The use of polytetrafluoroethylene tape for the management of screw access channels in implant-supported prostheses.

This article describes a procedure in which polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape is used to seal the screw access channel to protect the screw head of the abutment and crown screw in implant-supported restorations. The material can be sterilized, is easy to manipulate, radiopaque, and less associated with malodor when retrieved. Malodor is primarily associated with the implant-abutment interface configuration and the suprastructure component design of a given implant system. This technique enables fast removal of the filling material in a single piece, preventing unpredictable and time-consuming manipulations when removal of the screw-retained crown or abutment is required. (c) 2010 The Editorial Council of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.