Claims
- 1. An abutment for attachment to a dental implant and for supporting a prosthesis on the implant, said abutment comprising:
an elongate body entirely made of plastic and having a longitudinal axis, an outer surface, a base segment for engaging the implant, an end segment for engaging the prosthesis, and a central bore for receiving a retaining screw attaching said abutment to the implant; and wherein the end segment is adapted to engage a driving tool that transmits torque to the abutment to drive the dental implant into bone.
- 2. The abutment of claim 1 wherein the central bore at the end segment includes a socket adapted to engage the driving tool and transmit torque through the body to the implant.
- 3. The abutment of claim 2 wherein said outer surface is adapted to receive impression material and includes at least one flat section.
- 4. The abutment of claim 3 wherein said body includes an orienting lobe.
- 5. The abutment of 3 wherein said body is formed from a thermoplastic adapted to be shaped.
- 6. The abutment of claim 5 wherein said base segment has a diameter larger than the diameter of said end segment.
- 7. The abutment of claim 6 wherein said body includes an outer shoulder between said base segment and said end segment.
- 8. The abutment of claim 6 wherein said body is made of a material having an elongation percentage greater than 50% and a modulus of elasticity less than 45 Gpa.
- 9. An abutment for supporting a dental prosthesis on an implant, said abutment comprising:
a body made of a material having an elongation percentage greater than 50% and a modulus of elasticity less than 45 Gpa, said body having a base segment for engaging the implant, and a distal end segment of a given length opposite said base segment for engaging the prosthesis; wherein said end segment, at each location along its length, is smaller in diameter than the diameter of said base segment at its greatest diameter.
- 10. The abutment of claim 9 further comprising a mating element on said base segment for mateingly engaging the implant and transmitting torque to the implant when said abutment body is rotated.
- 11. A method for providing a dental restoration in a patient's mouth, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) creating a bore in the patient's alveolar; (b) installing a dental implant into said bore using a plastic fixture mount that engages the coronal end of said implant and transmits to said implant torque that is supplied by a drive tool; (c) disengaging the fixture mount from the installed implant and removing said fixture mount from the patient's mouth; (d) shaping said fixture mount into an abutment for supporting a prosthesis; (e) reattaching said shaped fixture mount to the coronal end of said implant; (f) attaching a prosthesis to said shaped fixture mount.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein at least steps (b) through (f) are performed during a single surgical setting.
- 13. The method of claim 11 wherein all steps (a) through (f) are performed during a single surgical setting.
- 14. The method of claim 12 wherein step (f) includes:
applying an acrylic material to said shaped fixture mount; allowing said acrylic material to harden; and shaping said hardened acrylic material to form the prosthesis.
- 15. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of making an impression of said fixture mount on said implant at a time before said prosthesis is attached to said shaped fixture mount.
- 16. The method of claim 11 wherein step (d) includes severing a length of said fixture mount.
- 17. The method of claim 11 wherein step (d) includes shaping said fixture mount into an abutment having a base segment for engaging the implant and an end segment opposite said base segment that is smaller in diameter than the diameter of the base segment.
- 18. The method of claim 11 wherein step (d) includes shaping said fixture mount into an abutment having an end segment that includes a frustoconical outer surface.
- 19. A method for attaching a dental prosthesis to an implant that is affixed in a patient's mouth, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) attaching to the implant an elongate body that is formed of a material having an elongation percentage greater than 50% and a modulus of elasticity less than 45 Gpa; (b) making an impression of the body attached to the implant; (c) disengaging the body from the implant and removing the body from the patient's mouth; (d) shaping said body; (e) reattaching the now-shaped body to the implant; (f) attaching a prosthesis to the shaped body.
- 20. The method of claim 19 wherein all steps (a) through (f) are performed during a single surgical setting.
- 21. The method of claim 20 wherein step (f) includes:
applying an unhardened material to said shaped body and allowing the material to harden; and shaping the hardened material to form the prosthesis.
- 22. The method of claim 19 wherein step (d) includes severing a length of said body.
- 23. The method of claim 19 wherein step (d) includes shaping said body into an abutment having a base segment for engaging the implant and an end segment opposite said base segment that is smaller in diameter than the diameter of the base segment.
- 24. The method of claim 19 wherein step (d) includes shaping said body into an abutment having an end segment that includes a frustoconical outer surface.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/322,620, filed Sep. 26, 2001.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60322620 |
Sep 2001 |
US |