GINGIVA FORMER, BITE SUPPORT AND DENTAL HEALING SYSTEM

Abstract

A gingiva former (1) comprises an implant fixing structure (11) configured to fix the gingiva former (1) to an implant construction fixed to a jaw of a patient, and an emergence profile portion (12) configured to be positioned within a gingiva of the patient when the gingiva former (1) is mounted to the implant construction. It further comprises a mounting structure (13) configured to connect an intermediate element to the gingiva former (1) such that the intermediate element extends towards an oral cavity of the patient when the gingiva former (1) is mounted to the implant construction. The mounting structure (13) has a clipping geometry (131) configured to snap-fit with a corresponding clipping structure of the intermediate element to temporarily mount the intermediate element to the gingiva former (1).

Claims

1. A gingiva former comprising: an implant fixing structure configured to fix the gingiva former to an implant construction fixed to a jaw of a patient; an emergence profile portion configured to be positioned within a gingiva of the patient when the gingiva former is mounted to the implant construction; and a mounting structure configured to connect an intermediate element to the gingiva former such that the intermediate element extends towards an oral cavity of the patient when the gingiva former is mounted to the implant construction, wherein the mounting structure comprises a clipping geometry configured to snap-fit with a corresponding clipping structure of the intermediate element to temporarily mount the intermediate element to the gingiva former.

2. The gingiva former of claim 1, wherein the clipping geometry is configured as a female portion of a clipping connection.

3. The gingiva former of claim 1, wherein the mounting structure comprises a socket with an aperture and a rounded circumferential sidewall section.

4. The gingiva former of claim 3, wherein the rounded circumferential sidewall section of the socket of the mounting structure is concave.

5. The gingiva former of claim 1, wherein the mounting structure comprises at least one further connection geometry in addition to the clipping geometry that is configured to temporarily mount a further intermediate element to the gingiva former.

6. The gingiva former of claim 5, wherein the at least one further connection geometry comprises a thread structure configured to screw the further intermediate element to the gingiva former.

7. The gingiva former of claim 6, wherein the mounting structure comprises a socket with an aperture and a rounded circumferential sidewall section, and wherein the thread structure comprises an internal thread arranged in the socket.

8. The gingiva former of claim 7, wherein the internal thread of the thread structure is axially distinct from the rounded circumferential sidewall section of the mounting structure.

9. The gingiva former of claim 1, wherein the implant fixing structure comprises a bore with a head section and a shank section configured to receive a screw such that a shank of the screw extends through the shank section of the bore and a head of the screw abuts the head section of the screw when the screw is driven into the implant construction for fixing the gingiva former to the implant construction.

10. The gingiva former of claim 1, wherein the implant fixing structure is located at an apical end region of the gingiva former and the mounting structure is located at another end region opposite to the implant fixing structure.

11. The gingiva former of claim 1, wherein the mounting structure comprises an indexing formation configured to index the orientation of the intermediate element when connected to the gingiva former.

12. A bite support for assisting support of a relation of jaws to each other while determining a given occlusion, comprising: a gingiva former mounting at an apical end region; and a receptacle configured to receive a mass for adjusting a vertical dimension of an occlusion at an occlusal end region.

13. The bite support of claim 12, wherein the gingiva former mounting comprises a clipping structure configured to snap-fit with a corresponding clipping geometry of a gingiva former to temporarily mount the bite support to the gingiva former, the gingiva former including an implant fixing structure configured to fix the gingiva former to an implant construction fixed to a jaw of a patient, an emergence profile portion configured to be positioned within a gingiva of the patient when the gingiva former is mounted to the implant construction, and a mounting structure configured to connect an intermediate element to the gingiva former such that the intermediate element extends towards an oral cavity of the patient when the gingiva former is mounted to the implant construction, wherein the mounting structure comprises a clipping geometry configured to snap-fit with a corresponding clipping structure of the intermediate element to temporarily mount the intermediate element to the gingiva former.

14. The bite support of claim 13, wherein the clipping structure is configured as a male portion of a clipping connection.

15. The bite support of claim 13, wherein the gingiva former mounting comprises a punch with a rounded circumferential sidewall section and a flat apical end.

16. The bite support of claim 15, wherein the rounded circumferential sidewall section of the punch of the gingiva former mounting is convex.

17. The bite support of claim 12, wherein the gingiva former mounting comprises an indexing formation configured to index an orientation of the bite support when connected to the gingiva former.

18. A dental healing system comprising a gingiva former according to claim 1 and at least one intermediate element.

19. The dental healing system of claim 18, wherein the at least one intermediate element comprises a bite support having a gingiva former mounting at an apical end region, and a receptacle configured to receive a mass for adjusting a vertical dimension of an occlusion at an occlusal end region.

20. The dental healing system of claim 18, wherein the at least one intermediate element comprises a scan body having a gingiva former mounting at an apical end region and a geometric formation configured to be scanned by an intra oral scanning device such that an orientation of the scan body is determinable at an occlusal end region of the scan body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The dental healing system according to the invention, the gingiva former according to the invention and the bite support according to the invention are described in more detail herein below by way of exemplary embodiments and with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a top view on an embodiment of a gingiva former according to the invention of an embodiment of a dental healing system according to the invention;

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the gingiva former of FIG. 1;

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view along the line A-A of the gingiva former of FIG. 1;

[0048] FIG. 4 shows a bottom view on an embodiment of a bite support according to the invention of the dental healing system of FIG. 1;

[0049] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the bite support of FIG. 4;

[0050] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view along the line A-A of the bite support of FIG. 5;

[0051] FIG. 7 shows a bottom view on an embodiment of a scan body of the dental healing system of FIG. 1;

[0052] FIG. 8 shows a side view of the scan body of FIG. 7;

[0053] FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view along the line A-A of the bite support of FIG. 8;

[0054] FIG. 10 shows a side view of the dental healing system of FIG. 1 in which the scan body of FIG. 7 is mounted to the gingiva former of FIG. 1; and

[0055] FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view along the line A-A of the dental healing system of FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0056] In the following description certain terms are used for reasons of convenience and are not intended to limit the invention. The terms “right”, “left”, “up”, “down”, “under” and “above” refer to directions in the figures. The terminology comprises the explicitly mentioned terms as well as their derivations and terms with a similar meaning. Also, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath”, “below”, “lower”, “above”, “upper”, “proximal”, “distal”, and the like, may be used to describe one element's or feature's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. These spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different positions and orientations of the devices in use or operation in addition to the position and orientation shown in the figures. For example, if a device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be “above” or “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can encompass both positions and orientations of above and below. The devices may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. Likewise, descriptions of movement along and around various axes includes various special device positions and orientations.

[0057] To avoid repetition in the figures and the descriptions of the various aspects and illustrative embodiments, it should be understood that many features are common to many aspects and embodiments. Omission of an aspect from a description or figure does not imply that the aspect is missing from embodiments that incorporate that aspect. Instead, the aspect may have been omitted for clarity and to avoid prolix description. In this context, the following applies to the rest of this description: If, in order to clarify the drawings, a figure contains reference signs which are not explained in the directly associated part of the description, then it is referred to previous or following description sections. Further, for reason of lucidity, if in a drawing not all features of a part are provided with reference signs it is referred to other drawings showing the same part. Like numbers in two or more figures represent the same or similar elements.

[0058] FIG. 1 shows a top view on an embodiment of a gingiva former 1 according to the invention of an embodiment of a dental healing system according to the invention. The gingiva former 1 has a circular outer circumference and a central through hole or channel extending in an axial direction of the gingiva former 1. The through hole is shaped to embody different functional features to the gingiva former 1. In particular, the through hole is designed to form a socket 14 with an aperture 141 at an occlusal end 161, a central apically ending shank section 112 and an indexing recess 15.

[0059] As can be better seen in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, perspectively and cross-sectionally depicting the gingiva former 1, the through hole extends axially through the complete gingiva former 1 and establishes a mounting structure 13 and the indexing recess 15 axially adjacent to the occlusal end 161 as well as an implant fixing structure 11 neighbouring the mounting structure 13 and extending to an apical end 162. The mounting structure 13 has an upper clipping geometry 131 and a lower thread structure 132. The clipping geometry 131 has a rounded concave sidewall 1311. The indexing recess 15 has the shape of a section of a cylinder and extends from the occlusal end 161 through the clipping geometry 131. The concave sidewall 1311 circumferentially extends, wherein it is interrupted by the indexing recess 15. The thread structure 132 comprises an inner thread 1321.

[0060] The implant fixing structure 11 of the gingiva former 1 has a lower cylindrical shank section 112 and an upper head section 111. The head section 111 is equipped with a conical abutting portion 1112 and a cylindrical spacer portion 1111 adjacent to the mounting structure 13. As will be described in more detail below, the implant fixing structure 11 is embodied to receive a screw 4 (not visible in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3) for fixing the gingiva former 1 to an implant.

[0061] Exteriorly, the gingiva former 12 establishes an emergence profile portion 12 which is formed by an outer surface 121. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the outer surface 121 of the emergence profile portion 12 is downwardly tapering in a slightly bent fashion. Like this, in some specific situations, the soft tissue can advantageously be prepared or formed during a healing process after setting the implant into a jaw of a patient.

[0062] In FIG. 4 an embodiment of a bite support 2 according to the invention is shown as a possible intermediate element of the dental healing system of FIG. 1. In particular, FIG. 4 is a view to the bottom or an apical end 252 of the bite support 2.

[0063] The bite support 2 comprises a gingiva former mounting 21 with a central punch 211 having a rounded side wall 212 as clipping structure. A cylindrical indexing bore 24 is arranged at an outer radial end of the punch 211 such that a portion of the indexing bore 24 extends into the punch 211 and another portion not.

[0064] As can be seen in FIG. 5, the bite support 2 comprises a body 22 above the gingiva former mounting 21. The body 22 has a cylindrical outer circumference and forms an occlusal end 251 of the bite support 2. A lower portion of the indexing bore 24 is formed in the punch 211 as cylinder section. The rounded side wall 212 of the gingiva former 2 outwardly extends and, thus, is convex.

[0065] FIG. 6 shows a cross sectional view of the bite support 2 such that the interior of the body 22 is visible. In particular, the body is equipped with in internal receptacle 23 into which, in use of the bite support 2, a mass for adjusting a vertical dimension of occlusion can be placed. Therefore, the receptacle 23 is open at the occlusal end 251 of the bite support 2. The indexing bore 24 extends downwardly from the receptacle 23 through the body 22 towards the gingiva former mounting 21. In the body 22, the indexing bore 24 is cylindrical.

[0066] In FIG. 7 an embodiment of a scan body 3 is shown as a further possible intermediate element of the dental healing system of FIG. 1. More specifically, FIG. 7 is a view to a bottom or an apical end 352 of the scan body 3.

[0067] The scan body 3 comprises a gingiva former mounting 31 and an indexing bore 34 analogously embodied as in the bite support 2 described above. In particular, the gingiva former mounting 31 of the scan body 3 has a central punch 311 with a rounded side wall 312 as clipping structure. The cylindrical indexing bore 34 is arranged at an outer radial end of the punch 311 such that a portion of the indexing bore 34 extends into the punch 311 and another portion not.

[0068] FIG. 8 shows that the scan body 3 comprises a body 32 above the gingiva former mounting 31. The body 32 has a cylindrical lower portion which has a flat inclined scan surface 322 axially above indexing bore 34. From where the scan surface 322 ends, a stem 321 of the body 32 upwardly extends from the lower portion of the body 32. Compared to the lower portion, the stem 321 has a reduced diameter and is arranged out of axis of the scan body 3. Un upper end of the stem 321 forms an occlusal end 352 of the scan body 3.

[0069] A lower portion of the indexing bore 34 is formed in the punch 311 as cylinder section. The rounded side wall 312 of the punch 311 of the scan body 3 outwardly extends and, thus, is convex.

[0070] In FIG. 9 a cross section of the scan body 3 is shown. In this Fig. it can bee seen that the body 32 is mainly solid. Only the indexing bore 34 provides a hollow cylinder extending from the gingiva former mounting 31 towards the scan surface 322. The indexing bore 34 is open at its bottom end and closed at its top end.

[0071] FIG. 10 shows a side view and FIG. 11 a cross-sectional view of an assembly of the scan body 3 of FIG. 7 and the gingiva former 1 of FIG. 1 as well as a screw 4 provided in the gingiva former 1.

[0072] In particular, the screw 4 having an upper head 42 with a conical abutting surface 421 and a lower shank 41 having an end with an outer thread 411 is arranged in the socket of the gingiva former 1. Thereby, the head 42 is positioned in the head section 111 of the implant fixing structure 11 and an upper portion of the shank 41 in the shank section 112 of the implant fixing structure 11. The shank 41 downwardly extends out of the gingiva former 1.

[0073] In use, the outer thread 411 is screwed into a corresponding inner thread of an implant which is set in the jaw of the patient. Thereby, the abutting surface 421 of the head 42 of the screw 4 contacts the abutting portion 1112 of the head section 111 of the implant fixing structure 11. Like this, the gingiva former 1 is pressed to the implant such that it is fixed to the implant.

[0074] The scan body 3 is pushed top down onto the gingiva former 1 until the gingiva former mounting 31 of the scan body snap-fits into the clipping geometry 131 of the mounting structure 13 of the gingiva former 1. In particular, the gingiva former mounting 31 is forwarded into the clipping geometry 131 such that the convex outer surface 312 of the gingiva former mounting 31 is arranged inside and lies adjacent the concave side wall 1311 of the clipping geometry 131. Like this, a push-button like form-fit connection is established between the gingiva former 1 and the scan body 3. By means of the indexing bore 34 of the scan body 3 and the indexing recess 15 of the gingiva former 1 the orientation of the scan body 3 on the gingiva former 1 and, thus, on the implant is determined.

[0075] This description and the accompanying drawings that illustrate aspects and embodiments of the present invention should not be taken as limiting-the claims defining the protected invention. In other words, while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. Various mechanical, compositional, structural, electrical, and operational changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this description and the claims. In some instances, well-known circuits, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the invention. Thus, it will be understood that changes and modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill within the scope and spirit of the following claims. In particular, the present invention covers further embodiments with any combination of features from different embodiments described above and below.

[0076] The disclosure also covers all further features shown in the Figs. individually although they may not have been described in the afore or following description. Also, single alternatives of the embodiments described in the figures and the description and single alternatives of features thereof can be disclaimed from the subject matter of the invention or from disclosed subject matter. The disclosure comprises subject matter consisting of the features defined in the claims or the exemplary embodiments as well as subject matter comprising said features.

[0077] Furthermore, in the claims the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. A single unit or step may fulfil the functions of several features recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. The terms “essentially”, “about”, “approximately” and the like in connection with an attribute or a value particularly also define exactly the attribute or exactly the value, respectively. The term “about” in the context of a given numerate value or range refers to a value or range that is, e.g., within 20%, within 10%, within 5%, or within 2% of the given value or range. Components described as coupled or connected may be electrically or mechanically directly coupled, or they may be indirectly coupled via one or more intermediate components. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.