Tools and methods for expanding a precursor hole in a host material to receive a fixture. The precursor hole is enlarged by a rotary tool having helical flutes and interposed lands. The flutes have a negative rake angle. The lands each have a working edge that cuts the host material when the tool is rotated in a cutting direction, and that condenses the host material when the tool is rotated in a densifying direction. The body of the rotary tool has a stopper section that plugs the hole when a certain depth is reached. When the tool is used with a copious wash of irrigating fluid at or below the necessary depth, hydraulic pressure builds inside the precursor hole. The hydraulic pressure can be advantageously exploited in cutting mode to autograft a slurry of host material particles into the sidewalls of the hole and create an incipient densifying crust.

A double packaging structure for an object, which may be a sterile object, includes a hollow external container having a closed first end, an open second end and walls, and an internal container disposed inside the external container. The internal container includes a hollow body and a cap. The object is intended to be received in the body. To close its first end, the external container has a membrane capable of deforming when pressure is applied to the membrane. The membrane is configured so that a pressure applied to its outer face, along the longitudinal axis, pushes its inner face against the inner container and causes the inner container to exit at the second end of the external container in the absence of a closure system at the second end.

Packaging systems for dental implants and methods for implanting a packaged implant are provided herein. The packaging system includes a housing and a cap forming an enclosure for a dental implant and corresponding healing screw. The housing includes a first and second base portion that interact with a platform that receives a portion of the dental implant to present the dental implant to a user during use.

An orthodontic appliance is rigid to avoid significant flexing due to therapeutic magnetic forces. The orthodontic appliance is magnetically mountable on the lingual or palatal side of teeth of a patient. Magnetic or magnetizable targets are mounted only on the lingual or palatal side of the patient's teeth. Orthodontic components are obscured from view behind the patient's teeth. Orthodontic correction is provided with improved esthetics. Magnets and/or targets can be of custom, designed or selected shapes, including non-planar shapes, to provide a desired force vector.

A dental scaler for use in cleaning dental implants. The scaler includes a handle having a generally central axis extending along the length thereof, a handle tip end affixed to the handle, and a rod affixed to the handle tip end, wherein the rod comprises at least six sections, one angle, and a curved tip.

Methods of manufacturing dental prosthesis/implants each to replace a non-functional natural tooth positioned in a jawbone of a specific pre-identified patient are provided. An example method includes the steps of receiving imaging data such as x-ray image data and surface scan data of a dental anatomy and/or a physical impression of the dental anatomy of a specific preidentified patient. The steps can also include forming a three-dimensional virtual model of at least portions of a non-functional natural tooth positioned in the jawbone of the specific pre-identified patient based on the imaging and surface scan data, virtually designing a dental implant based upon the virtual model, exporting the data describing the designed dental implant to a manufacturing machine, and custom manufacturing the dental implant for the specific patient.

An implant and abutment tooth assembly includes an implant, a rotatable connector, a screw bolt, and a photocurable resin capsule. The implant includes a threaded section and a rotatable adjustment seat, wherein the rotatable adjustment seat has an upper connection portion. The upper connection portion has a groove, two spherical portions, and a receiving trench. The rotatable connector includes a spherical rotation face, two end faces, an abutment, an internal screwing section, and a stepped notch. The screw bolt includes an external screwing section, a rotary head, and a force segment. The external screwing section is screwed with the internal screwing section of the rotatable connector, and the rotary head is movably received in the stepped notch of the rotatable connector. The photocurable resin capsule includes 0.1 g to 0.8 g of light-cured resin and is accommodated in the receiving trench of the implant.

A rack organizes dental implant containers both when housed within intermediate packaging and when removed therefrom, being arranged according to a tooth intended to receive the dental implant within the container. The rack includes: upper and lower flanges, and a connecting flange that separates the upper and lower flanges. The upper flange and connecting flange are each formed with a plurality of openings shaped to receive the dental implant container therethrough when the container is removed from the intermediate packaging. The openings may each have first and second slots to accommodate receiving a container therethrough when housed within intermediate packaging. The lower flange may removably couple to a base with a plurality of recesses, being usable to assist with restorative procedures relating to fixing dental implants, and may be removably coupled to the lower flange with the plurality recesses aligned with a plurality of openings in the lower flange.

Disclosed is a low-cost, scalable and highly repeatable approach to fabricate polystyrene films with three-dimensional nanopyramids on the surface. The nanopyramids have tubable aspect ratio and anti-bacterial performance. The effectiveness of the nanopyramids on bacterial and fungi growth inhibition and the role of nanostructure aspect ratio are confirmed via through scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results show an excellent antibacterial performance with more than 90% reduction in E. coli population in all nanopyramid samples after a 168-hr prolonged incubation time. The nanopyramid film developed here can be used for the clinical and commercial applications to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria on various surfaces.

Mechanisms for securing an abutment, removable prosthesis, and/or a fixed prosthesis to an implant without screws or cement are provided. At least a portion of an abutment and/or a fixed prosthesis may be formed from a resilient material to enable the abutment and/or the fixed prosthesis to be secured to secured to the implant without screws or cement. Alternatively, a removable prosthesis may include a spring-loaded snap fastener for securing the removable prosthesis to an implant without screws or cement. The spring-loaded snap fastener may include a metal coil having at least three turns disposed in a same plane. The spring-loaded snap fastener may secure the removable prosthesis to the implant by at least gripping a groove disposed at least a partially around an interface between the removable prosthesis and the implant.