U.S. patent number RE33,796 [Application Number 07/254,414] was granted by the patent office on 1992-01-14 for coping insert for use with a dental implant.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Core-Vent Corporation. Invention is credited to Gerald A. Niznick.
United States Patent |
RE33,796 |
Niznick |
January 14, 1992 |
Coping insert for use with a dental implant
Abstract
A thermoplastic, one-piece coping insert adapted for use with a
dental implant anchoring means includes a shaft that fits into an
opening in a dental implant, an abutment head joined to the shaft
and adapted to conform to, and fit smoothly on, or in the top
surface of the dental implant, a bendable restriction or groove to
facilitate preferential bending of the insert at the restriction
when the insert is heated to the softening temperature of a
thermoplastic, and a relatively unbendable post atop the
restriction for receiving and supporting a dental prosthesis such
as one or more prosthetic teeth.
Inventors: |
Niznick; Gerald A. (Encino,
CA) |
Assignee: |
Core-Vent Corporation (Encino,
CA)
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Family
ID: |
26677900 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/254,414 |
Filed: |
October 5, 1988 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
8183 |
Jan 28, 1987 |
04758161 |
Jul 19, 1988 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
433/173;
433/201.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61C
8/0001 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61C
8/00 (20060101); A61C 008/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;433/173,174,175,176,201.1 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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73177 |
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Mar 1983 |
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EP |
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2834890 |
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May 1979 |
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DE |
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3027138 |
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Jul 1980 |
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DE |
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3423752 |
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Oct 1985 |
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DE |
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98988 |
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Jan 1973 |
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JP |
|
42665 |
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Oct 1976 |
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JP |
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83591 |
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Jan 1977 |
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JP |
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6141580 |
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Sep 1986 |
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JP |
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8601705 |
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Mar 1986 |
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WO |
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604674 |
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Sep 1978 |
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CH |
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1203093 |
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Aug 1970 |
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GB |
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1291470 |
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Oct 1972 |
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GB |
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1352188 |
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May 1974 |
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GB |
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1544784 |
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Apr 1979 |
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GB |
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Other References
Promotional Literature for Zest Anchor. .
Promotional Literature for Scodenco O-SO Attachment System. .
The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, vol. 50, No. 1, published by
C. V. Mosby Company in Jul. 1983. .
Implant Prosthodontics, published by Core-Vent Corporation. .
Osseontegrated Titanium Implants by T. Albrektsson et al., Acta
Orthop. Scand. 52, 155-170, 1981, pp. 167-168. .
Osseointegrated Implants in the Treatment of the Edentulous Jaw, by
P-I Branemark et al., 1977, pp. 24, 25, 29, 31 and 109..
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Primary Examiner: Mancene; Gene
Assistant Examiner: Lynch; Michael
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A coping insert made of thermoplastic material, and adapted for
use with an endosseous dental implant anchoring means comprising a
shaft means adapted for insertion into a passage in said endosseous
dental implant anchoring means; abutment head means atop, and
joined to said shaft means, said abutment head means being adapted
to conform to the top surface of said endosseous dental implant
anchoring means; restriction means atop and joined to said abutment
head means, said restriction means comprising a region of reduced
cross-section having a size and shape sufficient to facilitate
preferential bending at said restriction means when said coping
insert is heated to the softening temperature of the thermoplastic;
and atop, and joined to said restriction means, means for engaging
and supporting dental prosthesis means.
2. The insert of claim 1 wherein said shaft means includes at least
one groove means for facilitating removal of the portion of the
shaft means below said groove means by severing said shaft means
through said groove means.
3. The insert of claim 1 further comprising means on said
engaging/supporting means for facilitating severing, as desired,
portion of said engaging/supporting means therefrom.
4. The insert of claim 1 wherein said restriction means comprises a
circumferential groove having a rounded, concave profile.
5. A one-piece, thermoplastic coping insert adapted for use with an
endosseous dental implant anchoring means comprising shaft means
adapted for insertion into a passage in said endosseous dental
implant anchoring means; abutment head means integrally joined to
said shaft means, said abutment head means being adapted to conform
to, and to abut the top surface of said endosseous dental implant
anchoring means; means for engaging and supporting dental
prosthesis means; and restriction means comprising a region of
reduced cross-section linking the upper end of said abutment head
means to the lower end of said engaging/supporting means, said
restriction means being adapted to bend when said insert is heated
to the softening temperature of the thermoplastic from which said
insert is made without bending or distorting said abutment head
means or said engaging/supporting means.
6. The insert of claim 5 wherein said shaft means includes at least
one groove means for facilitating removal of the portion of the
shaft means below said groove means by severing said shaft means
through said groove means.
7. The insert of claim 5 further comprising means on said
engaging/supporting means for facilitating severing, as desired,
portions of said engaging/supporting means therefrom.
8. The insert of claim 5 wherein said restriction means comprises a
circumferential groove having a rounded, concave profile.
9. A coping insert made of thermoplastic material, and adapted for
use with an endosseous dental implant anchoring means comprising
shaft means adapted for insertion into a passage in said endosseous
dental implant anchoring means; abutment head means atop, and
joined to said shaft means, said abutment means being adapted to
conform to the top surface of said endosseous dental implant
anchoring means; and atop, and joined to said abutment head means,
a means for engaging and supporting dental prosthesis means whereby
said insert, when heated to the softening point of the
thermoplastic material, can be bent as desired.
10. The insert of claim 9 wherein said shaft means has at least two
portions of different diameter adapted to fit into a complementary
passage in said endosseous dental implant anchoring means.
11. The insert of claim 1 wherein said shaft means has at least two
portions of different diameter adapted to fit into a complementary
passage in said endosseous dental implant anchoring means.
12. The insert of claim 5 wherein said shaft means has at least two
portions of different diameter adapted to fit into a complementary
passage in said endosseous dental implant anchoring means.
13. A coping insert made of thermoplastic material, and adapted for
use with endosseous dental implant anchoring means comprising shaft
means having at least two portions of different diameter adapted to
fit into a complementary passage in said endosseous dental implant
anchoring means; abutment head means atop, and joined to said shaft
means, said abutment means being adapted to conform: to the top
surface of said endosseous dental implant anchoring means, whereby
said insert, when heated to the softening point of the
thermoplastic material, can be bent as desired. .Iadd.14. A
thermoplastic coping insert adapted for use with a dental implant
anchoring means comprising a shaft means adapted for insertion into
a passage in said dental implant anchoring means; abutment head
means atop, and joined to said shaft means, said abutment head
means being adapted to conform to the top surface of said dental
implant anchoring means; restriction means atop and joined to said
abutment head means, said restriction means having a size and shape
sufficient to facilitate preferential bending at said restriction
means; and atop, and joined to said restriction means, means for
engaging and supporting dental prosthesis means. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.15. The insert of claim 1 wherein said shaft means includes
at least one groove means for facilitating removal of the portion
of the shaft means below said groove means by severing said shaft
means through said groove means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. The insert of
claim 1 further comprising means on said engaging/supporting means
for facilitating severing, as desired, portions of said
engaging/supporting means therefrom. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. The insert
of claim 1 wherein said restriction means comprises a
circumferential groove having a rounded, concave profile. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.18. A one-piece, thermoplastic coping insert adapted for use
with a dental implant anchoring means comprising shaft means
adapted for insertion into a passage in said dental implant
anchoring means; abutment head means integrally joined to said
shaft means, said abutment head means being adapted to conform to,
and to abut the top surface of said dental implant anchoring means;
means for engaging and supporting dental prosthesis means; and
restriction means linking the upper end of said abutment head means
to the lower end of said engaging/supporting means, said
restriction means being adapted to bend without bending or
distorting said abutment head means or said engaging/supporting
means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. The insert of claim 5 wherein said shaft
means includes at least one groove means for facilitating removal
of the portion of the shaft means below aid groove means by
severing said shaft means through said groove means. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.20. The insert of claim 5 further comprising means on said
engaging/supporting means for facilitating severing, as desired,
portions of said engaging/supporting means therefrom. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.21. The insert of claim 5 wherein said restriction means
comprises a circumferential groove having a rounded, concave
profile. .Iaddend.
Description
This invention relates to a coping insert, preferably a one-piece
coping insert, and preferably a thermoplastic coping insert,
adapted for insertion into a dental implant anchoring means. The
insert comprises shaft means adapted for insertion into
shaft-receiving means in a dental implant anchoring means. The
shaft means can be of substantially uniform diameter along its
entire length, or can have two or more sections of different
diameters to fit into implants with shafts having sections of
corresponding dimensions.
Atop, and joined to the shaft means, is abutment head means. The
abutment head means is preferably a size and shape to conform to,
or complement or fit flushly with the abutting surface of a dental
implant anchoring means when the shaft of the coping insert is
inserted into the implant. The abutment head means can have a
cylindrical cross-section, or a frustoconical cross-section,
tapering upwardly and outwardly from the base of the abutment head
means where the abutment head means joins to the shaft means.
Joined to and atop the abutment head means, in preferred
embodiments, is a preferentially bendable restriction means that is
integral with the insert. The restriction means links the abutment
head means to means for joining the insert means to, and supporting
dental prosthesis means such as a tooth or a bridge. The dental
prosthesis-engaging and supporting means is, in preferred
embodiments, a frustoconical post that can, in some embodiments,
taper inwardly and upwardly from the restriction means. The
restriction means is of sufficient size and shape to bend
preferentially when the insert is thermoplastic, and is heated to
the softening temperature of the thermoplastic from which the
insert is made.
In preferred embodiments, the shaft means can include one or more
partially or completely circumferential grooves or score lines to
facilitate severing a portion from the shaft means to shorten its
length. Similarly, the dental prosthesis engaging means atop the
restriction means can include one or more partially or completely
circumferential grooves or score lines to facilitate severing and
removing a portion of the prosthesis engaging means, preferably in
a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the dental
prosthesis engaging means. The dental prosthesis
engaging/supporting means can also include one or more flattened
side areas to prevent a prosthesis mounted thereon from moving, as,
for example, by rotation, from its desired position.
The invention can better be understood by reference to the drawings
in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the coping
insert of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the coping
insert of this invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the coping
insert of this invention;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the coping
insert of this invention; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the coping
insert of this invention.
FIG. 1 shows a one-piece, thermoplastic coping insert, generally
designated 10, including shaft 11 adapted for insertion into a
passage inside a dental implant anchoring means. Circumferential
grooves 12 and 13 facilitate severing a portion of shaft 11 to
shorten its length, as necessary, to fit within the shaft-receiving
passage in the dental implant anchoring means. Joined to and atop
shaft 11 is abutment head portion 26 that includes planar bottom
surface 25, cylindrical-shaped portion 15 contiguous with the edge
of botto surface 25 and conical surface 14 slanting upwardly and
outwardly from surface 25. Contiguous with conical surface 14 is
cylindrical-shaped surface 16.
Restriction 17 is of a size and shape, here with a rounded, concave
profile, to facilitate preferential bending at restriction 17 when
insert 10 is heated to the softening temperature of the
thermoplastic material from which insert 10 is made. At the
softening temperature of thermoplastic insert 10, post portion 27
can be moved to a desired angle or attitude, but will not itself
bend or distort. After insert 10 cools to a temperature below the
softening point of the thermoplastic, post 27 remains at the
desired angle or attitude. Since insert 10 is made from a
thermoplastic such as acrylic, the insert can be reheated, and post
27 moved repeatedly as desired or as necessary.
Post 27 atop restriction 17 is frustoconical in shape and includes
a flat upper surface 24 and a conical sidewall 18. Conical sidewall
18 can include one or more flat planar areas 19, which restrain
rotation of a dental prosthesis joined to post 27. Score lines 20,
21, 22, 23 and 28 facilitate severing portions of post means 27, as
necessary, in planes parallel to surface 24, to accommodate dental
prostheses of varying sizes and shapes.
FIGS. 2 and 3 show second and third embodiments, respectively, of
the thermoplastic coping insert shown in FIG. 1. The embodiment
shown in FIG. 2 is identical to that shown in FIG. 1, except that
abutment head means 126 has a sidewall 114 that tapers upwardly and
outwardly (with respect to base 125), but at a much smaller angle
than sidewall 14 (with respect to base 25) in the embodiment shown
in FIG. 1. All other numbered parts of the second embodiment (FIG.
2) are the same as those in the first embodiment (FIG. 1). However,
the numbers in FIG. 2 are 100 units higher than the corresponding
parts in FIG. 2. For example, part 111 in FIG. 2 is the same as
part 11 in FIG. 1.
The third embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is identical to the first
embodiment shown in FIG. 1, except that the abutment head 214 has a
substantially cylindrical cross-section, and does not taper
outwardly and upwardly from its base 225. All other numbered parts
of the third embodiment (FIG. 3) are the same as those in the first
embodiment (FIG. 1), except that the numbers in FIG. 3 are 200
units higher than the corresponding parts in FIG. 1. For example,
part 211 in FIG 3 is the same as part 11 in FIG. 1.
The fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is identical to the first
embodiment shown in FIG. 1, except that shaft 31 has two portions
330 and 331 that differ from one another in diameter to complement,
and fit within a passage inside a dental implant anchoring means
having two regions of complementary diameters. All of the numbered
parts of the fourth embodiment (FIG. 4) are the same as those in
the first embodiment (FIG. 1), except that the numbers in FIG. 4
are 300 units higher than the corresponding parts in FIG. 1. For
example, part 311 in FIG. 4 is the same as part 11 in FIG. 1.
The fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is identical to that fourth
embodiment shown in FIG. 4, except that abutment head 414 has a
substantially planar upper surface 440. Substantially planar
surface 440 is adapted to receive a screw or other casting support
that can be inserted in a hole formed by drilling or otherwise into
substantially planar surface 440. A dental prosthesis can then be
cast around this insert, and the abutment head 414 can be molded or
otherwise shaped to complement and accommodate a desired dental
prosthesis joined to such a prosthesis-supporting member. All of
the numbered parts of this fifth embodiment (FIG. 5) are the same
as those in the fourth embodiment (FIG. 4), except that the numbers
in FIG. 5 are 100 units higher than the corresponding parts in FIG.
4. For example, part 414 in FIG. 5 is the same as part 314 in FIG.
4.
The new thermoplastic coping inserts have several advantages. These
inserts have no undercut portion above the shaft, and fit flushly
with the top of the dental implant anchoring means that they are
adapted to be inserted into. These inserts can be bent and rebent
repeatedly to any desired angle without distorting the abutment
head, or post, and the post can be cut and shaped as desired to
form a pattern for fabrication of a cast metal post to receive and
support prostheses of substantially virtually all sizes and shapes,
such as crowns designed to extend under gum tissue. Moreover, these
inserts can be used in either direct or indirect methods for
molding dental prostheses.
In the direct molding of dental prostheses, the pattern o
prosthesis-engaging and supporting means is modified using the
implant, tissue and adjacent structures in a patient's mouth as
guides for the amount of bending and bulk removal.
In the indirect molding methods, the unmodified coping insert is
placed in an implant, an impression is made of the affected area,
and the insert is removed from the implant and placed into the
negative opening in the impression. An appropriate replica of the
top of the implant is placed on the protruding shaft of the insert,
and a mixture of stone is poured into the impression to create a
replica of the affected mouth area. The insert can then be modified
outside the mouth, and the prosthesis can be cast in appropriate
dental alloys such as gold. The modified prosthesis-engaging means
can then be cemented into the implant in the patient's mouth, and a
prosthesis joined to it.
The indirect method has several advantages. The patient spends less
time in a dentist's office; the indirect method makes it easier to
form a prosthesis of ideal size and shape than the direct method;
and the insert and dental prosthesis can be formed during the
healing period following insertion of the implant in the jaw of a
patient, further shortening overall patient treatment time.
* * * * *