INTERFACE ELEMENT FOR DENTAL PROSTHESES

Abstract

An interface element for dental prostheses, having a hollow cylindrical body with two different sections, one lower section (a) of greater outer diameter and another upper section (b) of smaller outer diameter, each provided externally with retention circular grooves (2). The element had an internal seat (4) for a screw head (5) which fixes the implant, and a lower base (6). A side mortise (7) is provided that covers the upper section (b) and provides a side opening for the inclined entrance of the screw (5) and screwdriver (8).

Claims

1. An interface element for dental prostheses, configured from a hollow cylindrical body comprising: an internal seat (4) for a screw head (5) of a screw configured to be inserted inside the interface element so as to fix the interface element to an implant by screwing; a lower base (6) having a perimeter lip; wherein the hollow cylindrical body comprises a vertical cylindrical wall that is incomplete due to a mortise (7), the mortise defining a side opening in the cylindrical wall configured to allow a variable inclined entrance of the screw (5) and a screwdriver (8) for threading said screw (5), wherein the side opening is opposite an inner surface of the vertical cylindrical wall.

2. The element, according to claim 1, wherein the side opening has a height sufficient to allow the variable inclined entrance of both the screw (5) and the screwdriver (8) with an inclination from an angle of 0 to up to an angle of 30, with respect to a central axis of the cylindrical body.

3. The element, according to claim 1, wherein the side opening has a width of up to 180 and allows freedom of lateral movement of the screwdriver (8) of up to 90.

4. The element, according to claim 1, comprising two flat outer surfaces (9) formed at diametrically opposed sides of a lower section (a) of the circular body to provide a positioning reference and better retention of the prosthesis (3) on the interface (1).

5. The element according to claim 1, wherein the seat (4) for the screw head is straight or tapered.

6. The element, according to claim 1, wherein the side opening has a width of about 180.

7. The element, according to claim 2, comprising two flat outer surfaces formed at diametrically opposed sides of a lower section (a) of the circular body providing a positioning reference and better retention of the prosthesis (3) on the interface (1).

8. The element, according to claim 3, comprising two flat outer surfaces formed on diametrically opposed sides of a lower section (a) of the circular body to provide a positioning reference and better retention of the structure of the prosthesis (3) on the interface (1).

9. An interface element for dental prostheses, configured from a hollow cylindrical body comprising: an internal seat for a screw head of a screw configured to be inserted inside the interface element so as to fix to an implant; and a perimeter outwardly extending lip at a lower portion of the cylindrical body; wherein an upper portion of the cylindrical body is in the form of an incomplete cylindrical structure about a cylindrical axis defined by an internal cylindrical wall of less than 360 degrees that extends parallel to the cylindrical axis until terminating at a distal open free end opposite to the lower portion, and wherein the cylindrical wall is made incomplete by a single side opening.

10. The interface element for dental prostheses according to claim 9, wherein the lower portion has a first diameter and the upper portion has a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter.

11. The interface element for dental prostheses according to claim 10, further comprising circular retention grooves on each of the lower portion and the upper portion for fixing the prosthesis.

12. The interface element for dental prostheses according to claim 10, wherein the incomplete cylindrical structure is defined by a cylindrical wall of no more than 180 degrees and that terminates at the distal open free end which is opposite to the lower portion.

13. The interface element for dental prostheses according to claim 9, further comprising a dental prostheses cemented to the interface element.

14. The element, according to claim 1, wherein the hollow cylindrical body comprises two separate sections that are a lower section of greater outer diameter and an upper section of smaller outer diameter such that the greater outer diameter is larger than the smaller outer diameter; and wherein the side mortise is formed in the upper section.

15. The element, according to claim 14, wherein the lower section and the upper section are co-axially aligned.

16. The element, according to claim 14, wherein an interior surface of the lower section and an interior surface of the upper section revolve about a common central axis.

17. The element, according to claim 16, wherein the interior surface of the lower section defines a cylindrical surface and the interior surface of the upper section defines an incomplete cylindrical surface made incomplete by the side opening, and wherein the cylindrical surface defined by the lower section and the incomplete cylindrical surface defined by the upper section are co-axial and revolve about the common central axis.

18. The element, according to claim 17, wherein the cylindrical surface defined by the lower section and the incomplete cylindrical surface defined by the upper section are coextensive at a same constant radius from the common central axis.

19. The element, according to claim 16, wherein the interior surface of the upper section is smooth, free of threads and grooves.

20. The element, according to claim 1, further comprising a screw for securing the cylindrical body to the implant and the screw driver configured to engage and turn the screw, and wherein the side opening has a height sufficient to allow an inclined entrance of both the screw and the screwdriver cooperatively engaging the screw with an inclination from an angle of 0 to up to an angle of 30 with respect to a central axis of the cylindrical body.

21. An abutment with a longitudinal axis and a sidewall, the abutment comprising: a screw access hole along the longitudinal axis; and a slot in the sidewall, the slot being sized to allow a screw driver to access a driver-receiving bore in a screw in the screw access hole through the slot in the sidewall and at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis, wherein the sidewall comprises a single side opening.

22. The abutment according to claim 21, made by a process comprising designing the abutment to include the screw access hole along the longitudinal axis of abutment and configured to receive the screw, and a slot in the sidewall of the abutment; and manufacturing the abutment according to the designing step.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] To complement the description being made and in order to facilitate understanding of the features of the invention, some figures are attached to this descriptive report in which the following has been represented, with an illustrative and non-limiting character:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the interface element for dental prostheses of the invention, which shows in it the outer general configuration and main parts that comprise it.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a front elevation view of the example of interface element for dental prostheses, according to the invention, shown in FIG. 1.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a side elevation view of the example of interface element for dental prostheses, according to the invention, shown in FIG. 1.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a top plan view of the example of interface element for dental prostheses, according to the invention, shown in FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a bottom plan view of the interface element for dental prostheses, according to the invention, in an embodiment thereof designed with a rotating geometry base.

[0036] FIG. 6 shows a bottom plan view of the interface element for dental prostheses, according to the invention, in an embodiment thereof designed with an anti-rotating geometry base.

[0037] FIG. 7 shows a front elevation and partially sectional view of the example of interface element for dental prostheses according to the invention, shown in FIG. 6.

[0038] FIG. 8 is a sectional elevation view of the example of interface element for dental prostheses, according to the invention, shown in FIG. 6.

[0039] FIG. 9 shows a detailed view of the retentions externally presented by the interface element.

[0040] FIG. 10 shows a top perspective view of an interface element, according to the invention, with the screwdriver incorporated, showing the 90 of freedom of movement it presents.

[0041] FIG. 11 shows a side elevation view of an interface element, according to the invention, with the screw and screwdriver incorporated, showing the 30 of freedom of movement said screwdriver has for fixing the screw.

[0042] FIG. 12 shows a sectional view of the interface element with the prosthesis structure incorporated therein and showing the form of angled insertion of the screw that allows the fixing of the assembly to the implant.

[0043] FIG. 13 shows an embodiment wherein the seat for the screw head is tapered.

PREFERRED MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0044] In view of the mentioned figures and according to the adopted numbering, we can observe therein an example of a preferred mode for carrying out the invention. The interface element (1) in question is configured from a hollow cylindrical body comprising two separate sections, one lower (a) of greater outer diameter and an upper (b) of smaller outer diameter, clearly perceptible in FIG. 2 and both equipped externally with circular retention grooves (2) to ensure better grip thereto of the structure of the prosthesis (3) it is designed for.

[0045] Furthermore, also in an already known manner, this body has inside a seat (4), which may be straight or tapered (as shown in FIG. 13, 4), for fixing the screw head (5) inserted through it to fix the prosthesis (3) to the implant (not shown), and with a lower base (6) which determines a perimeter lip with a height of between 0.05 mm and 10 mm.

[0046] The geometry of said base (6), on the lower face of the interface (1) also varies depending on the type of connection the implant to which it is attached has, which may be either anti-rotating, as in the example of FIG. 6, which reproduces the form of connection of the implant to prevent rotation of the system, or rotating, as in the example of FIG. 5, where only the perimeter of the connection is reproduced, which is normally circular.

[0047] From these already known features, the interface element (1) advocated has the special feature of having a side mortise (7) which covers the upper section (b) and with a smaller diameter of the above two sections (a and b) the cylindrical body of the element has, which being mortised (7) determines a side opening at the end of said cylindrical body the height of which is suitable for the entrance and inclined fixing of the screw (5) as well as for the inclined entrance of the screwdriver (8) by up to an angle of 30, with respect to the axial shaft of the cylindrical body which forms the interface (1), as shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, also allowing, thanks to the width of said side opening, a freedom of lateral movement of the screwdriver (8) of up to 90, as shown in FIG. 10.

[0048] Additionally, the interface element (1) has two flat areas (9) formed at diametrically opposite points on the outer surface of the lower section (a) of greater diameter of the circular body intended to be a positioning reference and to achieve a better retention of the structure of the prosthesis (3) on the interface (1).