Implant collar and post system - Patent Review 5135395

Claims

I claim:

1. An assembly for use in the prosthetic implant restorations in dentistry, the assembly comprising in combination: an adaptor chosen to be compatible to and receivable on an associated implant and having a first portion dimensioned to extend above an associated implant, a gingival collar to be mounted on the adaptor and having a depth to generally conform to the depth between a jaw bone and gum line of a particular patient, an abutment post receivable on the gingival collar and having an external surface dimensioned and shaped to receive a crown or a coping, and means receivable in a passage of the collar for securing the adaptor and gingival collar to an associated implant, further including first means for angularly adjusting the abutment post relative to the collar and second means for angularly adjusting the collar relative to the adaptor without affecting the relationship between the abutment post and collar.

2. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said means for securing said adaptor and collar includes a screw and wherein said post has a post passage registrable with the passage of the collar.

3. The assembly defined in claim 2 wherein said adaptor has a passage receiving said screw and said screw is engageable with said adaptor to secure the adaptor relative to an associated implant.

4. The assembly defined in claim 3 wherein said screw has an internal threaded passage and there is further included a second screw receivable through said passage in said post and into said threaded passage of said first screw for engaging and securing the collar relative to the adaptor.

5. The assembly defined in claim 3 wherein said screw has a first external shoulder, and said adaptor has a first shoulder internally about the passage thereof engageable by the first shoulder of the screw.

6. The assembly defined in claim 5 wherein said screw has a second shoulder and said adaptor has a second shoulder engageable by said second shoulder of said screw.

7. The assembly defined in claim 5 wherein said adaptor and collar having mating polygonal surfaces for adjusting the adaptor and collar in first angular increments and wherein said abutment port and collar having mating polygonal surfaces for adjusting abutment post and collar in second angular increments different than the angular increments of adjustment between the adaptor and collar.

8. The assembly defined in claim 7 wherein said first angular increments are each forty-five degrees (45.degree.) and said second angular increments are each sixty degrees (60.degree.).

9. The assembly defined in claim 7 wherein said screw has an internal threaded passage and there is further included a second screw receivable through said passage in said post and into said threaded passage of said first screw for engaging and securing the collar relative to the adaptor.

10. The assembly defined in claim 9 wherein said adaptor has in its lower end a polygonal shaped recess to receive and match with a polygonal-shaped projection on an associated implant.

11. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said means for securing said adaptor and collar includes a screw and wherein said adaptor has a passage receiving said screw and said screw is engageable with said adaptor to secure the adaptor relative to an associated implant.

12. The assembly defined in claim 11 wherein said screw has a first external shoulder, and said adaptor has a first shoulder internally about the passage thereof engageable by the first shoulder of the screw.

13. The assembly defined in claim 12 wherein said screw has a second shoulder and said adaptor has a second shoulder engageable by said second shoulder of said screw.

14. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said adaptor and collar having mating polygonal surfaces for adjusting the adaptor and collar in first angular increments and wherein said abutment post and collar having mating polygonal surfaces for adjusting the abutment post and collar in second angular increments different than the angular increments of adjustment between the adaptor and collar.

15. The assembly defined in claim 14 wherein said first angular increments are each forty-five degrees (45.degree.) and said second angular increments are each sixty degrees (60.degree.).

16. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the collar has a shoulder for receiving a portion of a fastener means.

17. The assembly defined in claim 16 wherein said means for securing the adaptor and collar includes a first screw received through aligned passages in the adaptor and collar and wherein said fastener means includes a second screw received in said first screw.

18. The assembly defined in claim 17 wherein said post has a passage for receiving said second screw.

19. An assembly for use in prosthetic implant restorations in dentistry including an implant having an internal implant passage, the assembly comprising in combination: an adaptor chosen to be compatible to and receivable on an associated implant and having a first portion adapted to extend above an implant when in use, an gingival collar to be mounted on the adaptor and having a depth to conform to the depth between a jaw bone and gum line of a particular patient, means for adjusting the relative angular positions of the adaptor and the gingival collar to compensate for angulated implants, an abutment post receivable on the gingival collar and having an external surface dimensioned to receive a crown or a coping, means for adjusting the relative angular positions of the adaptor and an associated implant when mounted on an implant in use to compensate for angulated implants, first means for securing the adaptor to an associated implant when in use, and second means for securing the gingival collar to the adaptor and wherein said abutment post has a passage for receiving a fastening means.

20. The assembly defined in claim 19 wherein said means for securing the adaptor to the implant includes a first screw and wherein said second means for securing the collar to the adaptor includes a second screw.

21. The assembly defined in claim 20 wherein said means for adjusting the relative angular position of the adaptor and implant and the collar and adaptor provide different increments of angular adjustment.

22. The assembly defined in claim 20 wherein said adaptor has a through passage receiving said first screw.

23. The assembly defined in claim 20 wherein said adaptor has an internal threaded passage receiving the first screw.

24. The assembly defined in claim 19 wherein said second means for securing the collar to said adaptor also secures the post to the collar.

25. The assembly defined in claim 19 wherein said post is secured to said collar.

26. The assembly defined in claim 19 wherein said means for adjusting the relative angular positions of the adaptor and implant and the collar and adaptor provide different increments of angular adjustment.

27. The assembly defined in claim 26 wherein said means for adjusting the relative angular position of the adaptor and collar include male and female octagonal socket parts and said means for adjusting the relative angular positions of the adaptor and the implant include male and female hexagonal socket parts.

28. The assembly defined in claims 26 including means for adjusting the relative angular positions of the post and collar.

29. The assembly defined in claim 19 further including means for adjusting relative angular positions of the post and collar.

30. The assembly defined in claim 19 wherein said means for securing the adaptor to the implant includes a first screw having external threads engageable with threads in the passage of the implant, said screw being axially receivable through the adaptor and having a first shoulder engageable with portions of said adaptor.

31. The assembly defined in claim 30 wherein said means for securing the collar to the adaptor includes a second screw receivable through a passage in said post and threads in an internal passage of said first screw.

32. The assembly defined in claim 31 wherein said adaptor and collar have interengageable male and female socket parts and said adaptor and implant also have interengageable male and female socket parts for adjusting the angular position of said post relative to the associated implant.

33. The assembly defined in claim 30 wherein said first shoulder of said screw is engageable with an end portion of said adaptor and wherein said screw has an external shoulder engageable with an interenal shoulder of said adaptor.

34. The assembly defined in claim 19 wherein said means for securing the collar to said adaptor includes a screw and wherein said post passage is in alignment with said implant passage for receiving said screw, said post passage extending at an angle relative to a vertical axis of said post.

35. The assembly defined in claim 34 wherein said angle is between zero and about forty-five degrees.

36. The assembly defined in claim 19 wherein the post has a head shaped for an anterior tooth preparation.

37. The assembly defined in claim 19 wherein the post has a head shaped for a posterior tooth preparation.

38. The assembly defined in claim 19 wherein said post has a head with a chamfer shape.

39. The assembly defined in claim 19 wherein said post has a head with a noncylindrical shape.

40. The assembly defined in claim 19 wherein said abutment post is made from a thermoplastic material to allow precision refinement of the shape thereof.

41. The assembly defined in claim 19 wherein said adaptor has a flange projecting radially outwardly intermediate the ends thereof for receiving the collar, said flange having an inverted generally frusto-conical shape conforming to the slope of the collar at a plane of engagement between the collar and the flange.

42. An assembly for use in prosthetic implant restorations in dentistry including an implant having an internal implant passage, the assembly comprising in combination: an adaptor chosen to be compatible to and receivable on an associated implant and having a first portion adapted to extend above an implant when in use, a gingival collar to be mounted on the adaptor and having a depth to conform to the depth between a jaw bone and gum line of a particular patient, means for adjusting the relative angular positions of the adaptor and the gingival collar to compensate for angulated implants, an abutment post receivable on the gingival collar, means for adjusting the relative angular positions of the adaptor and an associated implant to compensate for angulated implants when in use, first means for securing the adaptor to an associated implant, and second means for securing the gingival collar to the adaptor and wherein said means for securing the adaptor to an associated implant includes a first screw having external threads engageable with threads in the passage of an implant, said screw being axially receivable through the adaptor and having a first shoulder engageable with portions of said adaptor.

43. The assembly defined in claim 42 wherein said means for securing the collar to the adaptor includes a second screw receivable through a passage in said post and threads in an internal passage of said first screw.

44. The assembly defined in claim 43 wherein said adaptor and collar have interengageable male and female socket parts and said adaptor and implant also have interengageable male and female socket parts for adjusting the angular position of said post relative to the associated implant.

45. The assembly defined in claim 42 wherein said first shoulder of said screw is engageable with an end portion of said adaptor and wherein said screw has an external shoulder engageable with an internal shoulder of said adaptor.

46. For use in securing a combined gingival collar and abutment post to a dental implant having an internal axial passage, an adaptor including a rigid body having means for releasably securing the body to an associated implant when in use, said means including an axial passage in the body, a shoulder in the body about said passage in the body and a screw engaged on the shoulder and adapted to be received in an associated implant, said body having a flange intermediate the ends thereof for receiving a combined collar and abutment, said body having on one side of the flange a post dimensioned to extend in an axial passage of a combined gingival collar and abutment for adjusting the relative angular positions between the combined collar and abutment and the adaptor, said post having an octagon-shaped external surface to match a surface on the passage of the combined collar and abutment and wherein said body has in a lower end thereof means including a hexagon-shaped recess for receiving a portion of an implant and for adjusting the angular position of the body relative thereto.

47. For use in securing an abutment post to a dental implant having an internal axial passage, an adaptor constituting a piece separate from the abutment post and implant and adapted to be adjustable relative thereto, said adaptor including a rigid body receivable on an associated implant when in use and having means including a shoulder for receiving a fastener for releasably securing the body on an implant when in use, said body having a flange intermediate the ends thereof for receiving a gingival collar, said body having on one side of the flange a post for receiving said collar, said body having an axially extending through passage for receiving fastener means for securing the collar to the body and the body to an associated implant, and wherein said adaptor body has on a lower end thereof a hexagonal surface for mating with a hexagonal surface on an implant, said post having an octagonal external surface for mating with an octagonal internal surface on a collar, and wherein said adaptor body has a second shoulder on an upper end thereof for receiving fastener means for securing the collar to said body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the prosthodontic restoration of previously placed dental implants whereby a fixture, typically titanium, is surgically implanted in the edentulous area of the alveolar bone as a substitute for a missing natural tooth root.

The use of dental implants has proceeded rapidly since their commercial introduction to the dental community. Initial attention of implant resotration of the mouth was focused on the achieving of a sound integration of the titanium fixtures to the surrounding bone. Success was determined by the degree of this osseointegration. As the field grew in size and scope, a variety of sizes and configurations of implants became available to the dental practitioners. However, in the rush to provide biocompatible fixtures in the mouth, inadequate attention was paid to the needs of the restorative dentist in his role of providing restorations that are esthetic and functional over implants that were more frequently placed at an angle in that they would not be parallel to other implants or natural teeth. As a result, it was left to the restorative dentist to provide a great deal of ingenuity, while enduring time-consuming and expensive procedures in trying to make these implants serviceable and esthetic.

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved collar and post system and a method of restoration for dental implants. Included herein are the methods and apparatus for restoring dental implants in a manner which overcomes the above noted problems.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such methods and apparatus which are applicable to many different styles, types, shapes, and sizes of implants including those presently used in restorative dentistry.

Another object of the present invention is to successfully address those problems of providing esthetic and functional restorations over previously placed angulated or malpositioned implant fixtures.

A further object of the present invention is to provide the ability to restore implants previously placed at angles up to sixty (60.degree.) degrees off of the vertical.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a system that organizes the method by which previously placed implants are restored. The invention supplies methods and apparatus for simplifying the chairside (dentist) and laboratory (technician) tecnhiques necessary to create high quality restorations, while compensating for angulations.

SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In the conventional restoration of implants, sequentially, at the initial surgical visit, the gum tissue is reflected to expose the underlying bone, and a titanium implant fixture is screwed or press fitted into the alveolar bone. Several months later, the gum tissue is opened to expose the implant to the oral environment. At that time and in accordance with the present invention, a universal adapter is chosen and inserted to match the implant in place and secured with an anchor screw; a gingival collar of a height to correspond to the depth of the gum tissue is inserted; a transfer post is placed into the collar; and the post and collar are affixed to each other and to the universal adaptor with a fastener, preferrably a fixation screw. Impressions and bite registrations are taken and sent to a dental laboratory for fabrication of custom abutment heads and overlying crown restorations to ideal esthetic and functional parameters.

The laboratory technician pours a model around the impression, including a soft material around the replicas of the implants and their universal adaptors and gingival collars to represent the gingiva or gum tissue. Once he has the mounted models, the technician surveys the implants to the other teeth in the mouth and/or to other implants, so that all of the abutments are parallel to each other; so that they will provide crowns of natural contour and shape; and so that they will allow a good functional occlusion or bite. The correct gingival collar is chosen in a thermoplastic material, and inserted over the analog of the universal adaptor. Depending upon the degree of angulation of the implant, the technician will choose the correct thermoplastic abutment head to compensate for this angulation and allow "uprighting" of the implant. For small angulations, a precast gingival collar and abutment post may be chosen. For multiple implant abutments, once all of the abutment heads have been affixed to their analogs, the technician does the final "tooth preparation" according to accepted techniques on each post and bonds the thermoplastic collar and abutment head to each other. A precision abutment head to receive the crown or coping is now fabricated by casting the thermoplastic material into gold or other metal. This is done by encompassing it in a special stone with a sprue, and by then burning it out, leaving a space in the stone. The correct gold alloy or other metal is chosen, melted, and driven into the newly created hole. A precision cast abutment post has been created.

Various crowns are created to fit over the abutment posts, depending upon the various prosthetic considerations.

The restorative dentist removes the special healing cap or covering over the implants and their attached universal adaptors, and inserts the implant abutment, which will be in one piece, if it has been cast into gold or will be in one or two pieces if a precast titanium post is used (for smaller angulations). The post will fit over the previously placed universal adaptor that has been affixed to the implant by an anchoring screw which matches the threads of that particular implant and which receives the fixation screw. The combined abutment head and collar is affixed to the adaptor with a fixation screw, and the overlying crown is connected to the abutment head by either cementing it to it or by screwing one to the other.

DRAWINGS

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is an axially exploded view of an implant in place, a type of universal adaptor and its fixation screw, a gingival collar, an abutment post, and a fixation screw in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention illustrating a straight-up or vertical implant;

FIG. 1B is a side elevational view of the assembled parts of FIG. 1A including a crown (final restoration);

FIG. 2A is a view generally similar to FIG. 1A except that it incorporates a modified post head to accomodate the angulation of the implant;

FIG. 2B is a side elevational view of the assembled parts of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3A is a view generally similar to FIG. 2A except that it incorporates a modified post head to accomodate the further angulation of the implant;

FIG. 3B is a side elevational view of the assembled parts of FIG. 3A;

FIG. 4A is another embodiment of the invention at a more severe angulation. With precise fabrication by the laboratory technician, the implant angulation can be corrected by as much as 60.degree.;

FIG. 4B is a side elevational view of the assembled parts of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5A is an exploded view of another embodiment of the invention, showing restoration of an implant when it has been incorrectly placed in a vertical plane in space; the restoration compensates for the positioning of the previously placed implant;

FIG. 5B is a side elevational view of the assembled parts of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6A is an enlarged, exploded, elevational view generally similar to FIG. 1A, but showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a side elevational view of the assembled parts of FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged elevational view of a nonangulated post included in the sytem of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7, but showing another embodiment of a nonangulated post;

FIG. 9A is a view generally similar to FIG. 7 but showing an embodiment of an angulated post in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9B is a side elevational view of FIG. 9A;

FIG. 10A is a view generally similar to FIG. 7 but showing an embodiment of an angulated post in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10B is a side elevational view of FIG. 10A;

FIG. llA is a view generally similar to FIG. 7 but showing an embodiment of an angulated post in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. llB is a side elevational view of FIG. 11A;

FIG. 12A is a view generally similar to FIG. 7 but showing an embodiment of an angulated post in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 12B is a side elevational view of FIG. 12A;

FIG. 13A is a view generally similar to FIG. 7 but showing an embodiment of an angulated post in accordance with the present invention;

FIG.13B is a side elevational view of FIG.13