Measurement of gap between abutment and fixture in dental conical connection implants. A focused ion beam SEM observation

Background The aim of the authors was to examine the abutment-fixture interface in Morse-type conical implants in order to verify gaps at this level using a new microscopical approach. Material and Methods In this in vitro study, 20 abutment-fixture complexes were prepared by sectioning (longitudinal and cross-sectional to the long axis) with a microtome and then with a focused ion beam (FIB). This is a micrometric machine tool that uses gallium ions to abrade circumscribed areas to dig deeper into the cuts obtained with the microtome in order to eliminate cut-induced artifacts. This is because the FIB abrasion is practically free from artifacts, which are normally generated by the action o…