch and a bite scan. For conventional work: an implant-level impression with analogs, the opposing model and a bite registration.
• The implant system, line and connection diameter, stated exactly rather than estimated.
• A photo of the emergence profile right after removing the healing abutment; for the esthetic zone, a scan of the provisional that shaped the tissue.
• The depth of the implant shoulder relative to the facial gingival margin, and tissue thickness if measured.
• The preferred design (screw-retained or cemented), shade and shade photos, and a note on bruxism.

How to export files from each scanner is covered in intraoral scanner compatibility.

Our process and turnaround

1. We check the files in the next working shift: scan body position, bite, completeness. If something is missing or faulty, you receive annotated screenshots before production starts.
2. We design the abutment and restoration in exocad. For esthetic cases you can approve design screenshots before milling.
3. Milling, sintering and shade finishing; extraoral bonding to the Ti-base for hybrid restorations.
4. A final quality check (fit, contacts, shade) before dispatch.

Implant crowns and bridges take 3 working days in the lab for 1–3 units and up to 4.5 days for more than 12 units, from file approval; full-arch cases are scheduled individually. Shipping comes on top; see turnaround and shipping. Every restoration is covered by our general warranty (6 months to 15 years depending on the material).

Cases from our lab

• Implant tooth 11 with a custom hybrid abutment and a Lava A2 zirconia crown
• Full-arch zirconia overlay on a CAD/CAM titanium iBar
• Full-mouth rehabilitation combining veneers, onlays, crowns and implants

To discuss a specific case, contact our team or start through the ordering process.

Written for dentists and technicians. Khai Nguyen Dental Lab manufactures to clinical prescription only and does not sell directly to patients.