An approach is disclosed that involves creating an implant-supported prosthesis that is dynamically guided into position using an image-guided navigation system into position in a patient's mouth without the use of a surgical guide.

A dental implant is described and includes a threaded coronal portion having a top hollow part with a cavity and an opening in a top portion of the hollow part, wherein the top hollow part is defined by sacrificial walls of the coronal portion, wherein a width of the cavity and the opening allows insertion of a cutting element of a dental saw into the cavity.

A dental implant system including a dental implant (1) and an associated implant analog (50), the implant extending along a longitudinal axis (L.sub.I) from an apical end (101) to a coronal end (102) and having an external surface for anchoring and osseointegrating in bone, a coronal end portion (105) having abutment connection geometry for cooperating with an abutment which can be seated in one or more defined positions on the implant, the abutment connection geometry having a coronally facing abutment contact surface (128) which extends around the full circumference of the implant, and in use directly contacts the abutment and provides a stop defining the axial location of the abutment relative to the implant, the coronal end portion further having a coronally facing prosthesis contact surface (129) located radially beyond the abutment contact surface, the prosthesis contact surface being a continuous surface extending around the full circumference of the implant. The associated analog (50) has an external surface comprising an anti-rotation section (53) having a non-circular symmetric cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis for non-rotational fixation in a dental model, an analog head (55) located at the coronal end of the analog, the head having abutment connection geometry for cooperating with the abutment so that it is seatable in the same one or more defined positions on the analog as on the implant. The abutment contact surface of the analog has the same longitudinal cross-section and radial location relative to its longitudinal axis as at least a portion of the abutment contact surface of the implant about the entire circumference of the analog, such that the abutment contact surface of the analog matches at least a part of the abutment contact surface of the implant about its entire circumference, and the prosthesis contact surface of the analog has the same longitudinal cross-section and location relative to its abutment contact surface and longitudinal axis as one or more portion of the prosthesis contact surface of the implant, such that the prosthesis contact surface of the analog matches one or more part of the prosthesis contact surface of the implant. In comparison to the prosthesis contact surface of the implant, the prosthesis contact surface of the analog is discontinuous in at least the circumferential and/or radial direction.

A dental insert consists of a spherical body of a medical grade elastomer. The body has a circumference with a plurality of outwardly extending projections of uniform size and shape distributed evenly about the circumference. The body is not more than 10 mm in diameter, as measured from an outer extremity of the projections. This dental insert has application in implant dentistry and endodontics.

Dental implants including radiopaque markers provided therein or thereon. The implant may also include customizable length characteristics. For example, a kit may include implants with different diameters (e.g., 3 diameters), where all of the implants are of a single (e.g., long) length. The appropriate diameter implant may be selected from the kit by the practitioner, and the long length implant may be cut (e.g., with a dental drill) to the appropriate length needed. The implants include radiopaque markers on or within the implant. For example, three series of markers may be provided on different faces of the implant, so that the three series of markers serve as reference points when scanning, allowing triangulation of the exact position of the implant in relation to the surrounding hard and soft oral tissues.

The invention relates to a method for contructing at least one dental prosthetic part (20) or a bracket, with at least one adhesive surface (2), in which a 3D model (1) is made of the dental prosthetic part (20). Recesses (3,9,12,15,29,31) are constructed on the adhesive surface (2) of the 3D model (1).

A kit and method for tracking a human jaw are provided. The kit and method can involve a bone screw and an extension arm. The bone screw has a threaded portion, a head portion and a longitudinal axis. The threaded portion can have a thread diameter of less than or equal to about 2.5 mm and can be inserted into a bone of the human jaw within 45 of the occlusal plane. The head portion protrudes out of the bone of the human jaw when the threaded portion is inserted into the bone. The extension arm can be rigidly secured to the head portion of the bone screw to maintain a fixed spatial mapping between the head portion of the bone screw and an optically detectable marking provided on the extension arm. When secured to the head portion of the bone screw, the extension arm can be positioned such that the optically detectable marking is detectable by an optical tracking system positioned outside the mouth containing the jaw bone.

A new dental implant system with positive abutment screw locking and retrieval mechanisms is provided. The abutment screw is positively locked by a keying pin to improve fatigue life. The abutment screw is also equipped with a special feature that greatly improves the retrievability of the broken screw from inside the implant. In addition, the keying pin is designed with a lock nut as a sub-assembly for ease of installation.

Actuator systems for oral-based appliances utilizing transducers which are attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a dental or oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such oral appliances may be a custom-made device which receives incoming sounds and transmits the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element. The transducer element may utilize electromagnetic or piezoelectric transducer mechanisms and may be positioned directly along the dentition or along an oral appliance housing in various configurations.

PROCEDURE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL TRACEABILITY OF DENTAL IMPLANT PARTS AND UNITARY IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING THIS PROCEDURE that comprises: the association of each part (1), which is manufactured with a single identification code (2); the incorporation of that code (2) into the individual packaging (3) in which the part (1) is distributed and marketed, recorded on a radio frequency label (5) and/or printed on an adhesive label (6); and the implementation of specific management software in a website (4) on the Internet that associated the code (2) with traceability information of each specific part (1), associates implants with accessories and provides a user with access to it in that website (4). The unitary identification system consists of a code (2) that is unique and different for each part (1), which is a numerical code, and the specific management software that associates each code (2) with the traceability information of each part (1).