Dental Prosthesis

There are quite a few patents which broadly pertain to the concept of maintaining artificial teeth or dentures in place by means of magnetic means. Coacting magnetic materials are mounted in both the artificial tooth (or denture) and in the gum or jawbone so that magnetic forces will draw the artificial tooth (or denture) to the tooth root set in the gum or jawbone. A few examples of such U.S. Pat. Nos. are 2,709,301; 3,646,676 and 3,798,770.

I have discovered that palladium-cobalt alloys are highly useful as a magnetizable material in connection with the magnetic type of dental prothesis. My discovery has the advantage of lower cost and long life. Dentures made in accordance with my invention can be easily cleaned and do not adversely affect other teeth.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tooth, gum and crown arrangement in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 shows a front view of a denture plate and magnet arrangement, and a sectional view showing how a Pd-Co alloy on a root cap is fixed in a tooth root; and

FIG. 3 shows the cooperative relationship between a magnet and a Pd-Co alloy.

In accordance with one embodiment of my invention a magnetic material can be imbedded in the tooth root set in the gum or alveolar bone and the artificial tooth or denture is then provided with a palladium-cobalt alloy. This embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein A is a denture or crown consisting of artificial teeth composed of a palladium-cobalt alloy 1 that has been fused on the inside or porcelain 2. The melting point of palladium-cobalt alloy is about 1230.degree. C. and the fusing can easily be done by a dentist. Palladium-cobalt alloys have better corrosion properties than gold-palladium alloys and are less expensive. A magnet 3 and an inner crown 8 of non-magnetic material serve as an abutment member over which the artificial tooth fits. Magnetic forces hold them together.

In accordance with a second embodiment of my invention a magnet is imbedded in the denture or artificial tooth and a palladium-cobalt alloy is imbedded in the alveolar bone. This embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 2 wherein 3 is a magnet imbedded in a denture plate 6 and a palladium-cobalt alloy 1 attached to a root cap 7 is imbedded in the tooth root B of the alveolar bone 8. When the denture plate 6 is brought close to the root cap 7 magnetic forces hold them together.

FIG. 3 illustrates that by surrounding a magnet 3 with palladium-cobalt alloy the magnetic forces do not affect the body and no bad effects of the magnet can occur.