ASCERTAINING THE SPATIAL POSITIONS AND ORIENTATIONS OF IMPLANTS ANCHORED IN A JAW OF A PATIENT

Abstract

A method is proposed for ascertaining the spatial positions and orientations of at least two implants (120) anchored in a jaw of a patient, said method having the following steps: 1. An adhesive bond aid (100) is produced that bridges the implants and has negative molds (140) of adhesive caps (110), wherein the negative molds fit on the adhesive caps if these are affixed to the implants, and wherein the negative molds allow a clearance relative to the adhesive caps. 2. The adhesive caps are affixed to the at least two implants in the jaw of the patient. 3. The adhesive bond aid is positioned over the adhesive caps. 4. The clearance between the adhesive caps and the negative molds is filled with adhesive. 5. The adhesive is cured. 6. The adhesive caps are released from the implants. 7. The obtained adhesion key is removed from the patient. Using this adhesion key, in the production of restorations that rest upon multiple implants, it can be ensured that the implant arrangement is correctly transferred into the mouth of the patient.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15: Method for ascertaining the spatial positions and orientations, relative to one another, of at least two implants anchored in a jaw of a patient, said method comprising the steps of: producing of an adhesive bond aid that bridges the at least two implants; wherein the adhesive bond aid is designed such that the adhesive bond aid has negative molds of adhesive caps; wherein the negative molds are arranged in the adhesive bond aid such that the negative molds fit on the adhesive caps if said adhesive caps are affixed to the implants so as to be detachable; wherein the negative molds in the adhesive bond aid are further designed such that there is a clearance between the negative molds and the adhesive caps; wherein the adhesive caps are affixed to the at least two implants in the jaw of the patient so as to be detachable; wherein the adhesive bond aid is positioned over the adhesive caps in the patient's mouth; wherein the clearance between the adhesive caps and the negative molds is filled with dental adhesive; wherein the adhesive is cured; wherein the adhesive caps are detached from the implants; wherein the adhesive bond aid, with the adhesive caps adhering to the adhesive bond aid, is removed from the patient's mouth, wherein the following steps are subsequently performed: scanning with high precision the adhesive bond aid, with the adhesive caps adhering to the adhesive bond aid; and creating a virtual three-dimensional model from the scanned data.

16: Method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of creating a data medium on which the obtained data are stored.

17: Method according to claim 1, wherein the following steps are performed beforehand: creating a master model with laboratory analogs or implants; affixing scan bodies to the laboratory analogs or implants; scanning of the master model; and creating a virtual three-dimensional model from the scanned data; wherein the adhesive bond aid is created by means of CAD/CAM based on the virtual three-dimensional model.

18: Method according to one of claim 1, wherein the following steps are performed beforehand: affixing scan bodies to the implants in the mouth of the patient; performing an intra-oral scan; and creating a virtual three-dimensional model from the scanned data; wherein the adhesive bond aid is created by means of CAD/CAM based on the virtual three-dimensional model.

19: Method for ascertaining the spatial positions and orientations, relative to one another, of at least two implants anchored in a jaw of a patient, said method comprising the steps of: producing an adhesive bond aid that bridges the at least two implants; wherein the adhesive bond aid is designed such that the adhesive bond aid has negative molds of adhesive caps; wherein the negative molds are arranged in the adhesive bond aid such that the negative molds fit on the adhesive caps if said adhesive caps are affixed to the implants so as to be detachable; wherein the negative molds in the adhesive bond aid are further designed such that the negative molds allow a clearance between the negative molds and the adhesive caps; wherein the adhesive caps are affixed to the at least two implants in the jaw of the patient so as to be detachable; wherein the adhesive bond aid is positioned over the adhesive caps in the patient's mouth; wherein the clearance between the adhesive caps and the negative molds is filled with dental adhesive; wherein the adhesive is cured; wherein the adhesive caps are detached from the implants; and wherein the adhesive bond aid, with the adhesive caps adhering to the adhesive bond aid, is removed from the patient's mouth, wherein the following steps are subsequently performed: creating a master model with laboratory analogs or implants; affixing scan bodies to the laboratory analogs or implants; scanning of the master model; and creating a virtual three-dimensional model from the scanned data; wherein the adhesive bond aid is created by means of CAD/CAM on the basis of the virtual three-dimensional model.

20: Method for ascertaining the spatial positions and orientations, relative to one another, of at least two implants anchored in a jaw of a patient, said method comprising the steps of: producing an adhesive bond aid that bridges the implants; wherein the adhesive bond aid is designed such that the adhesive bond aid has negative molds of adhesive caps; wherein the negative molds are arranged in the adhesive bond aid such that the negative molds fit on the adhesive caps if said adhesive caps are affixed to the implants so as to be detachable; wherein the negative molds in the adhesive bond aid are further designed such that the negative molds allow a clearance between the negative molds and the adhesive caps; wherein the adhesive caps are affixed to the at least two implants in the jaw of the patient so as to be detachable; wherein the adhesive bond aid is positioned over the adhesive caps in the patient's mouth; wherein the clearance between the adhesive caps and the negative molds is filled with dental adhesive; wherein the adhesive is cured; wherein the adhesive caps are detached from the implants; and wherein the adhesive bond aid, with the adhesive caps adhering to the adhesive bond aid, is removed from the patient's mouth, wherein the following steps are subsequently performed: affixing scan bodies to the implants in the mouth of the patient; performing an intra-oral scan; and creating a virtual three-dimensional model from the scanned data; wherein the adhesive bond aid is created by means of CAD/CAM on the basis of the virtual, three-dimensional model.

21: Method according to claim 20, wherein the clearance between the adhesive caps and the negative molds is between 100 and 300 μm.

22. Method according to claim 20, wherein the negative molds in the adhesive bond aid respectively have a hole in the occlusal direction for receiving the dental adhesive and for releasing the adhesive caps.

23: Method according to claim 20, wherein multi-unit abutments are affixed to the implants so as to be detachable, to which the adhesive caps are configured to be detachably affixed to the multi-unit abutments.

24: Method for creating a dental prosthesis that is to be anchored in the patient's mouth by means of at least two, already-present implants, comprising the steps of: ascertaining spatial positions and orientations of the at least two already-present implants relative to one another, wherein the step of ascertaining the spatial positions and orientations of the implants is performed according to one of the preceding claim 20; and creating the dental prosthesis based on the ascertained positions and orientations.

Description

[0047] An exemplary embodiment is schematically portrayed in the figure. In particular:

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a schematic depiction of the parts that are used in a method according to the invention.

[0049] If a CAD/CAM-based implant treatment is created, at the same time, what is known as an adhesive bond aid 100 is then created, as it is schematically apparent in FIG. 1. This adhesive bond aid serves the dentist in positioning what are known as adhesive caps 110 relative to one another in the patient's mouth and in joining them to an adhesion key with the adhesive bond aid 100. This adhesion key now contains the implant bearings/positions correlated perfectly to one another. With the aid of this adhesion key, the dental technician creates a new master model with laboratory analogs (the gingiva does not need to be modeled exactly). This master model deals solely with the implant positions. The positions and orientations of the laboratory analogs in the new master model now correspond exactly to the situation of the implants in the patient's mouth, and the transfer errors of the implant bearings and the scan errors are eliminated. In detail, the procedure appears as follows:

[0050] 1. With regard to an implant treatment, the dentist, together with the dental technician, decides upon multiple implants 120 to be cemented on multi-unit abutments 130.

[0051] 2. The dentist takes an impression of the patient situation and sends this to the laboratory.

[0052] 3. The technician creates a master model with laboratory analogs. This master model includes a system-dependent transfer error, i.e., the position and orientation of the laboratory analogs do not correspond 100% to those of the implants 120 in the patient's mouth.

[0053] 4. The master model is scanned with scan bodies on the laboratory analogs and is thereby digitized. An error may thereby be created due to inaccuracy in the scanning.

[0054] 5. The dental technician creates the restoration on the digitized model by means of CAD; however, this is not yet milled/ground by means of CAM.

[0055] 6. Instead of this, what is known as the adhesive bond aid 100 is created simultaneously. This may appear similar to the definitive treatment; it is important only that the adhesive bond aid 100 have a negative mold 140 of what are known as the adhesive caps 110 instead of the implants. This negative mold 140 is created with an extremely large clearance, and a large hole 150 in the occlusal direction is left open.

[0056] 7. The adhesive bond aid 100, together with the adhesive caps 110 and multi-unit abutments 130, is sent to the dentist.

[0057] 8. The multi-unit abutments 130 are screwed into the implants 120 in the patient's mouth.

[0058] 9. The adhesive caps 110 are screwed 160 onto the multi-unit abutments 130 in the patient's mouth.

[0059] 10. In the patient's mouth, the adhesive bond aid 100 is positioned over the adhesive caps 110; due to the extremely large clearance, there are no fit problems, and the dentist has sufficient space to work.

[0060] 11. The holes 150 and the interstices between adhesive caps 110 and adhesive bond aid 100 are filled with a matching dental adhesive, and this is cured. The adhesion key with the perfect patient situation has thereby now been assembled.

[0061] 12. The adhesion key, together with the multi-unit abutments 130, is again sent to the laboratory.

[0062] 13. The technician now creates the second master model (without exact gingiva contour). The multi-unit abutments 130 are screwed into the adhesion key 160 (the multi-unit abutments fit into the adhesive caps 110 in the adhesion key). The laboratory analogs are screwed into the adhesion key at the multi-unit abutments 130. A plaster base is now cast that comprises the laboratory analogs, and the second master model is finished.

[0063] 14. The adhesion key is released from the second master model (the multi-unit abutments remain in the model).

[0064] 15. The adhesion key may be destroyed, or the adhesive caps 110 may be released from the key and cleaned for further use.

[0065] 16. The definitive restoration is now produced by means of CAD/CAM; the negative molds 140 of the adhesive caps 110 are again produced with a clearance (which, however, no longer needs to be extremely large).

[0066] 17. At the same time, the cleaned adhesive caps 110 are screwed onto the second master model (onto the multi-unit abutments 130).

[0067] 18. The restoration is now cemented onto the adhesive caps 110 on the second master model.

GLOSSARY

[0068] Abutment, Multi-Unit Abutment

[0069] “Abutment” designates the connecting part between a dental implant and the prosthetic treatment (the visible dental crowns). It forms the sensitive transition through the peri-implant soft tissue—the gingival margin—to the oral cavity and to the implant supra-construction, with which a perio-integration is to be achieved. Abutments are typically made of titanium, aluminum oxide ceramic, or zirconium oxide ceramic. They may be designed as a releasable or conditionally—or unconditionally—releasable connection.

[0070] Dental Adhesive

[0071] Adhesive suitable for dental medical use, i.e., especially for intra-oral use (presenting no health risk). It is typically a fast-curing, two-component adhesive.

[0072] Adhesive Bond Aid

[0073] Connecting piece that helpfully bridges at least two implants. It is not thereby the dental prosthesis; the precise outer shape of the connecting part therefore plays no role. The adhesive bond aid normally consists of PMMA plastic and has, at the corresponding locations, negative molds with large clearance for connection pieces (adhesive caps).

[0074] Implant

[0075] A dental implant—also simply called an “implant” here—is an alloplastic, ready-made part introduced into the jawbone. Via their usability as a support for dental prostheses, dental implants take on the function of artificial tooth roots. For this, they are either screwed or plugged into the jawbone by means of screw threading. Within 3 to 6 months, they bond with the surrounding bone to form a permanent support unit having extremely high load capacity (osseo-integration). Dental implants are typically comprised of titanium. (According to http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zahnimplantat).

[0076] Adhesive Caps

[0077] Adhesive caps are connection parts which may be affixed to the implants (or to potentially present, multi-unit abutments) so as to be releasable in a defined and reproducible manner. These typically have a conical shape and enable parts to be glued on (thus, non-releasably) and subsequently released, together with the adhesive caps, from the implants (or multi-unit abutments).

[0078] Adhesion Key

[0079] What is to be understood by an adhesion key is a composite part that is comprised of an adhesive bond aid and the adhesive caps permanently glued thereon.

[0080] Laboratory Analog

[0081] Cost-effective part that is used in the master model instead of an expensive implant. The connection geometry for the dental prosthesis coincides with that of the implant; however, the other structure and the material do not.

[0082] Master Model

[0083] Model of the bite of a patient (or of a portion thereof) that a dental technician produces in order to adapt thereto a restoration to be created. The model is typically cast in plastic with the aid of an impression produced by the dentist. However, other materials are also conceivable; the master model can possibly even exist purely in virtual form.

[0084] Restoration, Treatment, Dental Prosthesis

[0085] The terms restoration, treatment, and dental prosthesis are used synonymously. These are here dental prostheses that, for example, may be affixed to implants and are to complete an incomplete or damaged bite.