Dental implant abutment

Abstract

A process for the manufacture of a dental implant restoration system including an abutment for attaching a dental prosthesis within a patient's mouth. The abutment is a single unit structure fabricated of a ceramic material, multicolored throughout to match the color of the dental prosthesis, the surrounding dentition and the surrounding gingival tissue.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dental implant abutment comprising:
 a monolithic single unit structure having a basal end for anchoring to an implant and a coronal end for supporting a dental prosthesis, wherein the basal end and coronal end meet at a cervical line;   wherein the monolithic single unit structure is fabricated of lithium disilicate;   wherein the monolithic single unit structure is multicolored throughout to match the color of the dental prosthesis, the surrounding dentition and the surrounding gingival tissue;   wherein the basal end comprises a collar having a lower side and an upper side, the upper side of the collar forming the cervical line, the collar further comprising a core and an outer layer of material overlaying the core, wherein the core is a dentin color;   wherein the outer layer is a gingival color, and wherein the cervical line may be lowered by removing the outer layer of material; and   wherein the lithium disilicate has a flexural strength exceeding 600 MPa.   
     
     
         2 . The dental implant abutment of  claim 1  wherein the multicolored single unit structure varies in shade, translucency, opacity, opalescence, and fluorescence from the basal end to the coronal end. 
     
     
         3 . The dental implant abutment of  claim 2  wherein the basal end is gingival pink-colored, the coronal end is incisal-colored and the area in between the basal and coronal ends is dentin colored. 
     
     
         4 . The dental implant abutment of  claim 3  wherein the dentin-colored area includes a cervical-colored area where the basal end meets the coronal end. 
     
     
         5 . The implant abutment of  claim 2  wherein the shade is measured by CIE L*, a*, and b* color coordinates and wherein the CIE L*, a*, and b* color coordinates are within the CIE L*, a*, and b* color space region associated with tooth colors and translucencies. 
     
     
         6 . The dental implant abutment of  claim 5  wherein value L* ranges from about 27 to about 96, value a* ranges from about −17 to about +28, value b* ranges from about −29 to about +52 and the contrast ratio (CR) ranges from about 5 to about 99%. 
     
     
         7 . The dental implant abutment of  claim 1  wherein the lithium disilicate has a flexural strength exceeding 700 MPa. 
     
     
         8 . The dental implant abutment of  claim 1  wherein the lithium disilicate has a flexural strength exceeding 800 MPa. 
     
     
         9 . The dental implant abutment of  claim 1  wherein the lithium disilicate has a flexural strength exceeding 900 MPa. 
     
     
         10 . The dental implant abutment of  claim 1  wherein the monolithic single unit structure is anatomically shaped and shaded. 
     
     
         11 . The dental implant abutment of  claim 1  wherein the outer layer of material has a thickness in the range from about 0.25 to about 1.00 mm. 
     
     
         12 . The dental implant abutment of  claim 1  wherein the location of the cervical line changes after the abutment is prepared for placement on an implant. 
     
     
         13 . The dental implant abutment of  claim 12  wherein the abutment is prepared using hand-held instruments and procedures, partially automated instruments and procedures, or fully automated instruments and procedures. 
     
     
         14 . A dental implant restoration system comprising:
 an implant;   an abutment fixed to an implant; and   a dental prosthesis disposed atop the abutment;   wherein the abutment comprises a monolithic, single-unit structure having a basal end for anchoring to an implant and a coronal end for supporting a dental prosthesis, wherein the basal end and coronal end meet at a cervical line;   wherein the monolithic single unit structure is fabricated of lithium disilicate;   wherein the monolithic single unit structure is multicolored throughout to match the color of the dental prosthesis, the surrounding dentition and the surrounding gingival tissue;   wherein the basal end comprises a collar having a lower side and an upper side, the upper side of the collar forming the cervical line, the collar further comprising a core and an outer layer of material overlaying the core, wherein the core is a dentin color;   wherein the outer layer is a gingival color, and wherein the cervical line may be lowered by removing the outer layer of material; and   wherein the lithium disilicate has a flexural strength exceeding 600 MPa.   
     
     
         15 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 14  wherein the abutment is attached to the implant externally by a screw or internally by a bore contained in the abutment. 
     
     
         16 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 14  wherein the implant comprises a male connection component and the abutment comprises a female connection component to connect to one another. 
     
     
         17 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 14  wherein the implant comprises a female connection component and the abutment comprises a male connection component to connect to one another. 
     
     
         18 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 14  wherein the basal end is gingival pink-colored, the coronal end is incisal-colored and the area in between the basal and coronal ends is dentin colored. 
     
     
         19 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 14  wherein the lithium disilicate has a flexural strength exceeding 700 MPa. 
     
     
         20 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 4  wherein the lithium disilicate has a flexural strength exceeding 800 MPa. 
     
     
         21 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 4  wherein the lithium disilicate has a flexural strength exceeding 900 MPa. 
     
     
         22 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 14  wherein the outer layer of material has a thickness in the range from about 0.25 to about 1.00 mm. 
     
     
         23 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 14  wherein the location of the cervical line changes after the abutment is prepared for placement on an implant. 
     
     
         24 . The implant restoration system of  claim 23  wherein the abutment is prepared using hand-held instruments and procedures, partially automated instruments and procedures, or fully automated instruments and procedures. 
     
     
         25 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 14  wherein the dental prosthesis comprises dental ceramic, porcelain, composite or hybrid material. 
     
     
         26 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 25  wherein the dental ceramic, porcelain, composite or hybrid material is fabricated using hand-held instruments and procedures, partially automated instruments and procedures, or fully automated instruments and procedures. 
     
     
         27 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 26  wherein the partially or fully automated instruments and procedures comprises CAD/CAM, Rapid-Prototyping, plasma or flame deposition, electroforming, spraying or dipping. 
     
     
         28 . A dental implant restoration system comprising:
 an implant; and   an anatomically shaped and shaded abutment fixed to the implant;   wherein the anatomically shaped and shaded abutment comprises a near net-shape monolithic, single-unit structure having a basal end for anchoring to an implant and a coronal end approximating the shape of a dental prosthesis, wherein the basal end and coronal end meet at a cervical line;   wherein the monolithic single-unit structure is fabricated of lithium disilicate;   wherein the monolithic single-unit structure is multicolored throughout to match the color of the dental prosthesis, the surrounding dentition and the surrounding gingival tissue;   wherein the basal end comprises a collar having a lower side and an upper side, the upper side of the collar forming the cervical line, the collar further comprising a core and an outer layer of material overlaying the core, wherein the core is a dentin color and wherein the outer layer is a gingival color, and   wherein the cervical line may be lowered by removing the outer layer of material;   wherein the lithium disilicate has a flexural strength exceeding 600 MPa.   
     
     
         29 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 28  wherein the outer layer of material has a thickness in the range from about 0.25 to about 1.00 mm. 
     
     
         30 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 28  wherein the location of the cervical line changes after the abutment is prepared for placement on an implant. 
     
     
         31 . The implant restoration system of  claim 30  wherein the abutment is prepared and/or finished using hand-held instruments and procedures, partially automated instruments and procedures, or fully automated instruments and procedures. 
     
     
         32 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 28  further comprising an aesthetic layer. 
     
     
         33 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 31  wherein the finishing the abutment comprises cutting-back and layering. 
     
     
         34 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 31  wherein finishing the abutment comprises staining and glazing. 
     
     
         35 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 28  wherein the abutment requires no aesthetic layer prior to placement onto the dental implant in the patient's mouth. 
     
     
         36 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 32  wherein the aesthetic layer is a veneering material comprising dental ceramic, porcelain, composite or hybrid material. 
     
     
         37 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 36  wherein the dental ceramic, porcelain, composite or hybrid material is fabricated using hand-held instruments and procedures, partially automated instruments and procedures, or fully automated instruments and procedures. 
     
     
         38 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 37  wherein the partially or fully automated instruments and procedures comprises CAD/CAM, Rapid-Prototyping, plasma or flame deposition, electroforming, spraying or dipping. 
     
     
         39 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 28  wherein the lithium disilicate has a flexural strength exceeding 700 MPa. 
     
     
         40 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 28  wherein the lithium disilicate has a flexural strength exceeding 800 MPa. 
     
     
         41 . The dental implant restoration system of  claim 28  wherein the lithium disilicate has a flexural strength exceeding 900 MPa.