When You Torque the Implant Abutment Screw

Have you ever been concerned that when you torque the implant abutment screw at the time of final abutment placement, the implant itself may rotate and separate the implant from the bone? To prevent the rotational forces from being transmitted to the implant, try the following technique. Have your assistant hold the abutment with a hemostat while you torque the screw to the manufacturer's recommended tightness for that particular implant and screw. By holding the abutment with a hemostat, the force used during tightening is applied to the screw, not to the abutment or implant. This should mitigate any damage occurring to the integration that has occurred between the implant and bone.