FAQ
What is the difference between a screw retained and cement retained crown?
A straight answer first, then the context behind it, from the technicians who do the work.
THE SHORT ANSWER
A screw-retained implant crown attaches directly to the abutment via a fixation screw through an access hole in the occlusal or lingual surface, allowing retrieval without destruction. A cement-retained crown bonds over a separate abutment with dental cement, mimicking conventional crown prep but making retrieval difficult. Screw-retained designs are now preferred in most implant protocols because retrievability reduces long-term remake costs and eliminates subgingival cement risk.
THE CONTEXT
What sits behind it
Cement-retained crowns dominated implant restorations through the 1990s and early 2000s because they allowed conventional preparation workflows and hid the implant platform beneath the gingival margin. The clinical problem: excess cement expressing subgingivally is a documented cause of peri-implantitis. A 2012 study by Wilson published in the Journal of Periodontology found residual subgingival cement in 81 percent of cases with cement-retained implant crowns that later showed signs of peri-implant disease.
Screw-retained designs eliminate the cement variable entirely. The crown either integrates the abutment as a single piece (often called a titanium-base or Ti-base restoration) or seats over a prefabricated abutment and is secured with a central screw. Access holes are sealed with PTFE tape and composite. For anteriors where the access hole would land mid-fossa or lingual, esthetics are rarely compromised. The retrieval advantage is significant: a screw-retained crown can be removed in minutes if the implant needs reassessment, the restoration needs adjustment, or the patient transitions providers.
For prosthodontists and general dentists placing volume implant cases, screw-retained Ti-base crowns milled in zirconia or layered with feldspathic porcelain represent the current standard. Dani Dental fabricates Ti-base restorations compatible with major implant systems including Nobel Biocare, Straumann, and Zimmer Biomet, with a standard turnaround of 5 business days from verified scan receipt.
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