Two-piece implant
Also known as: Two-part implant, Fixture and abutment system
An implant supplied as a separate fixture and abutment that are joined in the mouth, usually by a screwed connection.
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Key facts
| Classification | The ITI narrow-diameter classification describes its categories 2 (3.00–3.25 mm) and 3 (3.30–3.50 mm) as two-piece designsVerified spec[1] |
|---|---|
| How it differs | Bone-level implants are two-piece designs with the implant–abutment connection at the bone crest; tissue-level designs are described as one-piece or transmucosalVerified spec[2] |
| Typical use | The default arrangement in most contemporary systems, because the abutment can be chosen, angled and changed after healing without disturbing the implant itself. |
| Limitations | The screwed joint can loosen: a systematic review of implant-supported single crowns reported screw loosening in 8.8% of cases at five yearsClinical evidence |
| Connection | The geometry of the joint — internal or external, conical or flat, with or without platform switching — varies by system and is not implied by the term "two-piece" alone. |
Overview
Almost every modern implant system is two-piece: a fixture is placed in the bone and an abutment is screwed into it afterwards to carry the crown or bridge. The reason this became the norm is flexibility — the restoring dentist can pick the abutment height and angle, and can replace it years later without touching the integrated implant. The cost is a mechanical joint that has to be maintained; screw loosening remains one of the more common technical complications reported in five-year follow-up. The term describes component count only: it says nothing about whether the implant is placed at bone level or tissue level, or what connection geometry it uses.
Sources
Numbers match the citations beside each claim above.
Clinical evidence
- [1]Narrow-Diameter Implants — ITI Consensus Statement — International Team for Implantology (ITI), 2014. Accessed 2026-07-21.
- [2]Radiological Outcomes of Bone-Level and Tissue-Level Dental Implants: Systematic Review — International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (PMC), 2020. Accessed 2026-07-21.