ASYMMETRICAL DENTAL IMPLANT AND METHOD OF INSERTION
An implant fixture is disclosed. The implant fixture includes an elongated body extending along a longitudinal axis. The elongated body includes a base portion having a non-circular cross section and a receiver adapted to receive a prosthetic. A root portion extends from the base portion away from the receiver. An extension portion extends from the root portion away from the base portion. The extension portion extends primarily along one side of the longitudinal axis. A kit containing a plurality of implant fixtures having different configurations is also disclosed. Further, a method of inserting the implant fixture into a patient is also disclosed. The method uses piezoelectrically generated energy to seat the implant fixture in the patient's bone.
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The present application is a Divisional Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/711,815, filed on Feb. 27, 2007 which is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/282,929, filed on Nov. 18, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,618,258, issued Nov. 17, 2009.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONDental implants are used to anchor a mechanical fixture, such as a dental prosthesis, into living bone. The implant is embedded into the bone to provide a solid foundation for connecting the dental prosthesis. The implants and their respective dental prostheses serve numerous purposes, such as to assist the user with chewing, to provide a mating surface for an opposing tooth to prevent the loss of the opposing tooth, and to present an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Prior to inserting the implant into the bone, the bone must be drilled to provide a recess for the insert to be implanted. Previously, implants were designed to be placed perpendicularly to the bone surface. The location of the implant in the user's mouth and the amount of mouth opening severely limit the ability to insert the head of the implant perpendicularly to the bone. Due to these limitations, most often, implants are inserted at an angle with respect to the bone surface. The angular insertion of an implant creates two problems: a) the mesial top portion of the implant is inserted too deeply into the bone, and, b) the distal top portion protrudes excessively from the bone. Furthermore, two problems arise at different stages of the treatment. The bone overgrows on the mesial aspect, thus requiring additional osseous surgery to remove excess bone. Later on, on the mesial aspect, the bone continues to resorb in order to accommodate biologic width. Biologic width is approximately 2 millimeters of connective tissue that wraps around a natural tooth or an implant and is constant. Violation of this area creates chronic inflammation and bone resorption.
To attempt to compensate for these problems, other prior art implants have been provided that disclose a top face that extends in a single plane oblique to a longitudinal axis of the implant. Such implants provide improved mechanical properties and anchorage but do not address biological fit, the implant exit and its relationship to the gum tissue. It would be beneficial to provide a dental implant having a top face with multiple slants. Slants on the mesiodistal aspect allow an angulated insertion of the top of the implant, having the top of the implant parallel to the bone surface and thus enabling a smooth development of biological width. The facial slant yields better aesthetic results due to the curved outline at the gum level.
A still further problem arises with implants after insertion into the mouth. Implants are threaded to secure the implant into the bone. The implants are axially symmetrical in order to enable such threading. Implants that are threaded and axially symmetrical do not anatomically fit the tooth roots, leaving a gap between the implant and bone in the coronal aspect, requiring significant time for healing. Such implants are prone to losing their primary stability, which is an important step in osseointegration. Osseointegration is the process by which the bone grows adjacent to the implant. Placement of an axially asymmetrical implant is less traumatic than the present rotational insertion method of an axially symmetric implant. It would be beneficial to provide an implant that is axially asymmetric and that fits the site of the extraction (body cavity) with little or no gap between implant and bone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONBriefly, the present invention provides an implant fixture. The implant fixture comprises an elongated body extending along a longitudinal axis. The elongated body includes a base portion having a non-circular cross section, a receiver adapted to receive a prosthetic. A root portion extends from the base portion away from the receiver. An extension portion extends from the root portion away from the base portion. The extension portion extends primarily along one side of the longitudinal axis.
Additionally, the present invention provides a kit comprising a plurality of implant fixtures described above. At least a first implant fixture of the kit has a different configuration from a second implant fixture of the kit.
Further, the present invention provides a method of inserting an implant fixture into a body cavity using a piezoelectric insertion tool. The method comprises attaching the implant fixture to the piezoelectric insertion tool; inserting the implant fixture into the body cavity; and seating the implant fixture in the body cavity based on energy from the piezoelectric insertion tool.
Also, the present invention provides a device for forming a cavity in a bone. The device comprises a first portion releasably couplable to a piezoelectric insertion tool, a second portion extending along a longitudinal axis, and a flange disposed between the first portion and the second portion. The flange extends along a plurality of planes. At least one of the plurality of planes extends obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of desired embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification. For the purposes of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments that are presently desired. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are employed for designating the same elements throughout the several figures. In the drawings:
Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention. The terminology includes the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import. The term “facial” is defined to mean a direction closer to the lips and cheek of the user. The term “lingual” is defined to mean a direction closer to the tongue of the user. The term “mesial” is defined to mean a direction closer to an imaginary centerline of the mouth of the user. The term “distal” is defined to mean a direction farther from the imaginary centerline of the mouth. The term “occlusal” is defined to mean the top surface, such as the chewing surface, of a tooth. Further, as used herein, the term “configuration” is defined to mean size and/or shape. The following describes desired embodiments of the invention. However, it should be understood based on this disclosure, that the invention is not limited by the desired embodiments of the invention.
Referring generally to the figures, several embodiments of a dental implant according to the present invention are shown. Dental implants are used to provide an anchor in a mouth for a prosthetic tooth, also known as a crown.
Referring to any of
Referring to
With first and second portions 132, 134 slanting at different angles β1, β2, top face 112 can be said to have a compound slant relative to longitudinal axis 130. For implant 100 shown in
Top face 112 also includes a third portion 133 that is slanted at a third angle β3 relative to longitudinal axis 130. Third portion 133 forms a lingual face. While third angle β3 is shown in
Top face 112 is formed by a first plane P1 that extends along first portion 132 and out of the plane of
Referring to
Referring to
Referring now to
After implant 100 is inserted into bone 50, crown 60 is secured to implant 100. Crown 60 includes a passage 62 extending longitudinally therethrough. A bottom part of passage 62 narrows, forming a lip 64. A coupling, such as a screw 66, is inserted through passage 62 and extends beyond crown 60 and into opening 114 for a threaded connection with mating threads (not shown) in opening 114. Screw 66 engages lip 64 to retain the head of screw 66 within passage 62. A bottom surface 68 of crown 60 is contoured to mate with top face 112 of implant 100 to provide a close fit between crown 60 and implant 100. After crown 60 is screwed onto implant 100, a filler 70 is inserted into passage 62 to cover screw 66.
While external threads 124 provide a desired connection between implant 100 and bone 50, those skilled in the art will recognize that external threads 124 may be omitted, as seen in implant 200 shown in
Referring now to
An external connection 316 extends upward from top face 312, away from body 302. External connection 316 provides an alternate manner by which a crown 80, shown in
After implant 300 is inserted into bone 50, crown 80 is secured to implant 300. Crown 80 includes a passage 82 extending longitudinally therethrough. A bottom part of passage 82 narrows, forming a lip 89. A coupling, such as a screw 86, is inserted through passage 82 and extends beyond crown 80 and into opening 314 for a threaded connection with mating threads (not shown) in opening 314. Screw 86 engages lip 89 to retain the head of screw 86 within passage 82. Bottom surface 84 of crown 80 is contoured to mate with top face 312 of implant 300 to provide a close fit between crown 80 and implant 300. After crown 80 is screwed onto implant 300, a filler 90 is inserted into passage 82 to cover screw 86.
Although implant 300 is shown in
Desirably, implants 100, 200, 300, 400 are constructed from titanium, ceramic, or some other suitable biocompatible material. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that implants 100, 200, 300, 400 may be used to replace any tooth within a patient's mouth, and are not specific to any region in the mouth as long as the diameter of implants 100, 200, 300, 400 are varied and the angulations of top faces 112, 212, 312, 412 of each respective implant 100, 200, 300, 400 is varied according to the particular contours of the region.
Exemplary tools 1000 that may be used to form a body cavity 80 in bone 50 into which implants 100, 200, 300, 400 are to be inserted are shown in
Tools 1000 include a first tip 1010, a second tip 1030, a third tip 1050, and a fourth tip 1070. Although four tips 1010, 1030, 1050, and 1070 are disclosed, those skilled in the art will recognize that tools 1000 may include more or less than four tips.
First tip 1010 includes a shaft 1012 that is releasably coupled to free end 1102 of piezoelectric tool 1100. Shaft 1012 bends approximately ninety degrees with a first end 1012a coupled to piezoelectric tool 1100 and a second end 1012b extending along a longitudinal axis 1013. Second end 1012b of shaft 1012 is connected to a generally circular flange 1014. Flange 1014 is formed along at least two planes, P3, P4 to mimic the compound angle of first end 110 of implant 100. At least one of planes P3, P4 extends obliquely relative to longitudinal axis 1013.
As shown in each of
Referring back to
First tip 1010 is used to begin forming body cavity 80. When coupled to piezoelectric tool 1100 and applied to bone 50 in the direction shown by arrow A in
Referring now to
As shown in
An alternate embodiment of a dental implant 500 according to the present invention is shown in
Referring to any of
Referring back to
Referring back to
With first and second portions 532, 534 slanting at different angles β1, β2, top face 512 can be said to have a compound slant relative to longitudinal axis 530. For implant 500 shown in
Top face 512 is formed along a first plane P5 that extends along first portion 532 and out of the plane of
Referring to
Referring to
Root 550 has a generally convex face at an interface between root portion 552 and extension portion 544. Root 550 tapers from larger to smaller in a direction away from first end 510. The asymmetrical aspect of root 550 with respect to longitudinal axis 530 prevents rotation of implant 500 within body cavity 80 after insertion of implant 500 into body cavity 80. The convex face of root 550 generally mimics a tooth root and provides for a relatively comparable fit of root 550 within body cavity 80.
Referring back to
Implant 500 may be incorporated as part of a kit 700. As shown in
Alternatively, implant 500 may be incorporated as part of a kit 800. As show in
One embodiment of a method of inserting implant 500 into a patient will now be described and is shown in
As shown in each of
A cutting face 912 extends from flange 908, asymmetrically along longitudinal axis 906 and away from shaft 904. Cutting face 912 includes a rough cutting surface 914 that extends around only an aspect of cutting face 912. A facial aspect 916 of fifth insertion tip 902 has no active cutting surface in order to preserve the thin bone 54 on the facial side of bone 50. Operation of insertion tool 1100 vibrates fifth insertion tip 902 back and forth as shown by arrow B.
After fifth insertion tip 902 has enlarged body cavity 80 to a desired size, fifth insertion tip 902 is then removed from body cavity 80 and piezoelectric tool 1100, and is replaced by a sixth insertion tip 920. As shown in
Next, as shown in
As shown in
In step 2504, implant 500 is coupled to insertion tip 1110. Insertion tip 1110 may include a nub 1112 that is inserted into opening 514 in implant 500 in a male/female relationship as shown by the arrow “C” in
In step 2508, with implant 500 inserted into body cavity 80, as shown in
Insertion of implant 500 into body cavity 80 is performed using ultrasonically generated vibrations without the need to rotate implant 500 about its longitudinal axis 530 within body cavity 80. Additionally, insertion of implant 500 within body cavity 80 may be performed without the use of an adhesive, although an adhesive, such as a biologically active cement that stimulates bone growth, may be used to further secure implant 500 into body cavity 80.
After implant 500 is securely inserted into body cavity 80, piezoelectric insertion tool 1100 is uncoupled from implant 500. Next, and illustrated in
While the above invention is described with respect to dental implants, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be adapted to other implants besides dental implants.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the invention.
Claims
1. An implant fixture comprising an elongated body extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein the elongated body includes:
- a base portion having a non-circular cross section and a receiver adapted to receive a prosthetic;
- a root portion extending from the base portion away from the receiver; and
- an extension portion extending from the root portion away from the base portion, the extension portion extending primarily along one side of the longitudinal axis.
2. The implant fixture according to claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises an external connection.
3. The implant fixture according to claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises an internal connection.
4. The implant fixture according to claim 1, wherein an interface between the root portion and the extension portion comprises a generally convex face.
5. The implant fixture according to claim 1, wherein the extension portion is tapered along at least one face.
6. The implant fixture according to claim 1, wherein the base portion further comprises:
- a first portion forming a mesiodistal face having a first angle extending obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis and extending the length of a mesial side and a distal side; and
- a second portion forming a facial face having a second angle extending obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis from a facial side partially toward a lingual side and at an angle relative to the first portion.
7. The implant fixture according to claim 6, wherein the second angle extends obliquely relative to the first angle.
8. The implant fixture according to claim 6, wherein the first angle comprises a mesiodistal angle and the second angle comprises a facial angle.
9. The implant fixture according to claim 1, wherein the base portion comprises a top face extending along a plurality of planes, and each of the plurality of planes extends obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis.
10. The implant fixture according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the elongated body comprises a rough exterior surface.
11. The implant fixture according to claim 1, wherein the implant fixture comprises a dental implant fixture.
12. A kit comprising a plurality of implant fixtures, wherein each implant fixture comprises:
- an elongated body extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein the elongated body includes:
- a base portion having a non-circular cross section and a receiver adapted to receive a prosthetic;
- a root portion extending from the base portion away from the receiver; and
- an extension portion extending from the root portion away from the base portion, the extension portion extending primarily along one side of the longitudinal axis,
- wherein at least a first implant fixture of the kit has a different configuration from a second implant fixture of the kit.
13. The kit according to claim 12, wherein all of the plurality of implant fixtures correlate to at least one predetermined implant location.
14. The kit according to claim 12, wherein at least two of the plurality of implant fixtures each correlate to a separate implant location.
15. The kit according to claim 12, wherein each root portion further comprises a generally convex face.
16. The kit according to claim 12, wherein each root portion includes a taper along at least one face.
17. The kit according to claim 12, wherein each base portion further comprises:
- a first portion forming a mesiodistal face having a first angle extending obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis and extending the length of a mesial side and a distal side; and
- a second portion forming a facial face having a second angle extending obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis from a facial side partially toward a lingual side and at an angle relative to the first portion.
18. The kit according to claim 17, wherein the second angle extends obliquely relative to the first angle.
19. The kit according to claim 17, wherein the first angle comprises a mesiodistal angle and the second angle comprises a facial angle.
20. The kit according to claim 12, wherein each base portion comprises a top face extending along a plurality of planes, and each of the plurality of planes extends obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis.
21. The kit according to claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the elongated body comprises a rough exterior surface.
22. A method of inserting an implant fixture into a body cavity using a piezoelectric insertion tool comprising:
- attaching the implant fixture to the piezoelectric insertion tool;
- inserting the implant fixture into the body cavity; and
- seating the implant fixture into the body cavity based on energy from the piezoelectric insertion tool.
23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising, prior to attaching the implant fixture to the piezoelectric device, modifying the configuration of the body cavity.
24. The method according to claim 23, wherein modifying the configuration of the body cavity comprises using at least one piezoelectric tip.
25. The method according to claim 22, further comprising selecting the implant fixture from a plurality of implant fixtures.
26. The method according to claim 22, wherein seating the implant fixture into the body cavity is performed in the absence of an adhesive.
27. The method according to claim 22, wherein seating the implant fixture into the body cavity is performed without rotating the implant fixture in the body cavity.
28. The method according to claim 22, wherein seating the implant fixture into the body cavity comprises applying ultrasonic energy to engage the implant fixture with walls defining the body cavity.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 8, 2010
Publication Date: Sep 23, 2010
Applicant: Form and Function Dental Services, P.C. (Wynnewood, PA)
Inventor: Dumitru GOGARNOIU (Wynnewood, PA)
Application Number: 12/795,797
International Classification: A61C 8/00 (20060101);