Background and Aim: Abutment selection is an important decision to make in the dental implant treatments. The prohibitive cost and unavailability of original abutments have driven many practitioners to opt for choosing compatible abutments alternatively. However, the use of non-original and low-quality abutments may lead to a myriad of complications for the patients. The current research was conducted with the aim of comparing original and non-original abutments in dental implant treatments.
Materials and Methods: A total of 46 review articles were selected and evaluated from articles published between 2001 and 2022. The search was performed in various electronic databases including PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. The search utilized keywords such as “abutment,” “original abutment,” “non-original abutment,” “main abutment,” “non-main abutment,” and “compatible abutment.” Data were meticulously collected on several parameters, including fit accuracy, microleakage, bacterial leakage, micromotion, rotational misalignment, screw loosening, fracture resistance, fatigue resistance, tensile strength, marginal accuracy, and other mechanical outcomes.
Results: The results showed that, the original abutments had more appropriate accuracy, more micro-movement, and fatigue resistance compared to non-original abutments, and they were more durable. In addition, original abutments provided a lower percentage of torque reduction and lower values for screw loosening than non-original examples. The mean micro-gap at the implant-abutment interface, bacterial leakage, and rotational misalignment were higher in non-original abutments. The findings showed that the incidence of mechanical failure was lower for original abutments and its marginal accuracy was higher.
Conclusion: Although non-original abutments may visually resemble original ones, significant differences exist in their physical and mechanical properties. These discrepancies can be identified through advanced testing methods.