Dental Implant System

Abstract

The replacement of teeth using dental implants has always been done sequentially with the placement of the implant into a patient's bone followed by the creation of a prosthesis and subsequent insertion of the prosthesis. The process can take numerous visits and is done over a period of many months. This patent describes a method of using a digitally designed and created dental prosthesis as the drill guide to place the implants. Rather than the stent acting as a guide to place the implants, the drill guide itself comprises a stent encasing the final prosthesis. The final prosthesiswhose placement was digitally predeterminedis then secured with small-diameter implant screws, and the case is completed in one short visit.

Claims

1. A dental drill guide, comprising: a stent; one or more final prostheses secured in the predetermined proper positions within said stent; and one or more small-diameter implants placed through the prosthesis or prostheses, where the small-diameter implants are drilled divergently into a patient's gingiva and bone, ensuring that the final prosthesis or prostheses cannot move freely.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. A method for placing dental implants using a drill guide, comprising: taking a CT scan and intraoral digital scan of a patient's edentulous and surrounding area; using said scan to determine the number and location of implants; using said scan to create a final prosthesis or prostheses; incorporating said final prosthesis or prostheses in a stent; and drilling one or more small-diameter implants divergently through said final prosthesis or prostheses into a patient's gingiva.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 is a view of the implant being drilled into the gingiva and engaging the acrylic stent.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a side view of the final prosthesis and stent in place.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a top view of the final prosthesis and stent in place.

DESCRIPTION

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a dental implant system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The system involves both a final restoration stent 12 and a method for creating the stent. The method comprises taking a CT scan of the patient's edentulous and surrounding area; developing a laboratory model of the arch with missing teeth to be replaced in stone or some other solid material, the analog, and the stent 12; creating physical models of the stone, the analog, and the stent 12; placing the stent 12 in position on the patient; and drilling the final prosthesis 10 into the gingiva 14. In some embodiments, the method further comprises cutting off the stent 12 after drilling in order to release the final prosthesis 10 in final position.

[0015] Taking a CT scan of a patient's edentulous and surrounding area is well-known in the dental arts, as is the ability to develop first a laboratory model, and then a physical model of the arch, analog, and stent 12, using CAD/CAM technology. A major innovation of the present invention is the single article of manufacture which comprises an acrylic splint 12 made on the model, already supporting the final prosthesis 10. The splint 12 encases the final prosthesis 10, assuring that it cannot move freely.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a side view of the final prosthesis 10 and splint 12 held securely in place.

[0017] Once the stent 12 is in final position on the patient, in some embodiments, single implants will be used to replace anterior and pre-molar teeth of 3 mm diameter. In some embodiments, two, 2 mm implants will be used for each molar replacement (preferably distal and mesiolingual).

[0018] The active (cutting) section 16 of the final prosthesis 10 can be, for example, from 8 mm to 16 mm in length. Above this is the 3 mm gingival collar 18. Above this segment is the 5 mm segment 20 with deeper threads that engage the final restoration. In some embodiments, the 5 mm segment 20 will have no threads, but will be smooth. Finally is the implant head 24 which is also 5 mm in height and has a hollowed 4 mm deep internal hex pattern to accept the torque driver 26.

[0019] In some embodiments, the tip of the active section 16 of the implants will be covered with a 5 mm nylon sleeve, which does not touch the conical point of the tip as it narrows. This sleeve will be used as a drill guide for the implant, ensuring that it is introduced into the prosthetic/stent with the proper inclination. The implant will act as a screw to hold the prosthetic, and the splint encases the prosthetic. The sleeve then stays in place as the implant advances into bone. After drilling, the sleeve acts as a stop for the head of the implant. The sleeve advances with the implant until it rests on a ledge/platform which halts its forward movement as the implant proceeds into the bone, and then stops progression of the implant when the implant head rests on the sleeve's superior segment.

[0020] This equates to single piece implants measuring, for example, between 21 mm and 29 mm. All measurements in the preceding paragraphs are by way of example only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.

[0021] In the invention described herein, two of the implants must be parallel, and the others divergent, in order to prevent the splint from moving freely, securing the implants in place. The stent/prosthetic are kept in place by the splint as the implant advances into the bone.

[0022] In the foregoing description, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for purposes of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the invention.

[0023] Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained therein.