Endosseous dental implant assembly

Abstract

An endosseous dental implant assembly includes a dental implant including an abutment portion for connecting to a tooth crown and a hollow base portion defining a cavity therein, and a bio-supportive or biodegradable scaffold carried by the hollow base portion of the dental implant in the biomimetic approach. The abutment portion is formed integrally with the hollow base portion. The scaffold is impregnated with regenerative stem cells, growth factors, biomorphic proteins, or autogenous cells. In the osseointegrated approach bone graft material can be carried to the extraction socket without a scaffold.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dental implant assembly, comprising:
 a dental implant comprising an abutment portion for connecting to a tooth crown and a hollow base portion, said abutment portion being integral with or non-movably secured to said hollow base portion; and   a bio-supportive or biodegradable scaffold mounted to said dental implant, said scaffold comprising a hollow annular body comprising an annular outer shell and an annular inner shell disposed inside of said annular outer shell.   
     
     
         2 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 1 , said scaffold further comprising an annular cavity between said outer shell and said inner shell, said annular cavity receiving said hollow base portion. 
     
     
         3 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said scaffold comprises a mesh impregnated with and carrying regenerative stem cells, growth factor, or bone graft material. 
     
     
         4 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 3 , wherein said mesh of said scaffold comprises a hollow, double-walled annular body comprising said annular outer shell, said annular inner shell disposed inside of said annular outer shell and defining an aperture through said scaffold, and an annular cavity between said annular outer and inner shells. 
     
     
         5 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 4 , wherein said mesh of said scaffold further comprises a generally annular bottom wall interconnecting lower ends of said annular outer and inner shells. 
     
     
         6 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a threaded screw post connected to said dental implant, said threaded screw post comprising a threaded end portion that extends beyond an end of said scaffold that is distal to said dental implant, said threaded end portion being adapted to threadingly engage a jaw bone of a patient for stabilization of said dental implant within a tooth extraction socket of the patient. 
     
     
         7 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 6 , wherein said screw post comprises a hollow screw post. 
     
     
         8 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said hollow screw post comprises a serrated end proximal to said dental implant, said serrated end engaging said dental implant. 
     
     
         9 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said serrated end comprises longitudinally extending slits forming a plurality of serrated cantilevered spring beams adapted to engage said dental implant. 
     
     
         10 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 7 , wherein said hollow screw post comprises an inner chamber and a plurality of through openings extending through said hollow screw post to communicate with said inner chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The dental implant of  claim 7 , wherein said hollow screw post does not extend through said abutment portion. 
     
     
         12 . A dental implant assembly, comprising:
 a dental implant comprising an abutment portion for connecting to a tooth crown and a hollow base portion defining a cavity, said abutment portion being integral with or non-movably secured to said hollow base portion; and   a bio-supportive or biodegradable scaffold mounted to said dental implant; and   a threaded screw post received by the cavity and connected to said dental implant, said threaded screw post comprising a threaded end portion that extends beyond an end of said scaffold that is distal to said dental implant, said threaded end portion being adapted to threadingly engage a jaw bone of a patient for stabilization of said dental implant within a tooth extraction socket of the patient.   
     
     
         13 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 12 , said scaffold comprising a hollow annular body comprising an annular outer shell and an annular inner shell disposed inside of said annular outer shell, said scaffold further comprising an annular cavity between said outer shell and said inner shell, said annular cavity receiving said hollow base portion. 
     
     
         14 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 12 , wherein said scaffold comprises a mesh impregnated with and carrying regenerative stem cells, growth factor, or bone graft material. 
     
     
         15 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 14 , wherein said mesh of said scaffold comprises a hollow, double-walled annular body comprising an annular outer shell, an annular inner shell disposed inside of said annular outer shell and defining an aperture through said scaffold, and an annular cavity between said annular outer and inner shells. 
     
     
         16 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 15 , wherein said mesh of said scaffold further comprises a generally annular bottom wall interconnecting lower ends of said annular outer and inner shells. 
     
     
         17 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 12 , wherein said screw post comprises a hollow screw post. 
     
     
         18 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 17 , wherein said hollow screw post comprises a serrated end proximal to said dental implant, said serrated end engaging said dental implant. 
     
     
         19 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 18 , wherein said serrated end comprises longitudinally extending slits forming a plurality of serrated cantilevered spring beams adapted to engage said dental implant. 
     
     
         20 . The dental implant assembly of  claim 17 , wherein said hollow screw post comprises an inner chamber and a plurality of through openings extending through said hollow screw post to communicate with said inner chamber. 
     
     
         21 . The dental implant of  claim 12 , wherein said hollow screw post does not extend through said abutment portion.