DENTAL IMPLANT HAVING IMPROVED STABILITY

• US 20090075236A1
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Biomet 3i LLC (Zimvie Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Biomet 3i LLC (Zimvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gubbi, Prabhu, Towse, Ross W.
• Application Number:
  US12/212,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20090075236A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/174
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0012 characterised by the material or composition, e.g. ceramics, surface layer, metal alloy use of specific materials A61K6/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0068 with an additional screw

Abstract

A dental implant system employs an improved abutment screw with acceptable biocompatibility, corrosion, strength, and preload characteristics. In particular, embodiments provide a dental implant system having an artificial implant and an abutment which are fastened with a screw formed from stainless steel, such as surgical grade 316L stainless steel. In some embodiments, the stainless steel screw is coated with a malleable material, such as gold, silver, or polytetraflouroethylene, to improve screw preload. Alternatively, the stainless steel screw may be coated with a harder material, such as diamond like carbon (DLC), amorphous diamond, crystalline diamond, or a combination thereof, which provides a low coefficient of friction providing improved preload properties.

Claims

1. A dental implant system comprising a first component and a second component, the first and second dental components being fastened together by a screw having a stainless steel body and a coating on the stainless steel body.

2. The dental implant system of claim 1, wherein the first component is an artificial implant and the second component is an abutment.

3. The dental implant system of claim 1, wherein the stainless steel is surgical grade 316L stainless steel.

4. The dental implant system of claim 1, wherein the coating is substantially pure gold.

5. The dental implant system of claim 1, wherein the coating includes at least one of:

silver, carbon, and polytetraflouroethylene.

6. The dental implant system of claim 1, wherein the coating includes at least one of:

diamond like carbon (DLC), amorphous diamond, and crystalline diamond.

7. The dental implant system of claim 1, wherein the coating has a thickness in the range of from about 0.5 μ

m to about 1 μ

m.

8. The dental implant system of claim 1, wherein the coating is applied to an intermediate layer of titanium on the stainless steel body.

9. A screw for a dental implant system comprising a stainless steel body and a coating on the stainless steel body.

10. The screw of claim 9, wherein the stainless steel is surgical grade 316L stainless steel.

11. The screw of claim 9, wherein the coating is substantially pure gold.

12. The screw of claim 9, wherein the coating includes at least one of:

silver, carbon, and polytetraflouroethylene.

13. The screw of claim 9, wherein the coating includes at least one of:

diamond like carbon (DLC), amorphous diamond, and crystalline diamond.

14. The screw of claim 9, wherein the coating has a thickness in the range of from about 0.5 μ

m to about 1 μ

m.

15. The screw of claim 9, wherein the coating is applied to an intermediate layer of titanium on the stainless steel body.

16. A method of increasing the preloading of a screw used to assemble components of a dental implant system, the method comprising:

placing a first component having an internal passageway in contact with a second component having an internally threaded portion;

passing a screw through the internal passageway of the first component and engaging the internally threaded portion of the second component, the screw having a stainless steel body and a coating on the stainless steel body; and

tightening the screw to preload the screw.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of tightening the screw comprises tightening the screw to a preselected torque.

18. The dental implant system of claim 16, wherein the first component is an artificial implant and the second component is an abutment.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the stainless steel is surgical grade 316L stainless steel.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the coating is substantially pure gold.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the coating includes at least one of:

silver, carbon, and polytetraflouroethylene.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the coating includes at least one of:

diamond like carbon (DLC), amorphous diamond, and crystalline diamond.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the coating is applied to an intermediate layer of titanium on the stainless steel body.