Abstract: A dental prosthesis is formed by attaching an internally threaded sleeve to a post by means of a heat-meltable material. A dimensionally stable, heat-meltable material is applied to the post and around the sleeve. The heat-meltable materials are melted and replaced by a permanent material. A screw is inserted into the sleeve prior to the melting step. The melting and replacing steps comprise steps in an investment-type casting procedure wherein a unit comprised of the post, the sleeve, the screw, and the heat-meltable materials is embedded in an investment material such that a head of the screw is embedded in the investment material to maintain the positional relationship of the sleeve relative to the post during the melting step. A release material is applied over a body defined by the permanent material.

Abstract: A dental trephine drill cuts a bore having a central core. The drill includes a shank having a fluid passage for conducting drilling fluid and a cutting head disposed at a front end of the shank. The cutting head includes front and side faces. The end face surrounds a central hole and includes a plurality of end cutting edges extending from the hole to an outer periphery of the end face. The side face includes a plurality of longitudinal grooves, a longitudinal edge of which defines a side cutting edge. An aperture in each groove communicates the grooves with the interior of the head for conducting drilling fluid into the grooves to cool the drill head and bone tissue.

Abstract: A bore is formed in the jaw bone of a patient by means of a trephine drill having a hollow head. A pilot hole is initially drilled in the jaw bone and a guide bushing is installed in the pilot hole. The drill head is inserted telescopingly over a guide portion of the bushing and is advanced into the bone until the drill head abuts an end of the guide portion to terminate drill advancement. The length of the bore is extended by advancing the drill further into the bone relative to a stop member which is freely longitudinally slidably situated on the drill. When the stop member becomes sandwiched between the jaw bone and a surface movable with a motor housing carrying the drill, it is assured that the desired bore depth has been obtained.

Abstract: A dental implant is adapted to be installed in a predrilled bore formed in jaw bone tissue for retaining a dental prosthesis. The implant comprises a generally cylindrical body defining a longitudinal axis and including an outer periphery. The body is open at a front end thereof and includes a front cylindrical cavity for receiving a cylindrical bone core. A plurality of through-holes is formed in the body and communicates with the front cavity to accommodate the growth of bone tissue therethrough. The body is open at a rear end thereof and includes a rear cavity communicating with the open rear end for receiving a prosthesis attachment. The outer periphery of the body includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced, reservoir-defining structures, each of which includes a recessed surface facing toward one of the longitudinal ends of the implant and arranged to store blood adjacent the surrounding bone to promote the growth of new bone tissue.

Abstract: A dental implant is adapted to be installed in a bore formed in jaw bone tissue for retaining a dental prosthesis. The implant comprises a generally cylindrical body defining a longitudinal axis and including an outer periphery. The body is opened at a front end thereof and includes a front cylindrical cavity for receiving a cylindrical bore core. A plurality of through holes is formed in the body and communicates with the front cavity to accommodate the growth of bone tissue therethrough. The body is opened at a rear end thereof and includes a rear cavity communicating with the open rear end for receiving a prosthesis-attachment. The outer periphery of the body can be cylindrically smooth or may include a plurality of longitudinally spaced, circumferentially disposed ribs. There are thus defined on the outer periphery a plurality of circumferentially continuous surface regions adapted to engage the wall of the bore in the bone to resist the flow of blood past the implant.

Abstract: A dental prosthesis is formed by attaching an internally threaded sleeve to a post by means of heat-meltable material. A dimensionally stable, heat-meltable material is applied to the post and around the sleeve. The heat-meltable materials are melted and replaced by a permanent material. A screw is inserted into the sleeve prior to the melting step. The melting and replacing steps comprise steps in an investment-type casting procedure wherein a unit comprised of the post, the sleeve, the screw, and the heat-meltable materials is embedded in an investment material such that a head of the screw is embedded in the investment material to maintain the positional relationship of the sleeve relative to the post during the melting step. A release material is applied over a body defined by the permanent material.

Abstract: A titanium pin is adapted to be formed with a dental prosthesis and mounted within a preinstalled dental anchor in a patient's jaw. The pin is of one-piece construction and comprises a flange, an externally threaded stem, and a post. The stem is externally threaded and projects from a first side of the flange. The post is of non-circular cross-section and longitudinally irregular profile and projects from a second side of the flange. The stem is adapted to be threaded into an anchor, and the post is adapted to be properly shaped and then receive a cast body. An overlay is releasably mountable upon the cast body by means of a removable screw.

Abstract: The selection of a dental anchor for insertion into a jaw bone of a patient is achieved utilizing a transparent transfer sheet carrying on a first side thereof a plurality of removable pictorial representations of dental anchors of different sizes. The transfer sheet is superimposed over an X-ray to position different ones of the pictorial representations over a site of the X-ray where a dental implant is to be installed. When a pictorial representation of desired size has been selected, a second side of the transfer sheet opposite the selected pictorial representation is rubbed in order to transfer the selected pictorial representation onto the X-ray. Each of the pictorial representations includes indicia indicative of a dimension of the associated anchor. The pictorial representations are magnified in size relative to the X-ray to provide a factor of safety.