Background of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an enossal single tooth implant for tightly fitting a dental prosthesis which implant includes a base body, that is insertable in a bore made in a jawbone and a spacing sleeve attachable to the base body. The base body has a blind bore open on one end which is a coronal end and closed at the opposite end. The spacing sleeve is attachable in a twisting prevented manner to the coronal end of the base body and has a reduced diameter centering collar which is insertable into the hollow cylindrical annular recess formed by a blind bore in the base body adjacent the coronal end while a shoulder of the sleeve is received on the outer edge of the body at the coronal end. The spacing sleeve has a bore that extends through the centering collar and is open on its coronal end for the reception of an implant post. The connection device for the twist preventing connection of the spacing sleeve is formed with the hollow cylindrical annular recess of the basic body having at least one circumferentially acting basic body positive connection element and the centering collar of the spacing sleeve has at least one spacing sleeve positive connecting element complimentary to the basic body positive connecting elements. The implant post will directly or indirectly be insertable into the blind bore of the base and at least partially traverse the spacing sleeve and the fastening head for the dental prosthesis.
In a single tooth implant of this type such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,840, whose disclosure is incorporated by reference thereto and which claims priority for German application 4 028 885 and from German patent application P 195 09 762.9-32, the twisting prevention was undertaken in that the basic body had a positive connecting elements which were provided on the bottom of an annular recess of the basic body and the spacing sleeve positively connecting elements which were complimentary thereto are on the lower front edge of the centering collar of the spacing sleeve. From a manufacturing standpoint such positive connection elements are relatively difficult to produce. In certain uses, the location of these positive connection elements was undesirable since the full depth of the annular recess or the full length of the centering collar is not available for centering, fixing and securing of the spacing sleeve relative to the basic body.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,381, other difficulties of a similar nature occur in the enossal dental implant. The difficulties are due to the fact that the positive connection elements of the basic body are spaced from the coronal front edge within a blind bore of the basic body.
Summary of the Invention
The object of the prevent invention is to develop a single tooth implant wherein the case of improved manufacturing possibilities and even precise guidance and centering of the spacing sleeve in the basic body is ensured.
To accomplish these objects, the present invention is directed to a single tooth implant having a basic body, a spacing sleeve and means for preventing twisting therebetween. The basic body has a blind bore forming a coronal end for the body and has a positive connection area adjacent the coronal end followed by a guide portion with a cylindrical surface and then a centering area with a diameter smaller than the cylindrical surface of the guide portion. The spacing sleeve has a fastening end spaced from a plug portion by an annular shoulder. The plug portion adjacent the shoulder has a positive connecting portion on a cylindrical portion followed by a guidance portion with a cylindrical surface and a centering portion with a cylindrical surface with a smaller diameter than the cylindrical surface of the guidance portion. The diameter of the cylindrical surface of the guidance portion matches the diameter of the guide portion of the blind bore while the diameter of the centering portion matches the diameter of the centering area of the blind bore. The means for preventing twisting includes positive connecting elements in the positive connecting portion and positive connecting area with the elements including at least one groove and at least one projection receivable in the groove when the plug portion is inserted into the blind bore with the annular shoulder engaging the end face of the coronal end.
The centering body of the basic body can be provided with internal threads. The invention optionally provides for the internal threads being cervically connected to the centering area of the basic body and the threads are disposed inward toward the closed end of the basic body.
Another embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the implant post completely traverses the spacing sleeve and can be screwed into internal threads close to a cervical or closed end of the basic body.
It is also possible according to the invention for at least one of the basic body positive connection elements to have the form of a coronally open positive connection groove extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the basic body.
The invention also proposes that the positive connection grooves have in a radial plane, which extends perpendicular to the axis of the bore, a basic substantial circular segmental cross section. The positive connection grooves can have a substantially triangular cross section in a radial plane which extends perpendicular to the axis of the bore in the basic body. The invention optionally proposes that the positive connection grooves in a radial plane which extends perpendicular to the axis of the bore in the basic body has an approximately rectangular-curved cross section. According to the invention the positive connection grooves can be opened toward the closed or cervical end.
It is also possible according to the present invention for the positive connection grooves to have a decreasing cross section from adjacent the coronal end towards the closed end of the basic body. The invention also proposes the cross section of the positive connection grooves decreases radially from the coronal and to the closed end of the basic body. The basic body connection elements can have a 30.degree. spacing with respect to the basic body circumference.
The invention also proposes that the basic body positive connection elements have a 60.degree. spacing with respect to the basic body circumference.
According to the invention it is also possible for the number of positive connection elements of the spacing sleeve to be smaller than the number of positive connection elements of the basic body.
Another embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the positive connection area of the basic body has an annular undercut between the positive connection elements of the basic body and the guidance area.
It is also possible according to the present invention for the end wall at the coronal end of the basic body to have a bevel or chamfer tapering conically inward from the front edge of the basic body into the vicinity of the basic body positive connection elements.
The invention also proposes the positive connecting portion of the centering collar has an annular undercut between the shoulder and the connection elements.
The invention is based on the surprising finding that it is possible to improve a single tooth implant which has proved satisfactory in practice in that the positive connection elements of the basic body are positioned directly adjacent to or at the coronal front edge and with the corresponding arrangement and construction of the spacing sleeve positive connection elements complimentary thereto. Due to the fact that the complete depth of the annular recess of the basic body is available for the centering and guidance of the spacing sleeve there is a significantly improved stability of the connection between the spacing sleeve and basic body. Moreover, the arrangement of the positive connecting elements in the circumferential wall of the annular recess formed by the blind bore of the basic body or the centering collar of the spacing sleeve allows a greater design freedom with regard to the nature of the spacing and also the shaping of the positive connecting elements.
Other advantages and features will be readily available from the following description of the preferred embodiments, the drawings and claims.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal cross sectional view with portions in elevation for purposes of illustration of a basic body of an enossal single tooth implant according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a partial cross sectional view with portions in elevations for purpose of illustration of a spacing sleeve with a fastening head for a dental prosthesis for the single tooth implant of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3a is an end view of the basic body of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3b is an end view of a spacing sleeve of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4a is an end view of a first modification of the basic body of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4b is an end view of a first modification of the spacing sleeve of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5a is an end view of the second modification of the basic body of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 5b is a second modification of the spacer sleeve of FIG. 2.
Description of the Preferred Embodiments
The principles of the present invention are particularly useful when incorporated into a single tooth implant of an embodiment of the basic body generally indicated at 10 in FIG. 1 which acts with a spacing sleeve generally indicated at 32 in FIG. 2. The basic body 10 is of a known type such as disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,840.
The basic body 10, which is closed at its one end or cervical end which is at the bottom of FIG. 1 has towards a coronal end at the top an open blind bore 11. Near the closed end, the blind bore 11 is provided with internal threads 12 with a relatively small diameter in which can be screwed an implant post which is not shown in FIG. 1 and which will be discussed hereinafter. To the internal threads 12 of the basic body 10 is connected in the coronal direction an annular cylindrical portion 14 with a larger diameter than the internal threads 12. The annular or cylindrical portion 14 has internal threads 18 and forms a centering area 16 which is connected to the internal threads 12. To the centering area 16 of the cylindrical portion 14 is coronally connected a guidance area 20 which is a cylindrical larger diameter portion than the centering area 16 and has a smooth, hollow cylindrical inner wall 21. From the guidance area 20 to the coronal front edge 22 of the basic body 10 is a positive connection area 24 of the bore 11 in which there are several positive connecting elements in the form of axially extending grooves 26 in an inner wall 27. From the front edge 22 to the positive connecting area 24 of the bore 11 has a bevel or chamfer 28 tapering conically in the direction of the cervical or closed end and extending into the vicinity of the positive connecting grooves 26. Between the guidance area 20 and the positive connecting elements or groove 26 there is an annular undercut 30 which facilitates a chip deposition-free production of the positive connecting elements or grooves 26.
The spacing sleeve 32 as shown in FIG. 2 serves in this manner described in the German patent application P 195 09 762.9-32 and has a fastening head for a not shown, tightly fitting dental prosthesis and is provided with an all around attachment shoulder 34 for the prosthesis which may be a crown of a tooth. The spacing sleeve 32 has an annular shoulder 36 which connects the fastening end to a stub or plug portion which is received in the blind bore 11 of the basic body 10. The stub or plug portion has immediately adjacent the shoulder 36 a positive connection portion 38 followed by a guidance portion 40 and a centering portion 42 which will be received in the blind bore with the shoulder 36 engaging the front edge 22. The positive connection area 38 has a plurality of axially directed positive connection noses 46 whose shape and arrangement but not necessarily the number corresponds to the positive connection grooves 26 of the basic body 10. The positive connection area 38 of the spacing sleeve 32 is provided with an annular undercut 48 between the shoulder 36 and the positive connecting noses 46 and this facilitates the chip deposition during manufacture of the positive connecting noses 46.
When inserting the spacing sleeve 32, which is provided with the axial longitudinal bore 33 whose internal diameter corresponds to the external diameter of a not shown implant post, is inserted in the basic body 10, the centering portion 421 which is formed by a cylindrical centering collar 44, will be engaged in the centering area 16 of the annular portion 14 so that a smooth cylindrical circumferential surface of the centering portion 42 comes to rest on the inner boundaries of the internal threads 18 of the centering area 16 of the basic body 10. At the same time, the guidance portion 40 of the spacing sleeve 32 is located with a press fit in the guidance area 22 of the basic body 10 and the positive connection noses 42 engage in the positive connection grooves 26 while the shoulder 36 comes to rest on the front edge 22. Therefore, the spacing sleeve 32 is connected to the basic body 40 in a twist preventing manner. By means of the implant post traversing the spacing sleeve 32 and being screwed into the internal threads 12 of the basic body 10, the spacing sleeve 32 can be firmly connected to the basic body 10. In an embodiment other than those shown in FIG. 1 and 2 the internal threads 18 of the basic body 10 can have a different constructed spacing sleeve for threading in for example a two part sleeve as is shown in the above mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,840.
As shown in FIG. 3a, the positive connecting area of the basic body 10 has six equally spaced, axial positive connecting grooves 26 which in the represented embodiment have a cross sectional shape of a rectangle with a substantially tangential directed but also curved longitudinal edges and have an annular spacing of 60.degree. between centers of adjacent grooves. In FIG. 3b, the spacing sleeve 32 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided with six equally spaced, axial positive connecting noses 46. In the embodiments of FIGS. 4a and 4b, the basic body 10' in FIG. 4a has twelve positive connecting grooves 26' with an equal annular spacing of 30.degree. and in FIG. 4b the spacing sleeve 32' is only provided with four positive connecting noses 46'. The positive connecting grooves 26' and the positive connecting noses 46' have in this case a triangular cross section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the basic body and of the spacing sleeve. It is pointed out that the spacing sleeve 32' has only four positive connecting noses 46 which have a 90.degree. annular spacing therebetween.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 5a and 5b, the basic body 10" of FIG. 5a has twelve positive connecting grooves 26" with a 30.degree. spacing and the grooves 26" have a circular segmental cross section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the basic body 10". According to FIG. 5b, the spacing sleeve 32" is provided with six positive connecting noses 46" each having a corresponding cross section to the cross section of the grooves 26".
As a function of the spacing or the spacing ratio of the basic body 10' and 10" relative to the spacing sleeves 32' and 32", the spacing sleeves 32' and 32" can be inserted in different rotational positions within their respective basic bodies 10' and 10". Thus, the treating surgeon has a number of desired positions available to him as far as orienting the spacing sleeve such as 32' relative to the basic body 10'.
Although modifications and changes may be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent granted herein all such modifications that reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.