Dental Implant System and Method of Use

• US 20100304334A1
• Filed: 11/11/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grant H. Layton
• Original Assignee: Grant H. Layton
• Inventors: Layton, Grant H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,246,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/173
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/005 Connecting devices for joining an upper structure with an implant member, e.g. spacers
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0056 diverging in the apical direction of the implant or abutment
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0069 tapered or conical connection

Abstract

A dental implant system includes an implant having a well and an abutment having a post shaped to be received in the tapered well. Both the implant and the abutment are made from a millable ceramic, and the abutment post and/or the implant well have grooves carved therein. In one embodiment, the implant and the abutment are joined one to the other with a retentive elastomeric product containing micro-bubbles and micro-spacers. The dental implant system may be produced using a computer-readable medium containing instructions for analyzing surface data and X-ray data, for developing contour data of the implant and of the abutment according to the anatomy of the patient, and for generating machine instruction for milling the implant and the abutment from blocks of the millable ceramic. The invention provides the dentist with total flexibility in determining the most appropriate contours of the implant system and in reducing inventory.

Claims

1. A dental implant system comprising:

an implant having an outer surface, an inner surface, and an upper surface annularly connecting the outer surface to the inner surface, the inner surface defining a well projecting from the upper surface into the implant, the implant being made from a millable ceramic; and

an abutment having a post, a stump, and a collar, the post having a shape configured to engage the well while leaving a gap therebetween, the stump and the collar being configured to support a dental restoration, the collar extending outwardly from the abutment at a transition between the post and the stump and having a lower outer perimeter substantially equal to an outer perimeter of the upper surface of the implant, the abutment being made from the millable ceramic,

wherein at least one of,

one or more grooves are defined in the post of the abutment, or

one or more recesses are defined in the well of the implant.

2. The implant system of claim 1, wherein the millable ceramic comprises zirconia.

3. The implant system of claim 1, wherein the collar has one or more of variable thickness or width.

4. The implant system of claim 1, wherein at least one of,

the upper surface of the implant and a bottom surface of the collar, or

an upper surface of the collar and a margin of the dental restoration, are shaped with matching curved surfaces.

5. The implant system of claim 1, wherein the abutment well and the implant post have parallel frustoconical shapes.

6. The implant system of claim 1, wherein the gap has greater thickness at a bottom portion of the well than along a lateral wall of the well.

7. The implant system of claim 1, wherein at least one of,

the one or more grooves defined in the post, or

the one or more recesses defined in the well, extend laterally or spirally in relation to a longitudinal axis of the post.

8. The implant system of claim 1, wherein at least one of,

the one or more grooves defined in the post, or

the one or more recesses defined in the well, extend substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the post.

9. The implant system of claim 1, further comprising a retentive elastomeric product to be disposed in the gap.

10. The implant system of claim 9, wherein the retentive elastomeric product has micro-bubbles therein such to provide elasticity and compressibility within the gap.

11. The implant system of claim 9, wherein the retentive elastomeric product further comprises micro-spacers such to provide a distance between the well and the post.

12. The implant system of claim 11, wherein the micro-spacers are of substantially equal diameter.

13. The implant system of claim 9, wherein the retentive elastomeric product comprises a yeast-resistant silicone.

14. The implant system of claim 1, further comprising a dental restoration having a margin with an outer perimeter substantially equal to an upper outer perimeter of the collar.

15. The implant system of claim 1, further comprising a computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for manufacturing the dental implant system, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

analyzing surface data and X-ray data to produce a three-dimensional model of a jaw and a tooth of a patient;

developing contour data of the implant and of the abutment suited for an anatomy of the patient; and

producing machine data for milling the implant and the abutment from blocks of the millable ceramic.

16. The implant system of claim 1, further comprising a healing cap configured to cover the implant after placement in a patient during a period of integration of the implant within a bone of the patient, wherein the healing cap is configured to release an antibiotic composition.

17. A method of manufacturing and delivering a dental implant system, the method comprising:

providing an implant system comprising,

an implant having an outer surface, an inner surface, and an upper surface annularly connecting the outer surface to the inner surface, the inner surface defining a well projecting from the upper surface into the implant, the implant being made from a millable ceramic; and

an abutment having a post, a stump, and a collar, the post having a shape configured to engage the well while leaving a gap therebetween, the stump being configured to support a dental restoration, the collar extending outwardly from the abutment at a transition between the post and the stump and having a lower outer perimeter substantially equal to an outer perimeter of the upper surface of the implant, the abutment being made from the millable ceramic,

wherein at least one of,

one or more grooves are defined in the post of the abutment, or

one or more recesses are defined in the well of the implant;

disposing a retentive elastomeric product over the post or the well, such to fill the gap and the one or more grooves; and

coupling the post of the abutment with the well, the retentive elastomeric product providing at least a mechanical lock between the implant and the abutment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein disposing a retentive elastomeric product comprises disposing a product comprising yeast-resistant silicone.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein disposing a retentive elastomeric product comprises disposing a retentive elastomeric product containing micro-bubbles such to provide elasticity and compressibility within the gap.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein disposing a retentive elastomeric product comprises disposing a retentive elastomeric product containing spacers, such as to provide a controlled distance between the well and the post.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the spacers are of substantially equal diameter.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

providing a dental restoration having a margin of substantially equal perimeter to an upper surface of the collar of the abutment; and

coupling the dental restoration with the stump of the abutment, such to cause the margin of the dental restoration and the collar to be flush with one another.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of providing a computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for manufacturing a dental implant system, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

analyzing surface and X-ray data to produce a three-dimensional model of a jaw and a tooth of a patient;

developing contour data of the implant and of the abutment suited for an anatomy of the patient; and

producing machine instructions for milling the implant and the abutment from blocks of the millable ceramic.

24. A method of manufacturing an immediate dental implant system, the method comprising:

generating an image of one or more of a tooth or bone area of the patient, the bone area comprising a tooth socket; and

manufacturing an implant system and a dental restoration based on the image, the implant system having an outer contour matching the socket.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein manufacturing the immediate implant system comprises manufacturing the implant system comprising an implant and an abutment separate one from the other.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein manufacturing the immediate implant system comprises manufacturing the implant system comprising an implant and an abutment in a single piece.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein generating the image comprises generating the image before extraction of the tooth forming the tooth socket.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein generating the image comprises scanning the tooth, the socket, or an impression of the socket after extraction.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the image is a three dimensional image.