Abstract: A dental implant includes a body and a thread. The body has a central axis, a coronal end, and an apical end. The thread is coupled to the body. The thread has a coronal facing surface, an apical facing surface, and a crest surface positioned between the coronal facing surface and the apical facing surface. The coronal facing surface of the thread has a plurality of steps formed therein.

Abstract: A dental implant includes a body and a threaded surface. The body has an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion. The upper portion of the body includes a generally cylindrical region. The lower portion of the body includes a generally inwardly tapered region. The middle portion of the body includes an outwardly extending bulge. A maximum outer diameter of the bulge is greater than (i) a maximum outer diameter of the upper portion and (ii) a maximum outer diameter of the lower portion. The threaded surface is on the body within at least the upper portion of the body, the bulge, and the lower portion of the body.

Abstract: A zygomatic dental implant includes a generally cylindrical body, an interior threaded bore, and an asymmetrical external feature. The generally cylindrical body has a coronal portion and an apical portion. The generally cylindrical body has a main-central axis. The interior threaded bore is formed in the coronal portion of the generally cylindrical body for receiving a screw configured to removably hold an abutment in engagement with the zygomatic dental implant. The interior threaded bore has a bore-central axis. The asymmetrical external feature is on at least a portion of a first side of the generally cylindrical body such that the asymmetrical external feature is configured to directly engage alveolar bone of the patient. The asymmetrical external feature includes a plurality of circumferentially extending grooves.

Abstract: A dental implant includes a generally cylindrical body, an interior bore, and a non-rotational feature. The generally cylindrical body has a main-central axis and is formed from cold-worked, high strength, commercially pure titanium having an ultimate tensile strength of at least about 900 MPa. The generally cylindrical body has a proximal portion and an opposing distal portion for anchoring the dental implant in bone of a patient. The interior bore is formed in the generally cylindrical body and has (i) a bore-central axis and (ii) a threaded portion for receiving a screw that is configured to removable hold an abutment in engagement with the dental implant. The non-rotational feature is configured to engage the abutment in a non-rotational fashion.

Abstract: A dental implant includes a body and a threaded surface. The body has an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion. The upper portion of the body includes a generally cylindrical region. The lower portion of the body includes a generally inwardly tapered region. The middle portion of the body includes an outwardly extending bulge. A maximum outer diameter of the bulge is greater than (i) a maximum outer diameter of the upper portion and (ii) a maximum outer diameter of the lower portion. The threaded surface is on the body within at least the upper portion of the body, the bulge, and the lower portion of the body.

Abstract: A dental implant includes a generally cylindrical body, an interior bore, and a non-rotational feature. The generally cylindrical body has a main-central axis and is formed from cold-worked, high strength, commercially pure titanium having an ultimate tensile strength of at least about 900 MPa. The generally cylindrical body has a proximal portion and an opposing distal portion for anchoring the dental implant in bone of a patient. The interior bore is formed in the generally cylindrical body and has (i) a bore-central axis and (ii) a threaded portion for receiving a screw that is configured to removable hold an abutment in engagement with the dental implant. The non-rotational feature is configured to engage the abutment in a non-rotational fashion.

Abstract: The invention concerns a dental implant assembly including an implant component (10) which is engaged in use with a bone structure and which has an internally threaded socket (14). The assembly also includes a dental component (20), typically an abutment, crown or prosthetic tooth, which seats on the implant component and which has a passage (24) through its base (22). The dental component is clamped to the implant component by a prosthetic retaining screw (28) having a head (32) and a shank (30) which passes through the passage and is screwed into the socket of the implant component. The invention is characterized in that a separate washer (36) including a low friction polymeric material is located rotatably on the shank of the screw adjacent the screw head in order to reduce friction between the head of the screw and the base of the dental component when the screw is tightened up.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to a flexible drive assembly (12) which includes drive elements (14) connected to one another in series. Each drive element has a body (16) with a central axis (18) and male and female ends (20, 22). The male end includes a projecting rib (26) of non-circular cross-section and the female end defines a socket (36) with a groove (44) therein which is of non-circular cross-section. The drive elements are connected to one another in series by location of the male end of one element in the series in the socket at the female end of a neighbouring element in the series with the rib of the male end received as a snap fit in the groove of the socket. The male ends and sockets are configured to allow limited pivotal movement to take place between adjacent elements, in each case about an axis transverse to the central axes of the elements, while also allowing the connected elements to transmit rotational torque in either direction from one to the other.

Abstract: A dental implant adaptor which is particularly suitable for dental crown implantation using a screw-retained protocol has a hollow body that can be mounted on a dental implant. The body includes a crown-receiving portion on which a dental crown can be mounted. The portion has a distal end and a proximal end and includes a first anti-rotation formation to prevent rotation between the adaptor and the crown. The body also has a laterally projecting collar at the proximal end of the crown-receiving portion which, in use, locates on the implant. There is also a second anti-rotation formation shaped for non-rotational engagement with the implant. The crown-receiving portion and collar together have an overall axial length in the range 3.5 mm to 7 mm and the collar has an axial thickness of 1.5 mm or less. Another described is an implant assembly incorporating the adaptor.

Abstract: A dental implant adaptor which is particularly suitable for dental crown implantation using a screw-retained protocol has a hollow body that can be mounted on a dental implant. The body includes a crown-receiving portion on which a dental crown can be mounted. The portion has a distal end and a proximal end and includes a first anti-rotation formation to prevent rotation between the adaptor and the crown. The body also has a laterally projecting collar at the proximal end of the crown-receiving portion which, in use, locates on the implant. There is also a second anti-rotation formation shaped for non-rotational engagement with the implant. The crown-receiving portion and collar together have an overall axial length in the range 3.5 mm to 7 mm and the collar has an axial thickness of 1.5 mm or less. Another described is an implant assembly incorporating the adaptor.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention concerns a molar implant (24). The implant has a body with a coronal end (26) into which a threaded bore (60) extends to receive a fastener for a prosthesis. There is an externally threaded shank (34) extending apically from the outer end, at least a portion of the shank being inwardly tapered. The coronal end has a diameter of at least 7 mm and the shank has a taper angle in the range 10° to 25°. Another aspect of the invention concerns a surgical method in which a molar tooth (12) is extracted from a maxilla or mandible and a hole (22) is formed in the bone (10) of the maxilla or mandible at a generally central position relative to the sockets (16) left by the extracted molar tooth. This hole typically has a diameter greater than the lateral dimensions of the sockets. It is then possible to screw into the hole an implant (24) as described above.

Abstract: A dental or other bone implant is provided that is adapted to provide substantial primary stability without hindering blood supply through the trabeculae of the bone, and therefore, allowing for rapid osseointegration and good secondary stability. The implant may include a head portion that may include an external or internal connector. The implant also includes a shank having threads. The threads and/or the shank have a varying radius to form a threaded shank that is out-of-round having a plurality of lobes.