MOLDING DEVICE FOR A DENTAL IMPLANT

Abstract

An impression device for a dental implant includes an impression cap having a first connection opening extending along a longitudinal axis and a first connecting section, and a connector element for fixing the cap relative to the implant. An impression abutment has an abutment body having, on a first side, an end face to be attached to the implant and, on a second side lying along the longitudinal axis from the first side, a second connecting section for connecting to the first connecting section. The impression abutment further has a second connecting opening extending along the longitudinal axis and, in a fitted position, in which the impression abutment and the cap are attached to one another, aligned along the longitudinal axis with the first connection opening that the connector element can be guided through the first connection opening and the second connection opening for connecting to the dental implant.

Claims

1. An impression device (2) for a dental implant (1), having an impression cap (21) which has a first connection opening (213) extending along a longitudinal axis (L) and a first connecting section (212), and a connector element (22) for fixing the impression cap (21) relative to the dental implant (1), comprising an impression abutment (20) having an abutment body (200) which, on a first side, has a front surface (206) to be attached to the dental implant (1) and, on a second side lying along the longitudinal axis (L) from the first side, a second connecting portion (204) for connecting to the first connecting portion (212) of the impression cap (2), wherein the impression abutment (20) has a second connection opening (203) extending along the longitudinal axis (L) which, in a set position, in which the impression abutment (20) and the impression cap (21) are attached to one another, is aligned along the longitudinal axis (L) with the first connection opening (213) of the impression cap (21) such that the connector element (22) can be guided through the first connection opening (212) and the second connection opening (203) for connection to the dental implant (1).

2. The impression device (2) according to claim 1, wherein the impression cap (21) can be removed from the impression abutment (20) at an angle (13) to the longitudinal axis (L) not equal to 0°.

3. The impression device (2) according to claim 1, wherein the second connecting section (204) extends under an angle (a) not equal to 0° to the longitudinal axis (L).

4. The impression device (2) according claim 1, wherein the second connecting section (204) has a conical shape.

5. The impression device (2) according to claim 1, wherein the second connecting section (204) has the shape of a truncated cone.

6. The impression device (2) according to claim 1, wherein the first connecting section (212) is shaped complementary to the second connecting section (204).

7. The impression device (2) according to claim 1, wherein the second connecting section (204) has at least one form-fitting element (202) for connecting the impression abutment to the impression cap (21) in the attached position in a rotationally fixed manner.

8. The impression device (2) according to claim 7, wherein the second connecting section (204) has a plurality of form-fit elements (202) arranged regularly with respect to one another about the longitudinal axis (L).

9. The impression device (2) according to claim 1, wherein the impression abutment (20) has a shaft (201) which protrudes from the abutment body (200) on the first side along the longitudinal axis (L) and can be inserted into a plug-in opening of the dental implant (1).

10. The impression device (2) according to claim 9, wherein the shaft (201) has at least one anti-rotation element (202) for connection to the dental implant (1) in a rotationally fixed manner.

11. The impression device (2) according to claim 1, wherein the connector element (22) has a screw end (223) to be connected to the dental implant (1) in a screwing manner.

Description

[0037] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures. Shown is:

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of impression devices on dental implants on a bone structure of a patient;

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a view of an impression device on a dental implant;

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a partially sectioned view of the arrangement according to FIG. 2;

[0041] FIG. 4 shows a separate view of an impression abutment of the impression device;

[0042] FIG. 5 shows a partially sectioned view of the impression abutment;

[0043] FIG. 6 shows a sectional view through a shaft of the impression abutment;

[0044] FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a dental implant;

[0045] FIG. 8 shows a plan view of the dental implant; and

[0046] FIG. 9 shows a schematic view of an impression device after attachment of one impression compound.

[0047] FIG. 1 shows, in a schematic view, a bone structure K of a jaw bone of a patient in which dental implants 1 are implanted for releasable fastening, for example, of a prosthesis, a crown or bridge.

[0048] In general, for providing, for example, a prosthesis, dental implants 1 are first implanted into the jaw bone of a patient, in order then, after implantation, to shape the dental implants 1 and to produce the prosthesis on the basis of a negative mold thus obtained. The prosthesis is produced in particular on the basis of the actual positioning and alignment of the dental implants 1, so that the prosthesis can be attached to the implanted dental implants 1 as intended and can be fixed to the dental implants 1.

[0049] For molding, impression devices 2 are used, which—in the exemplary embodiment shown—consists of an impression abutment 20 attached to the respective dental implant 1, an impression cap 21 and a connector element 22 in the form of a screw connecting the impression cap 21 and the impression abutment 20 to the dental implant 1. Here, an impression device 2 is arranged on each dental implant 1, so that an impression compound A for obtaining a negative mold can be attached to the impression devices 2, in particular the impression caps 21 of the impression devices 2, and the position and orientation of each dental implant 1 in the negative form can thus be displayed via the impression devices 2.

[0050] As can be seen from FIG. 1, dental implants 1 with implant axes A1, A2 that differ considerably from one another can be implanted into the bone structure K of a jaw bone. Against this background, it is desirable, despite existing deviations in the implant axes of dental implants, to allow the impression cap 21 to be separated as far as possible from the respective dental implant 1 in order to permit a simple, exact shaping.

[0051] This is achieved in the molding device 2 proposed here in that the impression cap 21 is functionally separated from the impression abutment 20 and the impression device 2—together with the impression abutment 20, the impression cap 21 and the connector element 22—is thus formed in three parts. The impression cap 21 is not attached directly to the dental implant 1, but with the intermediate position of the impression abutment 20 in such a way that the impression abutment 20 is connected to the dental implant 1 and the impression cap 21 bears against the impression abutment 20.

[0052] During molding, the impression compound A is placed in particular around the impression caps 21 of the impression devices 2, so that the impression caps 21 are accommodated in the impression compound A, as can be seen from FIG. 9. The impression caps 21 each have a body 210 with a collar section 211 projecting radially on a side facing away from the impression abutment 20, via which collar section a fixed, form-fitting connection is created between each impression cap 21 and the impression compound A.

[0053] When the impression compound A is applied, the connector element 22 (optionally with removal of a so-called spoon) of each impression device 2 remains accessible from the outside in such a way that, after curing of the impression compound A, the connector elements 22 of the impression devices 1 can be released and the cured impression compound A can thus be removed together with the impression caps 21 along a removal direction E from the impression abutments 20 and thus from the dental implants 1.

[0054] As can be seen from a combination of FIGS. 2 to 5, the impression abutment 20 of each impression device 2, on a side of an abutment body 200 facing away from the dental implant 1, has a conical connecting portion 204 in the form of a truncated cone, on which, when the impression cap 21 is attached, an associated complementary connecting portion 212 in the form of a conical engagement recess of the impression cap 21 comes to lie.

[0055] The cone angle a of the connecting section 204 (and correspondingly the complementary cone angle of the connecting section 212 of the impression cap 21) can lie, for example, in a range between 30° and 60°, for example at 45°.

[0056] However, it is also conceivable and possible to design the connecting portions along a plane extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis L and thus not to be conical, but rather substantially flat.

[0057] Form-fit elements 205 in the form of raised wedge sections, which are separated from one another by groove-shaped depressions extending radially to a longitudinal axis L, are formed on the connecting section 204 of the impression abutment 20. Complementary form-fit elements are formed on the connecting section 212 on the inside of the impression cap 21 so that, by engagement of the form-fitting elements 205 of the impression abutment 20 in the complementary form-fitting elements on the connecting portion 212 of the impression cap 21, the impression abutment 20 and the impression cap 21 are fixed in a fixed position relative to one another in a rotationally fixed manner.

[0058] A shaft 201 projects from the abutment body 200 along the longitudinal axis L and can be plugged into an associated plug opening 11 of the dental implant 1, as can be seen from a combination of FIGS. 5 to 8. The shaft 201 extends axially along the longitudinal axis L and projects from the abutment body 200 in such a way that the shaft 201 engages in the insertion opening 11 in a position connected to the dental implant 1 and a front face 206 comes to rest on an associated contact surface 100 on the end face of the dental implant 1 on a side of the abutment body 200 facing away from the connecting section 204, as can be seen in particular from FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0059] The shaft 201, on its outer lateral surface, has anti-rotation elements 202 in the form of webs which extend parallel to the longitudinal axis L and which, for the rotationally secured connection of the impression abutment 20 to the dental implant 1, engage in associated anti-rotation elements 110 in the form of groove-shaped depressions on a wall of the dental implant 1 surrounding the insertion opening 11, as is shown in FIG. 6 (which represents the shaft 201 in cross section) in combination with FIG. 8 (which represents a plan view of the dental implant 1).

[0060] For fastening the impression device 2 to an associated dental implant 1, the impression abutment 20 is attached to the dental implant 1 together with the impression cap 21. The connector element 22 is then connected to shaft sections 220, 222 by connecting openings 203 extending along the longitudinal axis L and aligned with one another, 213 of the impression cap 21 and of the impression abutment 20 and screwed into an associated screw opening 12 within the dental implant 1 via a screw 223 on the shaft portion 222. By means of a step 221 formed between the shaft sections 220, 222, the impression cap 21 and the impression abutment 20 are thereby fixed to one another and to the dental implant 1.

[0061] The impression abutment 20 is shaped in such a way that it can be accommodated substantially in the gums Z of a patient when placed on an associated dental implant 1, as can be seen, for example, from FIG. 9. Accordingly, the height H1 (see FIG. 3) of the impression abutment 20 can be dimensioned such that a parting line T between the impression abutment 20 and the impression cap 21 comes to lie approximately at the level of the outer side of the gum in the case of conventional conditions.

[0062] By contrast, the impression cap 21 is intended to be surrounded by the impression compound A and remain in the negative mold thus obtained after curing of the impression compound A. The height H2 of the impression cap 21 is adapted for a secure hold in the impression compound A and can, for example, also be significantly larger than shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0063] In order to remove the cured impression compound A, a user can access the head 224 of the connector element 22 of each impression device 2 in order to release the screw connection and thereby allow the impression cap 21 to be separated from the respective impression abutment 20.

[0064] Due to the fact that the connecting sections 204, 212 are formed at an angle to the longitudinal axis L of the impression device 2, the impression cap 21 and the impression abutment 20 can be removed from one another without stress, even if the removal direction E—for example in the case of implant axes A1, A2 which are not oriented parallel to one another—differs from the longitudinal axis L of the impression device 2 within an angle cone g (see FIG. 9).

[0065] Since the impression abutment 20 remains on the dental implant 1 when the impression cap 21 is removed, damage in particular in the region of the gingiva Z and also on the dental implant 1 when the cured impression compound A is removed is avoided. After removal of the cured impression compound A, each impression abutment 20 can be removed from the respective dental implant 1 in a gentle manner, with the shaft 201 being pulled out of the insertion opening 11 of the associated dental implant 1.

[0066] The idea on which the invention is based is not restricted to the exemplary embodiments described above, but can also be implemented in completely different embodiments.

[0067] An impression device of the type described here can generally be used for a dental prosthesis in the case of toothless patients, but also for other implant-supplied situations in the orthodontic treatment. In this context, shaping can be used not only for producing a prosthesis, but also for individual tooth situations (crowns) and supplies from two implants (bridges).

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0068] 1 Dental implant

[0069] 10 Implant body

[0070] 100 Abutment surface

[0071] 11 Plug-in opening

[0072] 110 Anti-rotation element

[0073] 12 Screw opening

[0074] 2 Impression device

[0075] 20 Impression abutment

[0076] 200 Abutment body

[0077] 201 stem

[0078] 202 Anti-rotation element

[0079] 203 Connection opening

[0080] 204 Connecting section

[0081] 205 Form-fit element

[0082] 206 End face

[0083] 21 Impression cap

[0084] 210 body

[0085] 211 Collar section

[0086] 212 Connecting section

[0087] 213 Connecting opening

[0088] 22 Connector element

[0089] 220 Shaft section

[0090] 221 Step

[0091] 222 Shaft section

[0092] 223 Screw end

[0093] 224 head

[0094] A Impression compound

[0095] A1, A2 implant axis

[0096] α angle

[0097] β angle

[0098] E Removal direction

[0099] K Bone structure

[0100] L Longitudinal axis

[0101] T separation line

[0102] Z Gingiva