Abutment Health Dictionary

n. (in dentistry) a fixed replacement for missing teeth. The artificial tooth is attached to one or more natural teeth, usually by a crown. Bridges may also be fitted on dental *implants. The supporting teeth (or implants) are referred to as abutments, and the artificial teeth that fit over them are referred to as retainers. The replacements of missing teeth are known as pontics. Adhesive bridges are attached to one or more adjacent teeth by a metal plate that adheres to the enamel on the tooth surface prepared by the *acid-etch technique; these bridges require minimal tooth preparation compared with conventional types of bridges.

brief resolved unexplained episode (BRUE) a sudden, brief (less than 30 to 60 seconds), and resolved episode in an infant that includes one or more of the following: decreased or irregular breathing; change in muscle tone; pallor or cyanosis or altered responsiveness. The episode is frightening for the person caring for the infant. BRUE is a description rather than a diagnosis and the term is used only when there is no explanation for the event after a thorough history and examination.... bridge

n. 1. a drug (such as a subcutaneous hormone implant), a prosthesis (such as an artificial hip, an intraocular lens implant (see cataract), a *breast implant, a *cochlear implant, or an artificial heart implant: see ventricular assist device), or a radioactive source (such as radium needles) that is put into the body. 2. (in dentistry) a rigid structure that is embedded in bone or under its periosteum to provide support for replacement teeth on a *denture, *crown, or *bridge. Recent types (osseointegrated implants) consist of a number of special titanium alloy inserts (fixtures), placed in the jawbone, onto which abutments are fitted after the bone has healed and fused with the fixture. Later an artificial-tooth superstructure is bolted onto the abutments. Osseointegrated implants are also used to retain facial *prostheses. See also osseointegration.... implant