Tolerance measurements of various implant components.

Machining tolerance, an intrinsic characteristic that exists between machined implant components, identifies the amount of horizontal shift possible between paired components. Machining tolerances between implant components (abutment, gold, cylinder, impression coping, and brass abutment replicas) were measured with a coordinate measuring machine. The measured tolerances ranged from 22 to 100 microns. Machining tolerances between implant components should be included in future studies of accuracy, because it is an inherent characteristic of the component itself.