Implant positioning device and method

Abstract

The invention includes a method and apparatus to guide a dental drill to drill a bore into which a dental implant may be inserted at a particular axis. The dentist first takes an impression of a selected patient's dental arch. The cast dental arch is then formed from the impression. A dental professional then determines the desired location of the desired axis. A proxy implant having a proxy axis is placed in the cast dental arch with the proxy axis co-incident with the desired location of the desired axis. A stent is then formed of the tooth crowns from the cast dental arch. The stent has incorporated into it a locating barrel. A drill head with a drill alignment arm is provided to the dentist for fixation to a dental drill hand piece. The kit of parts provided to the dentist includes the stent with its incorporated locating barrel. The drill alignment arm provided to the dentist for attachment to the drill head and a plurality of drills. By using the stent with its incorporated locating barrel, the dentist's drill is guided into the desired location by interaction of the pin of the drill alignment arm with the locating barrel in the stent. By additionally controlling the length of the drills, the location, axis and depth of the drill hole made by the dentist will exactly coincide with the designed location, depth and orientation of the implant.

1 . A kit of parts for aligning a drill axis of a dental drill head at a desired location in a selected patient's dental arch comprising: 
 a drill alignment arm for attaching to said dental drill head at a specified drill head location, said drill alignment arm having a drill alignment arm pin, said drill alignment arm pin having a drill alignment arm pin axis, wherein said drill alignment arm pin axis is displaced from said drill axis a first selected distance, and    a stent, said stent adapted to fit said dental arch of said selected patient, said stent including a locating barrel, said locating barrel having a bore adapted to receive and locate said drill alignment arm pin, wherein said bore of said locating barrel is displaced from said desired location by said first selected distance,    and wherein said stent comprises a clearance space adjacent said desired location.    
   
   
       2 . The kit of  claim 1  wherein said locating barrel includes a depth control surface.  
   
   
       3 . The kit of  claim 2  further comprising at least one drill.  
   
   
       4 . The kit of  claim 4  wherein said at least one drill has a selected drill length and said selected drill length and said depth control surface are correlated to limit the depth of a bore which may be drilled by said at least one drill when mounted in said drill head, to a desired depth.  
   
   
       5 . The kit of  claim 4  wherein said kit further comprises a plurality of drills, said drills having different diameters.  
   
   
       6 . The kit of  claim 5  further comprising a dental implant having an external surface and one of said drills is adapted to drill a bore of a size to accommodate said external surface of said implant.  
   
   
       7 . The kit of  claim 6  wherein said kit further comprises a stent alignment arm, said stent alignment arm having a stent alignment arm pin, said stent alignment arm pin having a stent alignment arm pin axis, and said stent alignment arm pin, is adapted to be received within said bore of said locating barrel.  
   
   
       8 . The kit of  claim 7  wherein said kit comprises a proxy implant, said proxy implant having a central bore, said central bore having a proxy axis.  
   
   
       9 . The kit of  claim 8  wherein said stent alignment arm comprises an alignment coping, said alignment coping having an alignment coping bore with an alignment coping bore axis.  
   
   
       10 . The kit of  claim 9  wherein said kit further comprises a retainer screw for fixedly aligning said alignment coping of said stent alignment arm, relative to said proxy implant with said alignment coping bore axis aligned with said proxy axis.  
   
   
       11 . The kit of  claim 10  wherein the distance between said alignment coping bore axis and said stent alignment arm pin axis is the same as the distance between said drill alignment arm pin axis and said drill axis when said drill alignment arm is fixed to said drill head.  
   
   
       12 . The kit of  claim 11  wherein said locating barrel includes a slot portion for removably receiving a portion of said stent alignment arm when said stent alignment arm pin is received within said bore of said locating barrel.  
   
   
       13 . The kit of  claim 7  wherein said stent alignment arm comprises an alignment coping, said alignment coping having an alignment coping bore with an alignment coping bore axis.  
   
   
       14 . The kit of  claim 13  wherein said kit further comprises a retainer screw for fixedly aligning said alignment coping of said stent alignment arm, relative to said proxy implant with said alignment coping bore axis aligned with said proxy axis.  
   
   
       15 . The kit of  claim 13  wherein the distance between said alignment coping bore axis and said stent alignment arm pin axis is the same as the distance between said drill alignment arm pin axis and said drill axis when said drill alignment arm is fixed to said drill head.  
   
   
       16 . The kit of  claim 15  wherein said locating barrel includes a slot portion for removably receiving a portion of said stent alignment arm when said stent alignment arm pin is received within said bore of said locating barrel.