PRIORITY CLAIM

[0001] This application claims priority to U. S. Application No. 14/591 ,654 entitled "Integrated Dental Implant Abutments," filed January 7, 2015, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure concerns dental implant abutments.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Dental implants are often the best treatment for missing teeth. When a damaged or decayed tooth is removed, both the visible part of the tooth, called the crown, and the root are lost.

[0004] A dental implant can be placed in the jawbone so that it can be fused with natural bone and become a strong and sturdy foundation for replacement teeth. Implants can be used to replace an individual tooth or for an implant-supported bridge or denture containing multiple teeth.

[0005] A dental implant abutment is a device that connects the prosthetic tooth/teeth to the dental implant. The replacement tooth is custom made to match a patient's natural teeth and is sometimes referred to as a crown or dental prosthesis.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] This disclosure describes dental abutments that can not only be used for all conventional restorative techniques, but can also be readily scanned digitally, which enables precise restorations of a tooth or teeth to be fashioned more easily and conveniently than abutments whose geometry preclude the use of digital scanning or require modification or interpretation of scanned images for use. This feature supports the movement of the dental implant field toward precise customizable prosthetic restorations and digital dentistry with the increased use of CAD/CAM technologies.

[0007] The dental abutments described within can also include anti-rotational features for the prosthetic component (i.e. crown) that allows the patient's prosthesis to have a precise fit. Grooves on opposite sides of the coronal end of the abutment (i.e. longitudinal end of abutment located farthest from the bone in the implanted site) provide the anti-rotation element. Each groove is generally of a constant depth that slopes toward the shoulder to end the anti-rotational element. The sloping of the groove is symmetric to reduce material stress. The coronal end of the abutment can also have a rough surface (e.g., a grit-blasted surface) to facilitate retention. For example, grit blasting can provide asperities up to 300 microns in size. The term "asperities" is used to indicate sharp, rough, or rugged projections extending from a surface.

[0008] The described dental abutments have a post in the area of the apical end of the abutment (i.e. longitudinal end located closest to the bone in the implanted site) that is received by the open end of the dental implant. The post allows for a 360° of rotation during seating to increase the likelihood of correct orientation of the abutment, or abutment-restoration unit, either intra-orally or extra-orally. This 360° rotation also facilitates parallelism for angled abutments. The post and implant connection utilizes a friction fit connection which is a locking taper. Once fully engaged, this mechanism limits or prevents unintentional rotation between the dental abutment and implant and can provide a bacterially sealed connection. The post has a cylindrical shape for simplicity and compatibility with a large number of dental implants.

[0009] Some dental abutments include a coronal portion that slopes to a shoulder of the dental abutment after a fixed distance of at least a 15° angle to allow for the scanning to be performed without any additional modifications or

interpretations to the scan. The distance from the coronal end to the shoulder and the shoulder width has a ratio of less than seven with a shoulder width of greater than 0.02 inches. The team that developed the present dental abutments has found that the width of the shoulder and the ratio between the distance from the coronal end to the shoulder and the shoulder width to be particularly significant in providing an abutment that is conducive to digital scanning. The coronal portion slopes toward the shoulder of the dental abutment at about a 3° angle to allow the anti-rotational element to work properly.

[0010] In some dental abutments, the distance from the bevel at the coronal end to the top of the hemispherical shoulder is long enough to allow all the edges of the dental abutment to be digitally scanned without additional modifications or interpretations. In contrast, other dental abutments have margins that are not smooth and/or not visible on scans so users manually draw in the margin on the scan results.

[0011] The geometry of these dental abutments also allows for one conventional recording sleeve configuration to suffice for registering multiple different abutment dimensions, since different abutment sizes and angulations are independent of the prosthetic attachment aspect of the abutment. Conventional dental impression materials can be used to record and represent multiple different abutment dimensions prosthetically.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] Figures 1 A and IB show a dental implant and dental abutment before and after the addition of a crown, respectively.

[0013] Figure 2A is a side view of a dental abutment. Figures 2B and 2C depict the cross section and coronal views of the abutment in Figure 2A, respectively.

[0014] Figures 3A and 3B show two dental abutments of different sizes with and without a crown.

[0015] Figures 4 A and 4B show two dental abutments of different configurations with and without a crown.

[0016] Figures 5 A - 5C show a dental prosthesis supported by multiple dental abutments.

[0017] Figures 6A and 6B are, respectively, a front view and a side cross- sectional view of an angled dental abutment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Figure 1A shows a dental abutment 100 engaged in a dental implant 1 10 which has been placed in a patient's jawbone 1 12. Figure IB shows the dental abutment 100 and the dental implant 110 after a crown 1 14 has been placed on the dental abutment 100.

[0019] The dental abutment 100 in Figure 1A extends from the apical end 116 (i.e. toward the jaw) to the coronal end 1 18 (i.e. toward the crown) in the longitudinal direction. The dental abutment 100 has a post 120, which is designed to be received by the open end of the dental implant 110. The post 120 extends from the apical end 1 16 of the dental abutment 100 to a retention element 122. The dental abutment 100 also has a coronal portion (or head) 123 which designed to support the crown 1 14. The coronal portion 123 extends from the coronal end 118 of the dental abutment 100 to the retention element 122.

[0020] The dental abutment 100 can be made out of a variety of materials, including titanium alloy or poly ether ether ketone (PEEK).

[0021] figures 2A-2C shows the dental abutment 100 in isolation to more clearly illustrate features of the dental abutment 100.

[0022] The post 120 is substantially cylindrical, which allows for the 360° rotation of the dental abutment 100 while it is being seated into the dental implant 1 10 (see Figures 1 A and IB) in order to facilitate a dentist's correct orientation of the prosthesis or crown 1 14 (see Figure IB), either intra-orally or extra-orally. This cylindrical shape provides the opportunity for the prosthesis to be used to orient and initially seat the abutment in the well of the implant. The simplicity of the cylindrical shape affords for improved manufacturability and also makes the dental abutment 100 compatible with a number of different types of dental prostheses. While substantially cylindrical, the post 120 is tapered to provide a friction fit connection which is a locking taper between the post 120 and the dental implant 110 (see Figures 1 A and IB). This configuration can facilitate seizing, galling or cold welding between the post 120 and the dental implant 110.

[0023] Once fully engaged, this mechanism limits or prevents unintentional rotation and micro-movement between the dental abutment 100 and dental implant 1 10 (see Figures 1A and IB). The locking taper can also provide a bacterial seal between the two components. The angle a between sides of the post 120 and a longitudinal axis 124 of the dental abutment 100 is approximately 1.3°. Depending on the dental abutment variant, the angle between sides of the post 120 and a longitudinal axis 124 of the dental abutment 100 is typically between 1.1 ° and 1.6°. The geometry of the dental abutment 100 is symmetrical along the longitudinal axis 124.

[0024] The retention element 122 extends from the post 120 to the coronal portion 123. The retention element 122 has a base 128 and a shoulder 130 which meets the base 128 at a margin 132. The transition between the base 128 and the post 120 is a curve 134 with a radius of curvature 136 (see Figure 2B) of approximately 0.02 inches. In some dental abutments, the radius of curvature 136 is more or less than 0.02 inches (e.g., between 0.01 and 0.03 inches) which can reduce stress factors and resulting fractures. The surface of the base 128 has a radius of curvature 138 (see Figure 2B) of approximately 0.08 inches. In some dental abutments, the radius of curvature 138 is more or less than 0.08 inches (e.g., between 0.08 and 0.15 inches). The shape of the base 128 provides for the consistent confrontation of what is an approximation of a hemispherical contour to tissues in the proximity to the periosteum. This confrontation in turn can stimulate osteoblastic activity and subsequent bone growth.

[0025] Between the hemisphere and the shoulder 130, the side of the abutment extends for a length Li to the margin 132. The perimeter (e.g., circumference) of the dental abutment increases at 1-2° in this portion of the dental abutment as distance from the apical end 1 16 of the dental abutment 100. In the dental abutment 100, the length Li is 0.16 inches (4 mm). As discussed in more detail below with reference to Figures 3A and 3B, some dental abutments are configured in which the length Li is more or less than 0.16 inches (4 mm) (e.g., between 0.05 (1.3 mm) and 0.32 inches (8.1 mm)). This variability provides the opportunity to use the same inferior or post and superior or head contours on the abutment, while providing the flexibility to use with implants placed at different depths within the jaw bone.

[0026] The diameter of the dental abutment at the margin 132 is 0.24 inches (6 mm). In some dental abutments, the diameter of the dental abutment at the margin 132 is more or less than 0.24 inches (6 mm) (e.g., between 0.16 inches (4 mm) and 0.31 inches (8 mm).

[0027] An angle β is defined between the shoulder 130 and a plane 140 that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 124. In dental abutment 100, the angle β is approximately 15°. In some dental abutments, the angle β is more or less than 15° (e.g., between 10° and 20°). It has been found that dental abutments in which the angle β is approximately 15° allow the scanning to be performed without any additional modifications or interpretations to the scan.

[0028] The coronal portion 123 includes a neck 142, an anti-rotation portion 144, and a bevel 146 at the coronal end of the dental abutment 100. The neck 142 has a length L2. The neck 142 is substantially cylindrical with sides that are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis 124 of the dental abutment 100. Some dental abutments have necks with other shapes such as, for example, with rectangular or octagonal (rather than circular) cross-sections.

[0029] In contrast, the anti-rotation portion 144 of the coronal portion 123 is tapered with a cone angle γ such that the perimeter (e.g., circumference) of the coronal portion 123 at the coronal end of the anti-rotation portion 144 is smaller than the apical end of the anti-rotation portion 144. In dental abutment 100, the cone angle γ is approximately 3°. In some dental abutments, the angle γ is more or less than 3° (e.g., between 2.5° and 3.5°). It has been found that dental abutments in which the angle γ is more than 2.5° help enable scanning to be performed without any additional modifications or interpretations to the scan.

[0030] The surface of coronal portion 123 can be either rough or smooth based on the individual needs dictated by the procedure. A roughened surface can be achieved, for example, through the use of grit blasting. This provides a better surface for the adhesion of dental materials, such as opaque (i.e., composite dental resin that is used to cover unsightly dentition), as well as the crown 114 or prosthesis to the coronal portion 123. In particular, the roughened surface can facilitate the mechanical retention of chemical bonding agents such as opaque layers of composite resins or prosthetic cementing agents.

[0031] The structure of the coronal portion 123 provides the dental abutment 100 with a configuration that can be easily scanned. The perimeter (e.g., the circumference) of the dental abutment 100 increases monotonically from the coronal end 118 to the margin 132 defined between the base 128 and the shoulder. The edge between the bevel 146 and the anti -rotation portion 144 is smaller than the edge between anti-rotation portion 144 and the neck 142. The edge between the anti- rotation portion 144 and the neck 142 is smaller than margin 132 between the neck 142 and the base 128. As can be seen best in Figure 2C, the shoulder 130 is visible and clearly delineated which makes the shoulder 130 easy to record during digital scanning. In addition, the length L3 (from the bevel 146 to the neck 142 of the coronal portion 123) is long enough that when present in concert with angle γ, allows all the edges of the dental abutment to be observed with a digital scanner without additional modifications or interpretations to the scan. Unlike abutments whose geometry preclude the use of digital scanning or require modification or

interpretations of scanned images for use, the abutments presented in this application allow for easy digital scanning which enables the rapid and precise restorations of a tooth or teeth. This feature supports movement of the dental implant field toward customizable restorations or prostheses and digital dentistry with the increased use of CAD/CAM technologies.

[0032] The geometry of these dental abutments not only facilitate their recording by digital scanning technologies, but also allows for a singular

conventional recording sleeve configuration to suffice for registering multiple different abutment dimensions. Further conventional dental impression materials can be used to record and represent their multiple different abutment dimensions prosthetically.

[0033] The anti-rotation portion 144 of the coronal portion 123 includes anti- rotation features in the form of two grooves 148 on opposite sides of the coronal end 1 18. The anti -rotational features help control the orientation of a prosthetic component or crown 1 14 which helps provide a precise fit of the prosthesis. The grooves also guide the prosthetic component or crown 1 14 into the correct orientation.

[0034] The anti-rotation grooves 148 located on opposite sides of the coronal end 118 of the dental abutment 100 are generally of a constant depth that slopes toward the shoulder to end the anti-rotational element. The sloping of the groove is symmetric to reduce material stress. [0035] The length L3 (see Figure 2A) of the anti-rotation portion 144 and the grooves 148 are nominally 0.125 inches (3.2 mm). The width W (see Figure 2A) of the grooves 148 is nominally 0.055 inches (1.4 mm). The depth D (see Figure 2B) of the grooves 148 is nominally 0.02 inches (0.51 mm). As discussed above, the anti- rotation portion 144 of the coronal portion 123 is tapered with an angle γ of approximately 3°. The angled surface allows the anti-rotational element (e.g., grooves 148) to work properly. In addition, the sloping surface facilitates attaching other components as it is difficult to attach additional components to parallel surfaces,

[0036] Some dental abutments have grooves 148 in which the length L3 is more or less than 0.125 inches (3.2 mm) (e.g., between 0.1 (2.5 mm) and 0.3 inches (7.6 mm)), the width W is more or less than 0.055 inches (1.4 mm) (e.g., between 0.04 inches (1 mm) and 0.06 inches (1.5 mm)), and/or the depth D is more or less than 0.02 inches (0.51 mm) (e.g., between 0.010 inches (0.254 mm) to 0.030 inches (0.76 mm)). Some dental abutments include other anti-rotation features such as, for example, hexagonal or multi-sided flat surfaces and/or a variety of slots or grooves.

[0037] As discussed above, some dental abutments are configured in which the length Li (between the hemispherical portion of the base 128 and the margin 132) is more or less than 0.16 inches (4 mm) (e.g., between 0.06 inches (1.5 mm) and 0.32 inches (7 mm)).

[0038] Figures 3 A and 3B compare the dental abutment 100 with a dental abutment 200 that has a length Li that is 0.24 inches (~ 6 mm). The dental abutment 100 and the abutment 200 have identical configurations except for the differences in the length Li. In particular, the dimensions of the post 120 are the same in both the dental abutment 100 and the abutment 200 such that a single type of dental implant can be used with either abutment. This configuration allows a dentist to set the position of the coronal portion 123 of the dental abutment 100, 200 relative to the gum above an implant regardless of the implant's axial position in the jawbone 112.

[0039] Some dental abutments have retention elements 122 that have different perimeters (e.g., diameters for the illustrated dental abutments). Figures 4A and 4B compare the dental abutment 100 with a dental abutment 300 in which both length LI and the diameter of the retention element are smaller than those of the dental abutment 100. It accommodates implant wells that are more parallel for greater retention or wider for greater strength and resistance to metal fatigue and breakage.

[0040] This specification has described a dental prostheses system including versatile abutments with numerous advantages. Dentists may now make numerous uses and modifications of and departures from the specific embodiments and techniques disclosed herein without departing from the inventive concepts. For example, multiple dental abutments as described above can be used to support a single dental prosthesis. Figures 5A-5C show a system in which four dental abutments 100 are used to support a single dental prosthesis 114. In another example, dental abutments can be formed with the features described above but with the post set at angle relative to the coronal portion. Figures 6A and 6B show a dental abutment 400 in which an axis 124' of the post 120 set at angle relative to an axis 124" of the coronal portion 123. Consequently, the claims are to be construed as embracing each and every novel feature and novel combination of features presented in or possessed by the apparatus and techniques herein disclosed.

[0041] There has been described novel apparatus and techniques in connection with dental implanting. It is evident that those skilled in the art may make numerous modifications of and departures from the specific apparatus and techniques herein disclosed without departing from the inventive concepts. Consequently, the invention is to be construed as embracing each and every novel concept and combination of concepts disclosed herein and limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.