Biofunctional dental implant
First Claim
1. A dental implant for affixing a crown portion to a bone structure in the mouth of a patient, said dental implant comprising:
- a root portion to be implanted below the patient'"'"'s gum line within an implant socket in the patient'"'"'s bone structure, said root portion having a channel extending longitudinally therethrough;
a flexible abutment projecting upwardly from said root portion, said flexible abutment having a plurality of flexible splines and a passageway extending longitudinally therethrough and being axially aligned with the channel extending longitudinally through said root portion;
a crown portion including an elastomeric cap to surround said flexible abutment and a crown to surround said elastomeric cap; and
an abutment post moving through said crown portion and into receipt by the axially aligned channel extending longitudinally through said root portion and the passageway extending longitudinally through said flexible abutment, said abutment post applying an outward pushing force against said flexible abutment by which to cause the plurality of flexible splines thereof to rotate towards and compress said elastomeric cap against said crown, whereby to hold said flexible abutment against the crown portion and thereby attach said crown portion to said root portion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A biofunctional dental implant wherein a crown portion is connected to a root portion without the use of the conventional short screws, or the like. A flexible abutment projects upwardly from the root portion, and the crown portion is positioned in surrounding engagement with the flexible abutment. A threaded abutment post is advanced through the flexible abutment and into receipt by the root portion. The advancement of the abutment post through the flexible abutment generates an outward pushing force for causing a plurality of flexible splines of the abutment to bend outwardly and into engagement with an elastomeric cap of the crown portion for holding the crown portion atop the root portion. In one preferred embodiment, a replacement crown portion is detachably connected to an existing root portion by way of a removable abutment screw so as to enable a broken or worn crown portion to be removed and replaced without the need for a new surgery.
53 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A dental implant for affixing a crown portion to a bone structure in the mouth of a patient, said dental implant comprising:
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a root portion to be implanted below the patient'"'"'s gum line within an implant socket in the patient'"'"'s bone structure, said root portion having a channel extending longitudinally therethrough; a flexible abutment projecting upwardly from said root portion, said flexible abutment having a plurality of flexible splines and a passageway extending longitudinally therethrough and being axially aligned with the channel extending longitudinally through said root portion; a crown portion including an elastomeric cap to surround said flexible abutment and a crown to surround said elastomeric cap; and an abutment post moving through said crown portion and into receipt by the axially aligned channel extending longitudinally through said root portion and the passageway extending longitudinally through said flexible abutment, said abutment post applying an outward pushing force against said flexible abutment by which to cause the plurality of flexible splines thereof to rotate towards and compress said elastomeric cap against said crown, whereby to hold said flexible abutment against the crown portion and thereby attach said crown portion to said root portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A dental implant for affixing a crown portion to the bone structure in the mouth of a patient, said dental implant comprising:
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a root portion to be implanted below the patient'"'"'s gum line within an implant socket in the patient'"'"'s bone structure, said root portion having a channel extending longitudinally therethrough; a flexible abutment detachably connected to and projecting upwardly from said root portion such that at least some of said flexible abutment is removably received within the longitudinally extending channel through said root portion, said flexible abutment having a passageway extending longitudinally therethrough and being axially aligned with the channel extending longitudinally through said root portion; a crown portion surrounding said flexible abutment; and an abutment post moving through said crown portion and into receipt by the axially aligned channel extending longitudinally through said root portion and the passageway extending longitudinally through said flexible abutment by which to detachably connect said flexible abutment to said root portion within said longitudinally extending channel thereof, said abutment post applying an outward pushing force against said flexible abutment by which to hold said flexible abutment against said crown portion and thereby attach said crown portion to said root portion. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A replacement crown assembly to be removably connected to an existing root portion that is implanted below a patient'"'"'s gum line to complete a dental implant, said replacement crown assembly comprising:
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a flexible abutment to be connected to the existing root portion so as to project upwardly therefrom, said root portion having a screw threaded channel extending longitudinally therethrough and said flexible abutment having a passageway extending longitudinally therethrough and being axially aligned with the screw threaded channel through said root portion; an elastomeric cap surrounding said flexible abutment; a crown surrounding said elastomeric cap; and a removable abutment post having a screw threaded end rotated in a first direction through said elastomeric cap and the longitudinally extending passage of said flexible abutment for receipt by the screw threaded channel of said existing root portion by which to detachably connect said flexible abutment to said existing root portion, said abutment post applying an outward pushing force against said flexible abutment by which to cause said elastomeric cap to be compressed against said crown, the screw threaded end of said removable abutment post being rotated in an opposite direction out of said root portion and away from said flexible abutment by which said flexible abutment is disconnected from said existing root portion. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A replacement crown assembly to be removably connected to an existing root portion that is implanted below a patient'"'"'s gum line to complete a dental implant, said replacement crown assembly comprising:
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a flexible abutment to be connected to the existing root portion so as to project upwardly therefrom, said flexible abutment having a passageway extending longitudinally therethrough; an elastomeric cap surrounding said flexible abutment; a crown surrounding said elastomeric cap; a removable abutment screw moving through said elastomeric cap and the passage extending longitudinally through said flexible abutment for receipt by said existing root portion by which said flexible abutment is detachably connected to said existing root portion; and a locking nut coupled to and moving axially along said abutment screw for applying an outward pushing force against said flexible abutment by which to cause said elastomeric cap to be compressed against, said crown. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification