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Should Healing Abutments and Cover Screws for Dental Implants Be Reused?

Now online in the Journal of Prosthodontics, Drs. Avinash S. Bidra, Swati Kejriwal, and Kruttika Bhuse systematically review the current scientific evidence to assess if healing abutments and cover screws for dental implants can be re-sterilized effectively for reuse. A secondary purpose was to investigate if there has been any reported adverse biological or mechanical consequences to implants, or harm to patients with the reuse of healing abutments or cover screws.

The electronic search resulted in limited evidence suggesting that routine methods used for cleaning and sterilization of used titanium healing abutments may not result in complete removal of contaminants. However, the biological or mechanical implication of this finding is yet to be determined, as there are no reports in the literature related to any unfavorable consequences to dental implants, or harm to patients by reuse of healing abutments or cover screws.

Nevertheless, indiscriminate reuse of healing abutments should be avoided, until further supporting evidence is established.

Bidra A, Kejriwal S, Bhuse K: Should Healing Abutments and Cover Screws for Dental Implants be Reused? A Systematic Review. J Prosthodont doi: 10.1111/jopr.13106

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