Method for simultaneously installing a monolithic dental prosthesis on multiple dental implants

Abstract

A dental implant assembly containing an integrally-formed universal abutment which has a top section, a bottom section integrally joined to the top section, and a passageway extending through these sections. The passageway is formed by different size bores, initially a larger size than decrease in size. The top section of the abutment has a cross-sectional shape substantially like a polygon; the shape is formed by alternating linear and arcuate walls joining to a bottom section having a cross-sectional shape substantially like a polygon.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for simultaneously installing multiple dental implants, the method comprising sequential steps of:
 forming a plurality of holes in a jawbone of a patient;   attaching multiple dental assemblies to the jawbone, each dental assembly comprising:
 an abutment adaptor that is removably connected to an implant fixture by an abutment screw, the abutment adaptor further comprising a hexagonal portion exposed above the implant fixture, the implant fixture being inserted into a hole in the plurality of holes, the implant fixture providing an indexed recessed wall that engages the abutment adaptor such that spatial orientation of the implant fixture is translated to the hexagonal portion of the abutment adaptor; 
   permitting soft tissue around the plurality of holes to heal while continuing to keep the hexagonal portion exposed above the soft tissue;   determining relative spatial orientations of each of the implant fixtures;   fabricating a monolithic connector comprising one protrusion for each implant fixture, each protrusion fabricated to provide a common path of insertion into all indexed recessed walls of the implant fixtures;   removing the abutment adaptor from each of the implant fixtures to reveal the indexed recessed wall;   attaching the monolithic connector to the implant fixtures;   selecting a number of preformed crowns from a predetermined inventory of available crowns;   affixing the number of preformed crowns to a corresponding plurality of posts on the monolithic connector.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the step of determining relative spatial orientations of each of the implant fixtures comprises:
 securing an extension into internal bore of the abutment screw of each implant fixture, the extension providing an elongated guide pin with a length of at least 5 mm, the elongated guide pin extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the implant fixture;   intraorally scanning all of the elongated guide pins and all of the hexagonal portions of each abutment adaptor;   digitally producing a three-dimensional map of the implant fixtures based on the step of intraorally scanning.   
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the step of fabricating the monolithic connector fabricates the monolithic connector based on the three-dimensional map. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein at least two protrusions, selected from the protrusions fabricated to provide the common path of insertion, have different external surface shapes. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the different external surface shapes are fabricated by removing sections of each protrusion. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the different external surface shapes are fabricated by creating the different external surface shapes using a computer-aided-drawing (CAD) software. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the internal bore of the abutment screw is a threaded internal bore. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the step of determining relative spatial orientations of each of the implant fixtures comprises:
 securing a healing ball to each of the hexagonal portions with a corresponding pin;   luting the healing balls together using an auto-polymerizing resin;   forming a final impression after the healing balls have been luted;   forming a stone model using the final impression.   
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the step of fabricating the monolithic connector fabricates the monolithic connector based on the stone model. 
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the step of fabricating the monolithic connector fabricates the monolithic connector based on the stone model using a computer-aided-drawing (CAD) software. 
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the step of fabricating the monolithic connector fabricates the monolithic connector based on the stone model by removing sections from a preformed connector to provide protrusions with different external shapes. 
     
     
         12 . A method for simultaneously installing multiple dental implants, the method comprising sequential steps of:
 forming a plurality of holes in a jawbone of a patient;   attaching multiple dental assemblies to the jawbone, each dental assembly comprising:
 an abutment adaptor that is removably connected to an implant fixture by an abutment screw, the abutment adaptor further comprising a indexed portion comprising at least flat wall, the hexagonal portion being exposed above the implant fixture, the implant fixture being inserted into a hole in the plurality of holes, the implant fixture providing an indexed recessed wall that engages the abutment adaptor such that spatial orientation of the implant fixture is translated to the hexagonal portion of the abutment adaptor; 
   permitting soft tissue around the plurality of holes to heal while continuing to keep the hexagonal portion exposed above the soft tissue;   determining relative spatial orientations of each of the implant fixtures;   fabricating a monolithic connector comprising one protrusion for each implant fixture, each protrusion fabricated to provide a common path of insertion into all indexed recessed walls of the implant fixtures;   removing the abutment adaptor from each of the implant fixtures to reveal the indexed recessed wall;   attaching the monolithic connector to the implant fixtures;   selecting a number of preformed crowns from a predetermined inventory of available crowns;   affixing the number of crowns to a corresponding plurality of posts on the monolithic connector.   
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the hexagonal portion has a height between 2 mm and 10 mm such that the hexagonal portion remains exposed during the step of permitting soft tissue around the plurality of holes to heal. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the abutment adaptor further comprises a indexed protrusion that engages the indexed recessed wall such that spatial orientation of the implant fixture is translated to the hexagonal portion of the abutment adaptor through the indexed protrusion. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the indexed protrusion is hexagonal. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the indexed protrusion has a symmetrical cross section. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the abutment adaptor further comprises a rounded extension contiguous with the indexed portion. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the rounded extension is conical. 
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , where each post in the plurality of posts has an index and each crown comprises an indexed recess, each indexed recess affixed to a corresponding post in the plurality of posts during the step of affixing.