An abutment system for a dental implant includes an abutment having a base
portion that is engageable with a dental implant and a shoulder disposed
about the base portion that includes a hybrid ceramic material. The
hybrid ceramic material includes at least 85% porcelain. An opaque can be
applied to the exterior surface of the abutment. A pigment can also be
added to the hybrid ceramic material so as to match the color of the
patient's gum tissue. A method of preparing an abutment system includes
the steps of forming a curable hybrid ceramic material into a shoulder
about the base portion of an abutment, partially curing the hybrid
ceramic material so as to form an initially cured shoulder, shaping the
initially cured shoulder to a desired shape so that the shoulder conforms
to at least one patient specific criterion, and completely curing the
shoulder. A plurality of abutment systems may be assembled into a kit.