Device for the reconstruction of teeth

Abstract

In a device for the reconstruction of missing or lost teeth, an implant, which ends in the gingival region, is biologically anchored in a jawbone. The implant itself comprises an implant body anchored in the jawbone and an implant head on the gingival aspect, acting as the anchoring site for an abutment, which in turn forms the reception site for the tooth being reconstructed. The abutment represents the retention shape of the tooth being reconstructed.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A device for the reconstruction of missing or lost teeth, comprising: 
       an implant body;  
       means for anchoring the body in a jawbone;  
       an implant head on the body;  
       an abutment;  
       means for securing the abutment to the body, the abutment being non-rotatable relative to the implant head;  
       a detachable prosthesis tooth having a base and a cavity; and  
       the abutment including a tubular portion received in the cavity in the tooth, the tubular portion being substantially the same height as a central portion of the tooth, the abutment having a sheath formed on an exterior of the tubular portion, the sheath forming an abutment face spaced from the securing means, a size of an exposed portion of the sheath below the abutment face being larger than an exposed portion of the tubular portion below the abutment face, the detachable tooth cavity having a length corresponding to the length of the tubular portion, the base of the detachable tooth engaging the abutment face.  
     
     
       2. The device as claimed in claim  1 , wherein the abutment, as a retention form of the tooth being reconstructed, is made individually for a patient. 
     
     
       3. The device as claimed in claim  1 , wherein the abutment includes a metallic material. 
     
     
       4. The device as claimed in claim  1 , wherein the abutment includes a ceramic material. 
     
     
       5. The device as claimed in claim  1 , wherein the abutment includes a non-metallic material. 
     
     
       6. The device as claimed in claim  1 , wherein the sheath is formed of a tooth-colored material. 
     
     
       7. A device for the reconstruction of a missing or lost tooth, comprising: 
       an implant body, the implant body including means for anchoring the implant body in a jawbone;  
       an abutment, the abutment having a core, the core having a narrow cylindrical upper portion, an enlarged bottom portion, and a curved transition cuff between a tubular  said narrow cylindrical upper portion and the bottom portion, and a sheath attached around the cylindrical portion and the transition cuff;  
       means for non-rotatably anchoring the abutment to a top end of the implant body;  
       a prosthesis tooth, the tooth having a bottom end and a cavity extending into the tooth from the bottom end for receiving a portion of the abutment, the bottom end of the tooth being spaced from the transition cuff, a distance between the bottom end of the tooth and the transition cuff being greater than a distance between the transition cuff and a bottom end of the abutment; and  
       means for securing the tooth to the abutment,  
       wherein the core is metallic.  
     
     
       8. A device as claimed in claim  7 , wherein the sheath is ceramic. 
     
     
       9. A device as claimed in claim  7 , wherein the sheath is tooth-colored. 
     
     
       10. A device as claimed in claim  7 , wherein the sheath is further attached around the bottom portion of the core and extends an entire distance between a bottom end of the tooth and a bottom end of the abutment. 
     
     
       11. A device for the reconstruction of a missing or lost tooth, comprising: 
       an implant body, the implant body including means for anchoring the implant body in a jawbone;  
       an abutment, the abutment having a core, the core having a narrow cylindrical upper portion, an enlarged bottom portion, and a curved transition cuff between a tubular  said narrow cylindrical upper portion and the bottom portion, and a sheath attached around the cylindrical portion and the transition cuff;  
       means for non-rotatably anchoring the abutment to a top end of the implant body;  
       a prosthesis tooth, the tooth having a bottom end and a cavity extending into the tooth from the bottom end for receiving a portion of the abutment, the bottom end of the tooth being spaced from the transition cuff, a distance between the bottom end of the tooth and the transition cuff being greater than a distance between the transition cuff and a bottom end of the abutment; and  
       means for securing the tooth to the abutment,  
       wherein the sheath is further attached around the bottom portion of the core and extends an entire distance between a bottom end of the tooth and a bottom end of the abutment.  
     
     
       12. A device as claimed in claim  11 , wherein the sheath is ceramic. 
     
     
       13. A device as claimed in claim  11 , wherein the sheath is tooth-colored. 
     
     
       14. The device of claim  11 , wherein said narrow cylindrical upper portion extends to approximately the same height as the height of said sheath.  
     
     
       15. The device of claim  11 , wherein said sheath includes an abutment face which engages said bottom end of said prosthesis tooth, said narrow cylindrical upper portion extending above said bottom end of said prosthesis tooth.  
     
     
       16. The device of claim  11 , wherein said distance between said bottom end and said transition cuff is less than the height of said narrow cylindrical upper portion.  
     
     
       17. The device of claim  11 , wherein said narrow cylindrical upper portion is tubular.  
     
     
       18. The device of claim  7 , wherein said narrow cylindrical upper portion extends to approximately the same height as the height of said sheath.  
     
     
       19. The device of claim  7 , wherein said sheath includes an abutment face which engages said bottom end of said prosthesis tooth, said narrow cylindrical upper portion extending above said bottom end of said prosthesis tooth.  
     
     
       20. The device of claim  7 , wherein said distance between said bottom end and said transition cuff is less than the height of said narrow cylindrical upper portion.  
     
     
       21. The device of claim  7 , wherein said narrow cylindrical upper portion is tubular.  
     
     
       22. An abutment for mounting a prosthesis tooth on a dental implant comprising: 
         a. means for non - rotatably securing said abutment to said implant,    
       
         b. a metal tubular portion having substantially the same height as the central portion of said tooth and an enlarged bottom portion for contacting said implant,  
       
         c. a non - metallic sheath formed on an exterior of said tubular portion, the sheath forming an abutment face which mounts said prosthesis tooth, said abutment face spaced from said securing means of  ( a ) .    
     
     
       23. An abutment of claim  22 , wherein the exposed portion of the sheath below the abutment face is larger than an exposed portion of the tubular portion below the abutment face.  
     
     
       24. An abutment of claim  22 , wherein said sheath is made of at least one of ceramic, synthetic material, or composite material.  
     
     
       25. An abutment of claim  22  wherein said means for non- rotatably securing said abutment to said implant comprises a screw engaging both said abutment and said implant.    
     
     
       26. An abutment for mounting a prosthesis tooth on a dental implant comprising: 
       
         a. a metallic core having a narrow upper portion, an enlarged bottom portion, and a transition cuff between the upper portion and the bottom portion;  
       
       
         b. a sheath made of at least one of ceramic, synthetic material, or composite material attached around the narrower upper portion of the transition cuff, said sheath mounting said prosthesis tooth.  
       
     
     
       27. An abutment of claim  26 , wherein the distance of the portion of the sheath below the bottom of said tooth and above said transition cuff is greater than the distance between the transition cuff and the bottom of the abutment.  
     
     
       28. An abutment of claim  26 , wherein the sheath extends around the bottom of said core to the bottom of said abutment.  
     
     
       29. An abutment for mounting a prosthesis tooth on a metal dental implant anchored in bone, said abutment comprising: 
       
         a. a hollow metal central core, said core having an upper portion which mounts said tooth and an enlarged bottom portion for contacting said implant and a transition cuff between said upper portion and said bottom portion;  
       
       
         b. a metal screw passing through said hollow central core for securing said core to said implant; and  
       
       
         c. a sheath made of ceramic synthetic, or composite material surrounding at least the portion of said central core and said transition cuff, said sheath forming an abutment face which mounts said tooth, a portion of said sheath being exposed below the bottom of said tooth when said tooth is mounted on said abutment face.  
       
     
     
       30. An abutment of claim  29  wherein said sheath extends to the supragingival portion of said central core.  
     
     
       31. An abutment of claim  29  wherein said metal is titanium or titanium alloy.  
     
     
       32. An abutment of claim  29  wherein said sheath is ceramic.  
     
     
       33. An abutment for mounting a prosthesis tooth on a metal dental implant anchored in bone, said abutment comprising: 
       
         a. a central metal core for engaging said implant, said core having a supragingival portion and an enlarged gingival portion for engaging said implant;  
       
       
         b. a metal screw passing through an opening in said core for securing said core to said implant; and  
       
       
         c. a ceramic sheath surrounding at least a portion of said central core adjacent an implant end of said abutment and forming an abutment face which mounts the distal end of said tooth.  
       
     
     
       34. The abutment of claim  33  wherein said central metal core is tubular, and said ceramic sheath surrounds a substantial sub- gingival portion of said tubular core.    
     
     
       35. A device for the reconstruction of a missing or lost tooth, comprising: 
       
         a. a metal implant portion disposed within the jawbone at the location of said missing or lost tooth for anchoring a prosthesis tooth;  
       
       
         b. a metal core portion for mounting said prosthesis tooth, said core portion abutting and fixed to said implant portion; and  
       
       
         c. a ceramic sheath forming an abutment face surrounding said core which mounts said prosthesis tooth.  
       
     
     
       36. In an implant system for the reconstruction of missing or lost teeth, said system including a metal implant body and an abutment comprising a metal core, means for anchoring the body in a jawbone so that a portion of the implant system extends from the jawbone through the overlying gingiva, means for securing the abutment to the body, and a detachable prosthesis tooth, the improvement comprising: 
       
         a ceramic sheath surrounding a portion of said metal abutment core and providing an abutment face which mounts said tooth, and a portion of said sheath below said tooth to be exposed by gingival recession.  
       
     
     
       37. An abutment for supporting a prosthetic tooth on a dental implant comprising:  
       a metallic core having a bottom portion with a bottom end for engaging said implant, an upper portion disposed above said bottom portion, said upper portion being narrower than said bottom portion, and a transition cuff between said upper portion and said bottom portion:  
         means for non - rotatably anchoring said abutment on said dental implant; and    
       
         a ceramic sheath attached to said metallic core, said ceramic sheath being located around said upper portion and on said transition cuff, said ceramic sheath including an abutment face for supporting said prosthetic tooth, a distance between said abutment face and said transition cuff being greater than a distance between said transition cuff and said bottom end.  
       
     
     
       38. The abutment of claim  37 , wherein said transition cuff is curved.  
     
     
       39. The abutment of claim  37 , wherein said non- rotational anchoring means includes a screw for engaging a threaded bore in said implant.    
     
     
       40. The abutment of claim  39 , wherein said non- rotational anchoring means further includes a polygonal socket in said metallic core for mating with a polygonal boss on said implant.    
     
     
       41. The abutment of claim  37 , wherein said narrower upper portion extends to approximately the same height as the height of said ceramic sheath.  
     
     
       42. The abutment claim  37 , wherein said narrower upper portion extends above at least a portion of said abutment face of said ceramic sheath.  
     
     
       43. The abutment of claim  37 , wherein said distance between said transition cuff and said bottom end is less than the height of said narrower upper portion.  
     
     
       44. The abutment of claim  37 , wherein said upper portion is substantially cylindrical.  
     
     
       45. An abutment for supporting a prosthetic tooth on a dental implant comprising: 
       
         a metallic core having a bottom portion for engaging said implant, an upper portion disposed above said bottom portion, said upper portion being narrower than said bottom portion, and a transition cuff between said upper portion and said bottom portion;  
       
         means for non - rotatably anchoring said abutment on said dental implant; and    
       
         a ceramic sheath being located around said upper portion and said transition cuff of said metallic core, said sheath being attached to said bottom portion, said ceramic sheath including an abutment face for supporting said prosthetic tooth, said sheath extending from said abutment face to a bottom end of said abutment.