What is the purpose of a healing abutment in dental implants?

The purpose of a healing abutment, also known as a healing cap or healing collar, is to maintain the shape of the gum tissue during the healing phase following dental implant surgery. When an implant is placed into the jawbone, the surrounding soft tissue, or gums, needs to heal properly to ensure optimal aesthetics and function of the eventual restoration. The healing abutment extends through the gum tissue and helps shape it, preventing the gums from collapsing or improperly healing around the implant. This shaping ensures that when the final restoration is placed, the emergence profile and contour of the gums around the implant are both natural and appealing.

Other options, while relevant to dental implant processes, do not accurately capture the primary function of a healing abutment. For instance, securing the implant in the bone and preventing infection are critical aspects of the overall implant process but are managed through different means, such as the implant's design and surgical technique. Enhancing aesthetics is a goal of the entire prosthetic process, but the specific role of the healing abutment is focused on preserving the natural shape of the soft tissue.