The present invention relates to a device used in dental implantology, for connecting a prosthesis, of the bridge or appliance type, to an implant or directly to the jaw bone of a patient.
It also relates to the method for the implementation of the prosthesis using the aforementioned device.
The most common dental implants are generally connected to metallic stumps, screw-retained in their upper part. The practitioner has, by type of implant, a range of stumps of various diamentric dimensions and angulations that he choses case by case and that he positions according to the inclination of each of them in relation to the axis of insertion of the prosthesis in order to make up for disparallelisme that still exists between the different implants connected to a common prosthesis. This, when completed, is permanently sealed or screw-retained in the mouth, directly on the stumps.
Such implants and methods have several types of disadvantages.
The first are related to the design of the implants:
The second are related to their implementation technique that comprises, chronologically:
a) for the practitioner, once the stump is dimensionally chosen and angularly positioned on the implant, making the impression, removing the stumps, screwing them on implant analogs and repositioning them in the impression while respecting their order (numbering) and their initial angular position (tracking);
b) for the technician, making the master model and then the prosthesis while still respecting their numerical positions and their different angulations;
c) finally, for the practitioner, replacing the aforementioned stumps, screw-retained on the implants, while still respecting their order and initial angular position and sealing or screwing the prosthesis to the stump;
in other words, numerical and angular tracking at each stage of making of the prosthesis
Only the problems related to the removal of the prosthesis were addressed in the patents EP1627612 and US2002177103 by means of a cap designed to be inserted in the prosthesis, a head designed to fit into the aforementioned cap, having frustoconical shape for reasons of positioning and centering, an elastic and split ring connecting element.
In particular, the patent EP1627612, paragraph 003, says, for the tapered head, a tilt as small as possible, between 8 and 15 degrees, to facilitate the assembly and the disassembly.
All the other problems listed before are neither discussed nor addressed in the aforementioned documents. It is the same for the patent EP0843989.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention aims to provide a device, used in dental implantology, designed to connect a prosthesis to a dental implant or directly to the jaw bone of a patient, which has an object of eliminating the drawbacks mentioned above.
The device according to the invention comprises:
the aforementioned prosthesis has an insertion axis forming with the axis of the abutment an angle B that also corresponds to the inclination of the implant.
The invention is essentially characterized in that the value of the angle A is equal to that of the angle B that corresponds to the maximum inclination of an implant within the same jaw, so that the generatrices of the conical parts of any pair of heads and of caps, within the same prosthesis, are never undercut relative to the insertion axis of the aforementioned prosthesis, and this is while using only one type of cap and without having to comply with any location and any angulation, for each abutment or each cap during the implantation of the prosthesis.
Such a design enables avoidance of:
a) any angular positioning of the head and any very specific location of the abutment, through the implementation process of the prosthesis,
b) problems of lack of parallelism existing between implants connected to a given prosthesis.
c) any dimensional choice of stumps: a single type of abutment and a single type of cap suffice to make a prosthesis.
In practice, the angle A can be in the range of values included between 15 and 35 degrees.
According to another advantageous feature of the invention, related to the removable aspect of the connection between the prosthesis and implants:
Such a design enables:
All this is made possible by the fact that parallelism is automatically carried out by the conical heads as defined above.
According to another advantageous feature of the invention, the cap is covered, on its exterior part, with a layer of an elastomeric material designed to create a physical-mechanical mobility replacing the physiological mobility that no longer exists on the implants because of their osseo integration.
According to the specifics of implementation of the invention:
The problems encountered, in dental implantology, by the practitioners and the dental technicians relate more particularly:
are fully resolved with the design of the invention as described and illustrated.
In addition, only a single type of abutment and cap is used.
Another advantage of the invention resides in the fact that known techniques and materials for manufacture and installation of the implants and prostheses are used.
The implant abutment according to the invention can be used:
The features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the detailed description that follows of at least one preferred implemeation mode thereof given by way of non limiting example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings:
The device illustrated in the figures comprises:
The aforementioned prosthesis (4) has an insertion axis (Z) forming with the axis (X) of the abutment (1) an angle (B) that also corresponds to the inclination of the implant.
The value of the angle (A) is equal to that of the angle (B) corresponding to the maximum inclination of an implant within the same jaw, so that the generatrices of the conical parts of any pair of heads (13) and caps (3) within the same prosthesis (4), are never undercut relative to the insertion axis (Z) of the aforementioned prosthesis and this one using only one type of cap and without having to comply with any location and any angulation, for each abutment or each cap during the implantation of the prosthesis.
The angle (A) is chosen in the range of values included, without limitation, between 15 and 35 degrees. It will be defined according to standard practice in dental implantology.
The abutment implants are deliberatly positioned according to extreme opposite inclinations in order to show the limits of the invention. In this case, the extreme opposite generatrices of the cone truncs (13) and (31) are parallel to the insertion axis (Z) of the prosthesis. Thus, any other lesser inclination angle, of any other implant entering in the composition of the same prosthesis, will have all its generatrices tapered with respect to the aforementioned axis (Z).
To make the removable cap-abutment connection:
To increase the retention of the cup on the head of the implant abutment, the segments and the annular grooves can be doubled.
In the case of a bridge, the cap (3) is integrated or bonded into the metal frame of it.
In the case of an appliance, the cap (3) is integrated into the base made of its resin and has a spherical outer shape adapted to allow it a slight anteroposterior rotating movement in the aforementioned base.
According to basic feature of the invention, in the case of a bridge, the cap (3) is covered, on its exterior part, with a layer of an elastomeric material (33) designed to create a physical-mechanical mobility replacing the physiological mobility that no longer exists on the implants because of their osseo integration. It acts as a buffer in order to prevent degradation and wasting of the bone around the implant carriers, thus ensuring a greater sustainability to the implants and to the prosthesis.
According to other implementation variations of the invention:
The implant abutment (1) can be used:
The monolithic abutment implant can be made of titanium, zirconium or any other biocompatible material.
The cap can be made of titanium, zirconium, plastic material or any other biocompatible material.
The method of implantation of the prosthesis using the aformentioned device, comprises, chronologically:
a) for the practitioner, without being concerned about any numerical and angular positioning :
b) for the dental technician, also without being concerned with any numerical and angular positionning:
c) for the practitioner, still without being concerned with any numerical and angular positionning:
The transfer cap can included, on its periphery, one or two equatorial grooves, not shown, designed for its vertical positioning and maintenance during casting of the impression.
Of course, the person of skill in the art will be able to make the invention as described and illustrated by applying and adapting known means. He will also be able to provide for other variations without departing from the scope of the invention, which is determined by the terms of the claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
0902814 | Jun 2009 | FR | national |
0905663 | Nov 2009 | FR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/FR2010/000424 | 6/10/2010 | WO | 00 | 2/21/2012 |