Ball attachments
Abutments with ball attachment
In this section you can buy ball-supported abutments for removable dentures, o-rings, elastic caps, and covers that are glued to the removable structure and rest on the ball head. Removable prostheses supported on a ball abutment are considered conditionally removable. The patient does not have to, and is not encouraged to, remove the denture on his or her own. This is a definite step forward compared to plate dentures, which last for several hours.
Advantages and disadvantages of the technology for installing dental implants on ball abutments
Dental ball abutments with o-ring seals for dentures are sometimes also referred to as push-button denture supports. This is due to the fact that the denture fits with a characteristic click. Dental implant spherical abutments and removable denture technology based on them are popular because of their relatively low price.
Structurally, the platform for a removable ball-supported denture consists of:
- An abutment whose lower part has a standard interface compatible with most root canal implants. Our ball-supported abutments can be purchased with standard hex and 22° and 24° taper interface options.
- A compression ring for the ball abutment.
- Retainer cap, which is glued to the denture.
- Elastic silicone cap, which fits over the ball abutment and separates it from the cap. The elastic insert compensates for misalignments and relieves stresses that are transmitted from the denture to the abutment. The silicone sleeves and compression rings are consumables that must be replaced periodically. The degree of wear is determined by the dentist during periodic examinations.
The system of removable dentures on ball abutments is still quite common, since the price of this type of restoration is noticeably cheaper compared to similar work on a multi-unit platform, although applied in similar conditions when performing a full denture restoration in an all-on-four or all-on-six system.
In addition to the price, ball abutments and the entire removable denture platform based on them have the following advantages:
- Compared to cement-retained restorations, it is much easier to perform hygiene procedures and soft tissue examinations under the denture. Not all patients use an irrigator or pay sufficient attention to oral hygiene. Even if the dentist has explained that the denture is not a living tooth and gave recommendations for specific care. Poor care can lead to the accumulation of food debris under the denture, and over time this inevitably leads to inflammation of the soft tissue. The dentist’s job is to remove the build-up and perform treatment procedures. With removable dentures, this is very easy to do.
- The denture itself is easy to clean and maintain. All procedures can be performed outside the patient’s mouth.
- Dental ball abutments allow compensation for inaccuracies in the passive (parallel) fit by means of elastic inserts between the abutment ball and the retainer cap that is glued to the denture.
- Compared to a plate denture, the patient’s quality of life is improved. The prosthesis does not need to be removed and inserted every day. It holds up well and distributes the load evenly over the entire prosthesis. Whereas with a plate denture, solid food can cause discomfort when chewing. After all, local pressure deforms the plate and transmits the load to the soft tissues.
- The load from chewing is transferred through the implants in the jaw. A so-called bone training takes place – this allows the bone tissue to be maintained in sufficient quantity and condition. Whereas with a plate denture, the gingiva inevitably falls off. This happens because the height of the alveolar ridge is reduced and the bone is transformed into a more spongy and friable bone. The bone type deteriorates from D2 to D3 or even D4. After a couple of years of plate prosthesis use, there may be nothing left to put dental implants in and complex and costly bone augmentation surgery with a high risk of complications will be required.
- No special tools are required for the placement of ball abutments. It is installed by hand, and can be removed with standard tools that are usually available in the dental office. It is true that there is a special key for installation of ball abutments with a hex head of 2.4 mm, but it is designed for screwing the abutment into the dental implant, not for installation and removal of the denture itself. You will only need it once.
However, there are also disadvantages:
- The patient does not always come for regular check-ups, which causes the denture to loosen, the elastic caps to fail, and a new restoration has to be fabricated. Sometimes even necessary to replace dental abutments, or rather the abutment itself with a ball bearing; the root implant remains unharmed. This procedure is not very complicated, but it is time-consuming and quite expensive from the patient’s point of view. At the same time, if you perform a multi-unit screw-retained restoration, there are no such problems. The probability of unscrewing the abutment is minimal. The patient can walk away for five years and after that time, when examined, there is a high probability that no problems will be detected. Unfortunately, the removable denture restoration platform does not provide this longevity without regular maintenance.
- The initial stability of a ball-supported denture is lower compared to cemented or screw-supported restorations. This is not critical for regular maintenance and replacement of the elastic inserts, but in the long-term it leads to wear and tear of both the denture and the ball attachments.
- The patient’s quality of life is still lower compared to fixed dental restorations. The fit of the ball-retained denture is still not as rigid and precise, and it can be uncomfortable when biting and chewing hard foods, especially fresh vegetables such as carrots.
- The disadvantages of the ball and socket attachment system are particularly pronounced when compared to the multi-unit screw attachment. We have created a table for illustrative purposes, see below.
| Comparison parameter | Dental implants
ball abutments |
Multi-Unit |
| Durability | Medium, the prosthesis itself and the seats wear out faster | Very High |
| Stability and passive fit of the restoration | Average, and as the elastic insert wears away, the stability decreases. The uneven load is transferred through the abutment into the implants, which is not good. | Very high and does not change over time, the risk of loosening or unscrewing the abutment is less than in any other prosthetic platform. Thanks to modern digital CAD/CAM modeling systems, the accuracy of fabrication of the prosthesis is high and it sits on the abutments without the slightest misalignment or internal overstressing. |
| Necessity and frequency of maintenance in the dentist’s office | High; check-ups and replacement of elastic inserts must be performed every few months. | Medium, mostly preventive check-ups that do not take much time and do not affect the patient’s pocket |
| Cement surgeries in the patient’s mouth | No, all surgeries with adhesive solutions occur outside the patient’s oral cavity | No, all surgeries with adhesive solutions occur outside the patient’s oral cavity |
| Aesthetic appearance. | A good prosthesis imitates not only teeth, but also the color and texture of soft tissues. | Excellent – the denture does not differ from natural teeth and is well integrated with the patient’s gums |
| Price | Medium, but the patient will pay more in the long run, given that the denture will last less than a fixed denture no matter how well cared for. | High, but disposable. In most cases, preventive care and maintenance does not require a large investment on the part of the patient |
In addition, the screw-retained dental restoration platform performs much better with partial tooth loss when 3 – 4 teeth are missing in a row.
Which ball abutments can be purchased at UNIQUA DENTAL?
We have ball attachments compatible with most popular dental implants, see the compatibility chart below.
| Connection hexagon socket | Connection cone 22° |
| Zimmer | Hiossen /Osstem |
| MIS | Nobel Biocare |
| Alpha Bio | Magagen Any Ridge |
| Cortex | Megagen Any One |
| Adin |
Also note that we make all prosthetic components including dental abutments spherical implants from titanium-vanadium-aluminum alloy Grade 23. While many competitors make dental implant spherical abutments from commercially available Grade 4 titanium. This material, although strong enough, is notably inferior to Grade 5 and Grade 23 titanium alloys in terms of specific strength. If we compare Grade 5 and Grade 23, the latter has a noticeably higher ductility or malleability. This means it resists and deforms elastically in a wider range without fracturing.
In addition, ball abutment instruments are also available for the placement of ball abutments and other implant- and restorative-related procedures.
Ball abutments are available in different heights to compensate for gingival heights from 0.5 to 7 mm.
Why is it profitable to buy ball-attached abutments from UNIQUA DENTAL?
Our approach to business is different in that most of the investment is spent on equipment and quality control. We have minimal tolerances (tolerances) and high compatibility with the dental implants of the major players in the market. This lowers the price of ball attachments compared to similar quality products from other manufacturers.
We hope you will decide in our favor and if you decide to buy components for removable dentures, you will get:
- High precision, as well as strength and resiliency at a much better level than most competitors. You pay only for quality, not for the circulation of beautiful brochures with loud promises.
- Free worldwide shipping of all components.
- Fast delivery within the USA, because we have warehouses and representative offices in the USA.
In addition, you can order samples for testing from us, leave a request and we will send an introductory kit on special terms.
