FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a dental abutments and to other dental articles.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Dental implantation is a procedure for replacing a missing tooth using a dental implant. The placement of the implant could be a single staged or two-staged process.

Single staged process: a dental surgeon accesses the bone through the mucosal tissue. With the use of a prefabricated stint, the surgeon drills or bores out the maxillary or mandibular bone. The implant with an abutment is then either pressed or screwed into the bone.

Two staged process: In a first stage, a dental surgeon accesses the bone through the mucosal tissue. With the use of a prefabricated stint, the surgeon drills or bores out the maxillary or mandibular bone. The implant is then either pressed or screwed into the bone. A healing cap is typically then placed over the implant and the surrounding mucosal tissues are sutured over the healing cap. This provides for a biologically closed system to allow osteointegration of bone with the implant. Complete osteointegration typically takes anywhere from four to ten months.

Stage two, involves a second surgical procedure during which the dental surgeon makes an incision in the mucosal tissue to expose the osteointegrated implant. The healing cap is removed and a temporary abutment, having a height at least equal to the thickness of the gingival tissue or a final prosthetic abutment, is coupled to the implant. Once the abutment is secured an immediate mold or impression may be taken. In a modified procedure, the impression may be taken within one to two weeks after stage two. The impression is used to record the axial position and orientation of the implant, which is then reproduced in a stone or plaster analogue of the patient's mouth. The main objective of the impression is to properly transfer the size and shape of adjacent teeth in relation to the permanently placed implant and the precise configuration and orientation of the abutment to the dental technician. The plaster analogue provides the laboratory technician with a precise model of the patient's mouth, including the orientation of the implant fixture relative to the surrounding teeth. Based on this model, the technician constructs a final restoration.

At the end, in the restorative process, involves replacing the temporary healing abutment with the final restoration. As noted above, during stage two, a mold or impression is taken of the patient's mouth to accurately record the position and orientation of the implant site and to provide the information needed to fabricate the restorative replacement and/or intermediate prosthetic components. There are several conventional methods for taking this impression.

One method involves a conventional transfer coping. Transfer copings have an impression portion adapted to form a unique or indexed impression in the impression material and a base portion having mating indexing means adapted to mate with the exposed indexing means of the implant or prosthetic abutment. In use, the transfer coping is temporarily secured to the exposed proximal end of the implant fixture such that the mating indexing means of the impression coping and implant are interlockingly mated to one another. Typically, a threaded screw or bolt is used to temporarily secure the transfer coping to the implant fixture.

Once the impression coping is secured to the implant fixture, an impression of the transfer coping relative to the surrounding teeth is taken. Typically, this involves a "U" shaped tray filled with an impression material that is placed in the patient's mouth over the implant site. The patient bites down on the tray, squeezing the impression material into the implant site and around the transfer coping. Within a few minutes, the impression material cures or hardens to a flexible, resilient consistency. The impression tray is then removed from the patient's mouth to reveal an impression of the implant site and the transfer coping. The restorative dentist then removes the transfer coping from the patient's mouth and transfers the transfer coping back into the impression material, being careful to preserve the proper orientation of the indexing means.

Another method typically involves a conventional pick-up coping. Pick-up copings are similar to the transfer copings described above; except that a pick-up coping typically includes an embedment portion adapted to be non-removably embedded within the impression material. Typically, the embedded portion comprises a protuberant "lip" or similar embedment projection at a coronal portion of the coping. This allows for "grabbing" or traction of the impression material as the tray is being removed from the patient's mouth. The pick-up copings are "picked up" and remain in the impression material when the tray is removed from the patient's mouth.

Yet another method for taking an impression involves an impression or transfer cap. Impression or transfer caps are placed over or on the built-up part of the abutment or the implant and remain in the impression material when the tray is removed. There are several different types of transfer caps. One type of transfer cap has a tapered inner surface, which is adapted in form and size to the built-up part or abutment of the implant. This cap has an inner surface, which has indentations or slots, which correspond to indentation or slots present on the abutment. The described above impression process is well known for two stage implant, but its implementation to single stage implant suffers from several drawbacks, such as stability issues and etc..

It's an object of the present invention to provide an abutment system for immediate loading of single staged implants and for taking an impression. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In contrast to the prior art, the present invention relates to a system which facilitates elimination of the second surgery to remove the healing cap and apply the abutment and/or the prosthesis.

More specifically, the present invention relates to an abutment system for immediate loading which allows a mold or impression to be taken of the patient's mouth and to accurately record the position and orientation of the implant site and to provide the information needed to fabricate the restorative replacement and/or intermediate prosthetic components.

The present invention is an abutment system for immediate loading which comprise one or more straight or angled abutments, a plastic cap, plastic sheath, plastic transfer and plastic connector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plastic transfer of present invention.

FIG. 2A is a cross-section view of a straight abutment of present invention.

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a straight abutment of present invention.

FIG. 3A is a front view of an angled abutment of present invention.

FIG. 3B is a cross-section view an angled abutment of present invention.

FIG. 3C is a perspective view of an angled abutment of present invention.

FIG. 4A is a front view of a plastic sheath of present invention.

FIG. 4B is a cross-section view of a plastic sheath of present invention.

FIG.5A is a front view of a plastic cap of present invention.

FIG. 5B is a cross-section view of a plastic cap of present invention.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a plastic connector of present invention.

FIG. 6B is a front view of a plastic connector of present invention.

FIG.7 is a flow chart of method of present invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprise an abutment system for immediate loading which could be used with dental implants and more preferably with single stage dental implants.

The present invention comprise a straight conical abutment 2, said abutment 2 has a preferable length 13-16 mm and preferable width of 4.7 mm. Said abutment 2 comprise a conical body 21 with inclination of preferably of 1 1 degrees and preferable length of 9 mm; a base part 27 of inverse conical shape, said base part 27 has a circular rim 26 of height of 1 -3 mm; and a threaded protrusion 23 located at the end of said base part 27. Said abutment 2 has a bore 24, said bore comprise polygonal (or hexagonal) surface 25 near its lower end, said surface 25 is adapted to be engaged with suitable driver tool. The position of polygonal surface 25 near lower end of said bore 24, allows optional removal of upper parts of body 21.

Said body 21 may comprise one or more indicator grooves 22 which serve as height indicator.

Said abutment 2 could be manufactured from metal, ceramics, titanium, titanium alloy, for example Ti6AI4V or from any other biocompatible material.

Yet another part of present invention is an angled conical abutment 3, said abutment 3 has a preferable length of 1 1 -14 mm and preferable width of 4-7 mm. Said abutment 3 comprise an angled conical body 31 , having an upper bore 36 and having an angle of 1 5 or 25 degrees and having an inclination of preferably 1 1 degrees and preferable length around 9 mm; a base part 32 of inverse conical shape, said base part 32 has a circular rim 34 of variable height, wherein said rim 34 forms a straight angle between itself and angled body 32; an hollow polygonal (or preferably hexagonal) protrusion 33 with a bottom bore 35, said protrusion is located at the bottom of said base 32.

Said abutment 3 could be manufactured from metal, ceramics, titanium, titanium alloy, for example Ti6A14V or from any other biocompatible material. Yet another part of present invention is a plastic sheath 4 which is positioned on the abutment and is used in the process of manufacturing a prosthesis (crown).

Yet another part of present invention is a plastic cap 5 which is positioned on the abutment and used for fitting of provisional prosthesis (crown). Said cap 5 comprise one or more circular grooves 51 on its outer surface for retention of adhesive, provisional crown or/and plastic connector 6.

Yet another part of present invention is a plastic transfer 7 which might be used in the impression phase. Said transfer 7 comprise one or more circular grooves 77 on its outer surface, said grooves 77 are used for retention of connector 6. Said transfer 7 also comprise one or more retention grooves 74 for fixation of plastic caps. Said transfer 7 may comprise one or more holes 76 positioned on outer surface of its body 71 . Yet another part of present invention is a plastic connector 6 which is used for connecting between plastic caps 5 or/and plastic transfers 7. Said connector comprise a ring 62 structurally connected to two elongated portions 63, each portion 63 has one or more holes 61 for retention of adhesive.

The ring 62 is adapted to mate with grooves 77 or 51 of said transfer 7 or cap 5. .

The present system also comprise a method of fitting a provisional crown and a method of making an impression.

The examplary method of present invention is shown in FIG. 7 and comprise the following steps:

step 81 : fixation of abutment/s 2,3 to implants;

step 82: fixation of plastic cap/s 5 to abutment/s 2,3;

step 83 (optional): connecting said caps 5 to each other with plastic connector 6;

step 84: fixation of provisional crown to plastic cap;

step 85: fixation of plastic transfer/s 7 to abutments/s 2,3; step 86 (optional): fixation of plastic connector/s 6 to plastic transfer/s 7 and/or to plastic cap/s 5;

step 87: making an impression;

step 88: fixation of plastic sheath 4 to abutment/s 2,3;

step 89: removing plastic sheath 4;

step 90: fixation of the crown to abutment.

The above embodiments are given as illustrative examples and are not intended to impose any limitations on the invention. It will be readily appreciated that many deviations may be made from the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification without departing from the invention. Accordingly it is intended to cover all such modifications as within the scope of this invention.