Method for placing and manufacturing a dental superstructure, method for placing implants and accessories used thereby

• US 20060093988A1
• Filed: 02/23/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dentsply Implants NV
• Original Assignee: Materialise Dental
• Inventors: Vrielinck, Luc, Swaelens, Bart Filip Jos, Van Lierde, Carl
• Granted Patent: US 8,038,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/76
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 1/084 of implanting tools
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0003 Making bridge-work, inlays, implants or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0004 Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses

Abstract

Method for placing and manufacturing a dental superstructure, whereby a computer planning is made of the position of the implants (7), and whereby one or several accessories are made on the basis of said computer planning by means of which the implants (7) can be provided, and whereby on these implants (7), after they have been provided, is fitted the superstructure (33), characterized in that also the superstructure (33) is made, either directly or indirectly, on the basis of a computer planning.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. Accessory for placing implants, more particularly a drill jig (6), in which one or several ducts (9) for drills (10) are formed, which duct or ducts (9) are provided with a lateral opening (50) for a drill (10), characterized in that said duct(s) comprise(s) a collar (12) comprising an opening or passage (13) which is provided with a thread (15) on the inside.

23. The accessory according to claim 22, wherein said thread (15) is provided on the inside of a bush (14) which is fixed into the opening (13) of said collar (12).

24. The accessory according to claim 22, which further comprises apertures (25) and accompanying screws (22), whereby said apertures have such a shape that, when screws (22) are tightened, they are forced into a specific position, for use of said drill jig as a positioning jig.

26. A method for manufacturing a drill jig (6), wherein said drill jig comprises one or several ducts (9) for drills (10), which duct or ducts (9) are provided with a lateral opening (50) for a drill (10), characterized in that the method involves computer planning of said drill jig.

28. A method for placing and manufacturing a dental superstructure (33), whereby use is made of a drill jig (6) in which several ducts (9) with vertical openings (13) are provided for drill guidance (10), characterized in that the ducts (9) are laterally open to allow lateral insertion of a drill (10) and in that the ducts comprise a thread (15) on the inside.

29. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that, in combination with the aforesaid duct or ducts (9), means are used which make it possible to successively work with different drill diameters.

30. The method according to claim 29, characterized in that said means, which make it possible to successively work with different drill diameters, consist of interchangeable bushes (16) placed in the openings (13), whereby these bushes (16) have different internal diameters (14).

31. The method according to claim 30, whereby the interchangeable bushes (16) are placed over the drill (10) prior to its insertion into the duct (9) and placed in the duct (9) while drilling to provide guidance.

32. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that the drill jig (6) is also used as a fitting jig by unscrewing the bushes (16) from the drill jig (6) before the implants (7) are placed, and providing implant holders (19) of which the outer diameter corresponds to the inner diameter of the bushes (14) on the implants (7), thus allowing guidance of the implant (7) when placed through the opening (13).

33. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that the drill jig (6) is also used as a positioning jig.

34. Method according to claim 28, characterized in that use is at least made of a positioning jig (24) as an accessory which makes it possible to force the implants (7) into the required position after they have been placed.

35. Method according to claim 34, characterized in that said positioning jig (24) is provided with one or several apertures (25) for screws (22) that can be screwed in the implants (7), whereby these apertures (25) and the accompanying screws (22) have such a shape that, when the screws (22) are tightened, they can be forced into a specific position.

36. Method according to claim 28, characterized in that use is at least made of an intermediate positioning jig (28) as an accessory which at least has features (29) allowing a connection to be made with at least one implant (7) that has already been placed, and features (30) forming a duct for a drill (10) and/or an implant (7) or an implant (7) placed on an implant holder (19).

37. Method according to claim 28, characterized in said drill jig is formed by means of data obtained by scanning the patient and by means of a computer planning.

38. Method according to claim 37, characterized in that, use is at least made of one of the following or a combination of two or more of the following elements:

an accessory in the shape of a digital cast (35) representing the general shape of the bone (5) and/or of the gums (2) and in which the positions of the implants are represented, in particular by means of implant replicas (39), holes or the like;

an accessory in the shape of a key (41) with a part representing the shape of the teeth (37) and a part (42) which is a negative of at least a part of the shape of the gums (2);

an accessory in the shape of a mold piece (45) with contour parts (A-B-C) and possibly a shifted part (D-E) adjusted to the shape of the teeth (37) of the superstructure (33) to be formed, and with contours (G-F) representing the shape of the holes for the implants (7) and of the bone (5) respectively;

an accessory in the shape of a piece (47) made directly out of a modeling material and which has the shape of the superstructure (33) or of a part thereof.

39. Method according to claim 28, characterized in that use is made of a key (41), on the one hand, representing a mold of the teeth (37), which (41) is obtained by means of a mold on the basis of a diagnostic arrangement (40) of the teeth (37), and of a digital cast (35), on the other hand, representing the general shape of the bone (5) together with the gums (2), and in which the positions of the implants are represented, in particular by means of implant replicas (39), whereby the key (41) and the digital cast (35) fit against one another.

40. Method according to claim 28, characterized in that the superstructure (33), or at least a part thereof, in particular the metal frame, is built directly on the basis of the digital data obtained from the computer planning and possibly the accompanying scans.

41. Method according to claim 40, characterized in that the superstructure (33), or at least the above-mentioned part thereof, is realized by means of rapid prototyping techniques.

42. Method according to claim 28, characterized in that the superstructure (33) is made prior to placement of the implants (7), and in that the superstructure (33) is fixed on the implants (7) before they have grown in, in particular immediately after or shortly after the placing of these implants (7), whereby the superstructure (33) functions as an element for the application of the immediate loading technique.