---
title: "What Is Healing abutment? Dental Glossary | Town Center Dental"
description: "A healing abutment is a short cap screwed onto a dental implant while the gum heals, which shapes the gum so the final tooth fits well."
url: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/healing-abutment
publisher: Town Center Dental
phone: +1-636-273-5866
quote: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment
---

Implants

# Healing abutment

A healing abutment is a short cap screwed onto a dental implant while the gum heals, which shapes the gum so the final tooth fits well.

After an implant is placed, the gum must heal and form a cuff around the post. A healing abutment sits on the implant and pokes through the gum during this time. It keeps the gum from closing over the implant and gives the gum a shape that fits the final tooth. A review in the NIH library says customized healing abutments are used along with implant surgery to preserve or create natural-appearing hard and soft tissue around the implant. Later the dentist removes it and attaches the final [abutment](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/implant-abutment) and [implant crown](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/implant-crown). Keep the area clean and follow your dentist's care steps. See [dental implant](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-implant) and our [dental implant](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/dental-implant) page.

[Town Center Dental can helpDental Implants](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/dental-implant)

## Related terms

-   [Implant abutment](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/implant-abutment)
-   [Implant crown](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/implant-crown)
-   [Dental implant](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-implant)
-   [Osseointegration](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/osseointegration)
-   [Immediate implant](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/immediate-implant)

## Sources

1.  [NIH PubMed Central: Biomaterials and Clinical Applications of Customized Healing Abutment-A Narrative Review](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9781385/)

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