Background Art Generally, when a damaged natural tooth is replaced with an artificial tooth, a permanent implant having the same function as a natural tooth root is transplanted into a jawbone through a gum into which an artificial tooth is dentally complemented.

After a permanent implant is transplanted into a jawbone, a certain healing period is needed for an osseointegration within a jawbone. It is impossible to dentally complement an artificial tooth into a permanent implant during a healing period. Namely, an artificial tooth is dentally complemented after a transplanted part of a permanent implant is fully healed, and an osseointegration with a permanent implant is completed.

Since an osseointegration is under process during a healing period, a certain stress should not be applied to a permanent implant by a chewing operation performed when a certain food is eaten, so that it is needed an intake of a certain smooth food when eating foods. In addition, a certain measurement

should be applied in order to prevent a certain stress from being applied to a permanent implant.

In addition, a food menu formed of smooth food, a certain nutrition unbalance may occur in patients. In addition, even though it may be different from person types, it is very difficult to continuously eat smooth foods during a healing period of 4 months. Therefore, it is urgently needed a certain measurement for a normal eating pattern of patients.

As a method for overcoming the above problems, a provisional implant is transplanted, and an artificial tooth is dentally complemented into a provisional implant. Therefore, an artificial tooth is used during a healing period.

Generally, a provisional implant includes an abutment part engaged with a dental prosthesis, a neck part connected with the abutment part and accommodating a torque, and a b ody p art connected with the n eck part a nd having threads for transplantation into a jawbone.

In the case that a provisional implant having threads is transplanted into a jawbone, since the area contacting with a bone part of a jawbone is largely increased based on threads, it is possible to implement a stable osseointegration.

However, a provisional implant having threads has a certain problem during transplantation. A large number of tools are needed.

In addition, when a position of an abutment part is adjusted in order to dentally complement an artificial tooth at a precise position, a certain torque is applied to the neck part. In this case, a stress is concentrated at a floor part of threads, s o t hat a b one t issue i n t he j awbone engaged n ear t he floor part i s easily broken. As a result, the provisional implant may be easily separated from the transplanted part.

Disclosure of Invention Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a provisional implant capable of overcoming the problems encountered in the conventional art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a provisional implant capable of achieving an easier dental operation of a provisional implant.

It is further another object of the present invention to provide a provisional implant capable of minimizing a certain damage in a bone tissue of a jawbone in the case that a certain torque is applied to a neck part of a provisional implant after a provisional implant is transplanted into a jawbone and capable of achieving a stable engagement between a bone tissue of a jawbone and a provisional implant.

To achieve the above objects, there is provided an improved provisional implant, comprising an abutment part engaged with a dental prosthesis; a flexible neck part connected with the abutment part; and a tapered body part connected with the neck wherein an end portion near the neck part has the maximum cross sectional area, and the opposite end portion has the minimum cross sectional area.

To achieve the above objects, there is provided an improved provisional implant, comprising an abutment part engaged with a dental prosthesis; a flexible neck part connected with the abutment part; and a body part that is connected with the neck part and has a first tapered part in which an end portion near the neck part has the maximum cross sectional area, and the cross sectional area is gradually decreased in the direction of the lower side, an inversed tapered part connected with a lower side of the first tapered part

wherein the cross sectional area is gradually increased, and a second tapered part connected with the inversed tapered part wherein the cross sectional are is gradually decreased in the direction of the a lower side of the body part.

In the present invention, a plurality of flat surfaces or curved surfaces, preferably three flat surfaces or curved surfaces, are formed on the body part, and the f lat surfaces o r curved surfaces are formed at an angle of 60°from each other.

The body part is surface-processed by a blasting method or a surface coating method.

Brief Description of Drawings The preferred embodiments o the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1A is a perspective view illustrating a provisional implant according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 1 B is a front view illustrating a provisional implant according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 1 C is a cross sectional view taken along line A-A'of Figure 1 B ; Figure 2A is a perspective view illustrating a provisional implant according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2B is a front view illustrating a provisional implant according to another embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 2C is a cross sectional view taken along line B-B'of Figure 2B.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Figures 1A through 1C are views illustrating a provisional implant

according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figures 1 A through 1C, a provisional implant according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes an abutment part 10 that is adapted to support a provisional artificial tooth during a healing period until a dental complementation is performed after a permanent implant is transplanted and is engaged with a dental prosthesis, a flexible neck part 20 connected with the abutment part 10, and a tapered body part 30 that is connected with the neck part 20 and has the maximum cross sectional area at an end portion near the neck part 20 and has the minimum cross sectional area at the opposite end portion.

Here, the abutment 10 is formed in a tapered shape in which the cross sectional area of the upper part is minimum, and the cross sectional area is gradually increased in the direction of the lower part. A plurality of grooves 11, preferably three grooves 11, are formed in an outer surface of the abutment part 10. In addition, a flat surface 13 is formed in the abutment part 10 for supporting an impression copping (not shown) in place.

The neck part 20 connected with a lower side of the abutment part 10 is preferably is slim and flexible, so that it is easily bent when the position of the abutment part 10 is adjusted in order to dentally complement an artificial tooth at a precise position.

The b ody p art 2 0 c onnected w ith a I ower s ide o f t he n eck part 20 i s formed in a tapered shape in which the cross sectional area is gradually decreased in the direction of the lower side. A curved surface 31 is formed by cutting an outer surface of the body part 10. The curbed surface 31 is adapted to prevent the provisional implant 1 according to the present invention from being rotated in the bone tissue of the jawbone when the provisional implant 1

is transplanted into the jawbone.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a flat surface may be formed on an outer surface of the body part 10 instead of the curved surface 31.

However, since the curves surface 31 has a larger contacting area with the bone tissue in the jawbone as compared to the flat surface, it is possible to more enhance the fixing force of the provisional implant in the bone tissue.

As shown in Figure 1C, the curved surface 21 or the flat surface are preferably provided in the multiple numbers, preferably in the number of three and are formed at an angle of 60° from each other for the reason that a resistance force with respect to the rotation is the largest in the case that each surface has the same angle from each other.

In addition, a surface process such as a blasting or a surface coating is performed with respect to the body part 30 or the curved surface 31 or the flat surface of the body part 30, so that it is possible to more enhance the fixing force of the provisional implant in the bone tissue.

Figures 2A through 2C are views illustrating a provisional implant according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figures 2A through 2C, a provisional implant according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes an abutment part 10' engaged with a dental prosthesis, a neck part 20'connected with the abutment part 10', and a body part 30'that includes a first tapered part 33'that has the maximum cross sectional area in an end portion near the neck part 20'wherein the cross sectional area is gradually decreased in the direction of the lower side, an inversed tapered part 35'connected with the lower side of the first tapered part 33'wherein the cross sectional area is gradually increased, and a second tapered part 37'connected with the inversed tapered part 35'wherein the cross

sectional area is gradually decreased in the direction of the lower side.

The provisional implant of the second embodiment of the present invention has a difference in the construction of the body part 30'as compared to the provisional implant according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Namely, the abutment part 10'and the neck part 20'are the same as the earlier embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, only the construction of the body part 30'will be described.

In the provisional implant according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the body part 30'has a two-step tapered construction in which the first tapered part 33'and the second tapered part 37'are connected by the inversed tapered part 35', so that it is possible to effectively prevent the provisional implant 1'from being separated from the jawbone when it is transplanted into the jawbone.

On an outer surface of the body part 30', the flat surface or curved part formed on the body part is formed in the inversed tapered part of the connection part of each tapered shape, it is possible to further increase the fixing force of the provisional implant. In addition, a surface process such as a blasting or surface coating is performed with respect to the body part or the flat surface or curved surface for thereby further enhancing the fixing force.

The curved surface 31'or flat surface is formed by cutting an outer surface of the body part 10 in the same manner as the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2B, the curved surface 31'or flat surface is formed on an outer surface of the body part 10 including the inversed tapered part 35', so that the fixing force of the provisional implant is further enhanced in the bone tissue. As shown in Figure 2C, three curved surfaces 31'or flat surfaces are formed at an angle 60° from each other.

In addition, a surface process such as a blasting or surface coating is performed with respect to the body part 30'or the curved surface 31'or flat surface of the body part 30'in the same manner as the first embodiment of the present invention, so that the fixing force of the provisional implant in the bone tissue is further enhanced.

Industrial Applicabili As described above, in the provisional implant according to the present invention, it is not needed to perform a drilling work in a hole formed in a jawbone of a patient in order to transplant a provisional implant. Namely, transplantation is performed by a tapping method. Therefore, an implant is very easily performed. In addition, it is possible to minimize a damage of a bone tissue in a jawbone in such a manner that a stress that conventionally occurs in a body part transplanted into a jawbone in the case that a neck part of a provisional is bent by a torque applied thereto in order to adjust the position of an artificial tooth during a dental complementing operation. In particular, a surface process is performed with respect to a body part using a blasting method, etc. , so that an engaging force with a bone tissue in a jawbone is enhanced.

In addition, in the present invention, it is possible to prevent a provisional implant from being rotated in a jawbone in such a manner that a flat surface or curved surface is formed in a body part of a provisional implant, so that an engaging force between a bone tissue of a jawbone and a provisional implant is enhanced.

As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be

understood that the above-described examples are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the meets and bounds of the claims, or equivalences of such meets and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.