Apparatuses and methods for making a final hybrid prosthesis to be attached to dental implants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9687327-B2
Application number	US-201414174985-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2014
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

The present invention includes apparatuses and methods for making a final hybrid prosthesis to be attached to one or more dental implants. One preferred method includes the step of making a temporary hybrid prosthesis and at about the same time also making a duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis. The duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis permits the final hybrid prosthesis to be made with fewer visits to a restorative dentist and with less dental laboratory time than is currently needed when making a final hybrid prosthesis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a final hybrid prosthesis to be attached to one or more dental implants in a patient's mouth, comprising:
making a temporary hybrid prosthesis to be attached to the one or more dental implants in the patient's mouth, wherein the temporary hybrid prosthesis comprises a first set of tooth-shaped structures made out of a first tooth-forming material and a first set of cylinders, wherein the first set of tooth-shaped structures and the first set of cylinders are connected together with a first mass of acrylic material, and wherein the temporary hybrid prosthesis is configured to be attached to the one or more dental implants in the patient's mouth by a first set of screws that pass through a first set of bores in the first set of cylinders and screw into threads in the dental implants;
making a duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis from the temporary hybrid prosthesis, wherein the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis has the same size and shape as the temporary hybrid prosthesis, wherein the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis comprises a second set of tooth-shaped structures made out of a second tooth-forming material and a second set of cylinders, wherein the second set of tooth-shaped structures and the second set of cylinders are connected together with a second mass of acrylic material, and wherein the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis is configured to be attached to the same one or more dental implants in the patient's mouth to which the temporary hybrid prosthesis is configured to be attached by a second set of screws that pass through a second set of bores in the second set of cylinders and screw into threads in the dental implants; and
using the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis in making the final hybrid prosthesis while the temporary hybrid prosthesis is attached to the one or more dental implants in the patient's mouth, wherein the final hybrid prosthesis comprises a third set of tooth-shaped structures made out of a third tooth-forming material and a third set of cylinders, wherein the third set of tooth-shaped structures and the third set of cylinders are connected together with a third mass of acrylic material, wherein the third set of cylinders are connected together by a bar enclosed within the third mass of acrylic material, and wherein the final hybrid prosthesis is configured to be attached to the same one or more dental implants in the patient's mouth to which the temporary hybrid prosthesis is configured to be attached by a third set of screws that pass through a third set of bores in the third set of cylinders and screw into threads in the dental implants.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the temporary hybrid prosthesis to be attached to the one or more dental implants in the patient's mouth and the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis are made during or after a dental visit when the one or more dental implants are implanted.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the temporary hybrid prosthesis is made from a denture previously worn by the patient.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis is made during a dental visit when the one or more dental implants are implanted.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in response to the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis being made during a dental visit when the one or more dental implants are implanted, no more than two visits to a restorative dentist thereafter are needed to make and install the final hybrid prosthesis.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in response to the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis being made during a first visit to a restorative dentist after a dental visit when the one or more dental implants are implanted, exactly one visit to a restorative dentist thereafter is needed to make and install the final hybrid prosthesis.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first set of tooth-shaped structures of the temporary hybrid prosthesis to be attached to the one or more dental implants in a patient's mouth includes tooth-shaped structures for at least one of a patient's entire upper jaw or entire lower jaw.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the third set of tooth-shaped structures of the final hybrid prosthesis includes tooth-shaped structures for at least one of a patient's entire upper jaw or entire lower jaw.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the using the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis in making the final hybrid prosthesis includes scanning the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the using the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis in making the final hybrid prosthesis includes scanning a stone/soft tissue model that includes a soft-tissue contour after the soft tissue has healed around the dental implants.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the bar of the final hybrid prosthesis is designed from a computer model that is derived from the scanning of the stone/soft-tissue model and the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis.

12. A method of making a final hybrid prosthesis to be attached to a plurality of dental implants in a patient's mouth, comprising:
making a temporary hybrid prosthesis to be attached to the plurality of dental implants in the patient's mouth, wherein the temporary hybrid prosthesis comprises a first set of tooth-shaped structures made out of a first tooth-forming material and a first set of cylinders, wherein the first set of tooth-shaped structures and the first set of cylinders are connected together with a first mass of acrylic material, and wherein the temporary hybrid prosthesis is configured to be attached to the plurality of dental implants in the patient's mouth by a first set of screws that pass through a first set of bores in the first set of cylinders and screw into threads in the dental implants;
by use of the temporary hybrid prosthesis, developing a stone model of the patient's mouth;
by use of the stone model, developing a duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis, wherein the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis has the same size and shape as the temporary hybrid prosthesis, wherein the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis comprises a second set of tooth-shaped structures made out of a second tooth-forming material and a second set of cylinders, wherein the second set of tooth-shaped structures and the second set of cylinders are connected together with a second mass of acrylic material, and wherein the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis is configured to be attached to the same plurality of dental implants in the patient's mouth to which the temporary hybrid prosthesis is configured to be attached by a second set of screws that pass through a second set of bores in the second set of cylinders and screw into threads in the dental implants;
after soft tissue adjacent to the plurality of dental implants has healed, attaching the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis to the plurality of dental implants;
while the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis is attached to the dental implants, using impression material to identify the contours of the healed soft tissue;
creating an updated stone/soft-tissue model with the healed soft-tissue contours identified by the impression material; and
making the final hybrid prosthesis by use of the updated stone/soft-tissue model and the duplicate temporary hybrid prosthesis while the temporary hybrid prosthesis is attached to the plurality of dental implants in the patient's mouth, wherein the final hybrid prosthesis comprises a third set of tooth-shaped structures made out of a third tooth-forming mater

Assignees

• Biomet 3I Llc

Inventors

• Prestipino Anthony James

Classifications

• A61C9/0053

  Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam · CPC title

• A61C13/0004

  Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses · CPC title

• A61C8/0098

  Immediate loaded implants · CPC title

• A61C13/0001

  In-situ dentures; Trial or temporary dentures · CPC title

• A61C8/0048

  Connecting the upper structure to the implant, e.g. bridging bars (A61C8/0028 takes precedence) · CPC title