US20190151052A1 - Integrated Dental Implant Abutments - Google Patents

Abstract

A dental abutment having a coronal portion for supporting a prosthesis separated from a post for seizing, galling or cold welding in a dental implant by a cylindrical portion and hemispheric base portion of length less than the combined length of the prosthetic head and locking taper post portions. The hemispherical portion of the abutment having a sloping shoulder with a surface that forms a small angle with a perpendicular to the cylindrical surface. A dental prosthesis system including such dental abutments.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION
• This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/591,654, filed Jan. 7, 2015, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD
• The present disclosure concerns dental implant abutments.
BACKGROUND
• Dental implants are often the best treatment for missing teeth. When a damaged or decayed tooth is removed, both the visible part of the tooth, called the crown, and the root are lost.
• A dental implant can be placed in the jawbone so that it can be fused with natural bone and become a strong and sturdy foundation for replacement teeth. Implants can be used to replace an individual tooth or for an implant-supported bridge or denture containing multiple teeth.
• A dental implant abutment is a device that connects the prosthetic tooth/teeth to the dental implant. The replacement tooth is custom made to match a patient's natural teeth and is sometimes referred to as a crown or dental prosthesis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• This disclosure describes dental abutments that can not only be used for all conventional restorative techniques, but can also be readily scanned digitally, which enables precise restorations of a tooth or teeth to be fashioned more easily and conveniently than abutments whose geometry preclude the use of digital scanning or require modification or interpretation of scanned images for use. This feature supports the movement of the dental implant field toward precise customizable prosthetic restorations and digital dentistry with the increased use of CAD/CAM technologies.
• The dental abutments described within can also include anti-rotational features for the prosthetic component (i.e. crown) that allows the patient's prosthesis to have a precise fit. Grooves on opposite sides of the coronal end of the abutment (i.e. longitudinal end of abutment located farthest from the bone in the implanted site) provide the anti-rotation element. Each groove is generally of a constant depth that slopes toward the shoulder to end the anti-rotational element. The sloping of the groove is symmetric to reduce material stress. The coronal end of the abutment can also have a rough surface (e.g., a grit-blasted surface) to facilitate retention. For example, grit blasting can provide asperities up to 300 microns in size. The term “asperities” is used to indicate sharp, rough, or rugged projections extending from a surface.
• The described dental abutments have a post in the area of the apical end of the abutment (i.e. longitudinal end located closest to the bone in the implanted site) that is received by the open end of the dental implant. The post allows for a 360° of rotation during seating to increase the likelihood of correct orientation of the abutment, or abutment-restoration unit, either intra-orally or extra-orally. This 360° rotation also facilitates parallelism for angled abutments. The post and implant connection utilizes a friction fit connection which is a locking taper. Once fully engaged, this mechanism limits or prevents unintentional rotation between the dental abutment and implant and can provide a bacterially sealed connection. The post has a cylindrical shape for simplicity and compatibility with a large number of dental implants.
• Some dental abutments include a coronal portion that slopes to a shoulder of the dental abutment after a fixed distance of at least a 15° angle to allow for the scanning to be performed without any additional modifications or interpretations to the scan. The distance from the coronal end to the shoulder and the shoulder width has a ratio of less than seven with a shoulder width of greater than 0.02 inches. The team that developed the present dental abutments has found that the width of the shoulder and the ratio between the distance from the coronal end to the shoulder and the shoulder width to be particularly significant in providing an abutment that is conducive to digital scanning. The coronal portion slopes toward the shoulder of the dental abutment at about a 3° angle to allow the anti-rotational element to work properly.
• In some dental abutments, the distance from the bevel at the coronal end to the top of the hemispherical shoulder is long enough to allow all the edges of the dental abutment to be digitally scanned without additional modifications or interpretations. In contrast, other dental abutments have margins that are not smooth and/or not visible on scans so users manually draw in the margin on the scan results.
• The geometry of these dental abutments also allows for one conventional recording sleeve configuration to suffice for registering multiple different abutment dimensions, since different abutment sizes and angulations are independent of the prosthetic attachment aspect of the abutment. Conventional dental impression materials can be used to record and represent multiple different abutment dimensions prosthetically.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
• FIGS. 1A and 1B show a dental implant and dental abutment before and after the addition of a crown, respectively.
• FIG. 2A is a side view of a dental abutment.FIGS. 2B and 2C depict the cross section and coronal views of the abutment inFIG. 2A, respectively.
• FIGS. 3A and 3B show two dental abutments of different sizes with and without a crown.
• FIGS. 4A and 4B show two dental abutments of different configurations with and without a crown.
• FIGS. 5A-5C show a dental prosthesis supported by multiple dental abutments.
• FIGS. 6A and 6B are, respectively, a front view and a side cross-sectional view of an angled dental abutment
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• FIG. 1A shows adental abutment100 engaged in adental implant110 which has been placed in a patient'sjawbone112.FIG. 1B shows thedental abutment100 and thedental implant110 after acrown114 has been placed on thedental abutment100.
• Thedental abutment100 inFIG. 1A extends from the apical end116 (i.e. toward the jaw) to the coronal end118 (i.e. toward the crown) in the longitudinal direction. Thedental abutment100 has apost120, which is designed to be received by the open end of thedental implant110. Thepost120 extends from theapical end116 of thedental abutment100 to aretention element122. Thedental abutment100 also has a coronal portion (or head)123 which designed to support thecrown114. Thecoronal portion123 extends from thecoronal end118 of thedental abutment100 to theretention element122.
• Thedental abutment100 can be made out of a variety of materials, including titanium alloy or polyether ether ketone (PEEK).
• FIGS. 2A-2C shows thedental abutment100 in isolation to more clearly illustrate features of thedental abutment100.
• Thepost120 is substantially cylindrical, which allows for the 360° rotation of thedental abutment100 while it is being seated into the dental implant110 (seeFIGS. 1A and 1B) in order to facilitate a dentist's correct orientation of the prosthesis or crown114 (seeFIG. 1B), either intra-orally or extra-orally. This cylindrical shape provides the opportunity for the prosthesis to be used to orient and initially seat the abutment in the well of the implant. The simplicity of the cylindrical shape affords for improved manufacturability and also makes thedental abutment100 compatible with a number of different types of dental prostheses. While substantially cylindrical, thepost120 is tapered to provide a friction fit connection which is a locking taper between thepost120 and the dental implant110 (seeFIGS. 1A and 1B). This configuration can facilitate seizing, galling or cold welding between thepost120 and thedental implant110.
• Once fully engaged, this mechanism limits or prevents unintentional rotation and micro-movement between thedental abutment100 and dental implant110 (seeFIGS. 1A and 1B). The locking taper can also provide a bacterial seal between the two components. The angle α between sides of thepost120 and alongitudinal axis124 of thedental abutment100 is approximately 1.3°. Depending on the dental abutment variant, the angle between sides of thepost120 and alongitudinal axis124 of thedental abutment100 is typically between 1.1° and 1.6°. The geometry of thedental abutment100 is symmetrical along thelongitudinal axis124.
• Theretention element122 extends from thepost120 to thecoronal portion123. Theretention element122 has abase128 and ashoulder130 which meets the base128 at amargin132. The transition between the base128 and thepost120 is acurve134 with a radius of curvature136 (seeFIG. 2B) of approximately 0.02 inches. In some dental abutments, the radius ofcurvature136 is more or less than 0.02 inches (e.g., between 0.01 and 0.03 inches) which can reduce stress factors and resulting fractures. The surface of thebase128 has a radius of curvature138 (seeFIG. 2B) of approximately 0.08 inches. In some dental abutments, the radius ofcurvature138 is more or less than 0.08 inches (e.g., between 0.08 and 0.15 inches). The shape of thebase128 provides for the consistent confrontation of what is an approximation of a hemispherical contour to tissues in the proximity to the periosteum. This confrontation in turn can stimulate osteoblastic activity and subsequent bone growth.
• Between the hemisphere and theshoulder130, the side of the abutment extends for a length L₁to themargin132. The perimeter (e.g., circumference) of the dental abutment increases at 1-2° in this portion of the dental abutment as distance from theapical end116 of thedental abutment100. In thedental abutment100, the length L₁is 0.16 inches (4 mm). As discussed in more detail below with reference toFIGS. 3A and 3B, some dental abutments are configured in which the length L₁is more or less than 0.16 inches (4 mm) (e.g., between 0.05 (1.3 mm) and 0.32 inches (8.1 mm)). This variability provides the opportunity to use the same inferior or post and superior or head contours on the abutment, while providing the flexibility to use with implants placed at different depths within the jaw bone.
• The diameter of the dental abutment at themargin132 is 0.24 inches (6 mm). In some dental abutments, the diameter of the dental abutment at themargin132 is more or less than 0.24 inches (6 mm) (e.g., between 0.16 inches (4 mm) and 0.31 inches (8 mm).
• An angle θ is defined between theshoulder130 and aplane140 that is perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis124. Indental abutment100, the angle θ is approximately 15°. In some dental abutments, the angle β is more or less than 15° (e.g., between 10° and 20°). It has been found that dental abutments in which the angle β is approximately 15° allow the scanning to be performed without any additional modifications or interpretations to the scan.
• Thecoronal portion123 includes aneck142, ananti-rotation portion144, and abevel146 at the coronal end of thedental abutment100. Theneck142 has a length La. Theneck142 is substantially cylindrical with sides that are substantially parallel to thelongitudinal axis124 of thedental abutment100. Some dental abutments have necks with other shapes such as, for example, with rectangular or octagonal (rather than circular) cross-sections.
• In contrast, theanti-rotation portion144 of thecoronal portion123 is tapered with a cone angle γ such that the perimeter (e.g., circumference) of thecoronal portion123 at the coronal end of theanti-rotation portion144 is smaller than the apical end of theanti-rotation portion144. Indental abutment100, the cone angle γ is approximately 3°. In some dental abutments, the angle γ is more or less than 3° (e.g., between 2.5° and 3.5°). It has been found that dental abutments in which the angle γ is more than 2.5° help enable scanning to be performed without any additional modifications or interpretations to the scan.
• The surface ofcoronal portion123 can be either rough or smooth based on the individual needs dictated by the procedure. A roughened surface can be achieved, for example, through the use of grit blasting. This provides a better surface for the adhesion of dental materials, such as opaque (i.e., composite dental resin that is used to cover unsightly dentition), as well as thecrown114 or prosthesis to thecoronal portion123. In particular, the roughened surface can facilitate the mechanical retention of chemical bonding agents such as opaque layers of composite resins or prosthetic cementing agents.
• The structure of thecoronal portion123 provides thedental abutment100 with a configuration that can be easily scanned. The perimeter (e.g., the circumference) of thedental abutment100 increases monotonically from thecoronal end118 to themargin132 defined between the base128 and the shoulder. The edge between thebevel146 and theanti-rotation portion144 is smaller than the edge betweenanti-rotation portion144 and theneck142. The edge between theanti-rotation portion144 and theneck142 is smaller thanmargin132 between theneck142 and thebase128. As can be seen best inFIG. 2C, theshoulder130 is visible and clearly delineated which makes theshoulder130 easy to record during digital scanning. In addition, the length L₃(from thebevel146 to theneck142 of the coronal portion123) is long enough that when present in concert with angle γ, allows all the edges of the dental abutment to be observed with a digital scanner without additional modifications or interpretations to the scan. Unlike abutments whose geometry preclude the use of digital scanning or require modification or interpretations of scanned images for use, the abutments presented in this application allow for easy digital scanning which enables the rapid and precise restorations of a tooth or teeth. This feature supports movement of the dental implant field toward customizable restorations or prostheses and digital dentistry with the increased use of CAD/CAM technologies.
• The geometry of these dental abutments not only facilitate their recording by digital scanning technologies, but also allows for a singular conventional recording sleeve configuration to suffice for registering multiple different abutment dimensions. Further conventional dental impression materials can be used to record and represent their multiple different abutment dimensions prosthetically.
• Theanti-rotation portion144 of thecoronal portion123 includes anti-rotation features in the form of twogrooves148 on opposite sides of thecoronal end118. The anti-rotational features help control the orientation of a prosthetic component orcrown114 which helps provide a precise fit of the prosthesis. The grooves also guide the prosthetic component orcrown114 into the correct orientation.
• Theanti-rotation grooves148 located on opposite sides of thecoronal end118 of thedental abutment100 are generally of a constant depth that slopes toward the shoulder to end the anti-rotational element. The sloping of the groove is symmetric to reduce material stress.
• The length L₃(seeFIG. 2A) of theanti-rotation portion144 and thegrooves148 are nominally 0.125 inches (3.2 mm). The width W (seeFIG. 2A) of thegrooves148 is nominally 0.055 inches (1.4 mm). The depth D (seeFIG. 2B) of thegrooves148 is nominally 0.02 inches (0.51 mm). As discussed above, theanti-rotation portion144 of thecoronal portion123 is tapered with an angle γ of approximately 3°. The angled surface allows the anti-rotational element (e.g., grooves148) to work properly. In addition, the sloping surface facilitates attaching other components as it is difficult to attach additional components to parallel surfaces,
• Some dental abutments havegrooves148 in which the length L₃is more or less than 0.125 inches (3.2 mm) (e.g., between 0.1 (2.5 mm) and 0.3 inches (7.6 mm)), the width W is more or less than 0.055 inches (1.4 mm) (e.g., between 0.04 inches (1 mm) and 0.06 inches (1.5 mm)), and/or the depth D is more or less than 0.02 inches (0.51 mm) (e.g., between 0.010 inches (0.254 mm) to 0.030 inches (0.76 mm)). Some dental abutments include other anti-rotation features such as, for example, hexagonal or multi-sided flat surfaces and/or a variety of slots or grooves.
• As discussed above, some dental abutments are configured in which the length L₁(between the hemispherical portion of thebase128 and the margin132) is more or less than 0.16 inches (4 mm) (e.g., between 0.06 inches (1.5 mm) and 0.32 inches (7 mm)).
• FIGS. 3A and 3B compare thedental abutment100 with adental abutment200 that has a length L₁that is 0.24 inches (˜6 mm). Thedental abutment100 and theabutment200 have identical configurations except for the differences in the length L₁. In particular, the dimensions of thepost120 are the same in both thedental abutment100 and theabutment200 such that a single type of dental implant can be used with either abutment. This configuration allows a dentist to set the position of thecoronal portion123 of thedental abutment100,200 relative to the gum above an implant regardless of the implant's axial position in thejawbone112.
• Some dental abutments haveretention elements122 that have different perimeters (e.g., diameters for the illustrated dental abutments).FIGS. 4A and 4B compare thedental abutment100 with adental abutment300 in which both length L₁and the diameter of the retention element are smaller than those of thedental abutment100. It accommodates implant wells that are more parallel for greater retention or wider for greater strength and resistance to metal fatigue and breakage.
• This specification has described a dental prostheses system including versatile abutments with numerous advantages. Dentists may now make numerous uses and modifications of and departures from the specific embodiments and techniques disclosed herein without departing from the inventive concepts. For example, multiple dental abutments as described above can be used to support a single dental prosthesis.FIGS. 5A-5C show a system in which fourdental abutments100 are used to support a singledental prosthesis114. In another example, dental abutments can be formed with the features described above but with the post set at angle relative to the coronal portion.FIGS. 6A and 6B show adental abutment400 in which anaxis124′ of thepost120 set at angle relative to anaxis124″ of thecoronal portion123. Consequently, the claims are to be construed as embracing each and every novel feature and novel combination of features presented in or possessed by the apparatus and techniques herein disclosed.
• There has been described novel apparatus and techniques in connection with dental implanting. It is evident that those skilled in the art may make numerous modifications of and departures from the specific apparatus and techniques herein disclosed without departing from the inventive concepts. Consequently, the invention is to be construed as embracing each and every novel concept and combination of concepts disclosed herein and limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims (1)

What is claimed is:

1. A dental abutment extending from an apical end to a coronal end along a longitudinal axis, the dental abutment comprising:

a retention element with a base oriented towards the apical end of the dental implant and a shoulder oriented towards the coronal end of the dental abutment, the shoulder oriented at an angle of at least 12.5° relative to a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis such that the perimeter of the retention element increases with increasing distance from the coronal end of the dental abutment through the region of the shoulder;

a post extending from the apical end of the dental abutment to the base of the retention element; and

a head extending from the coronal end of the dental abutment to the shoulder of the retention element, the head having a cone angle between 2.5° and 3.5°.

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