IL284738A - Novel Digital Abutment Library And Method Of Use - Google Patents

Description

NOVEL DIGITAL ABUTMENT LIBRARY AND METHOD OF USE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of dentistry. In particular, the present invention relates to dental restorations. More specifically, the present invention relates to the process of designing and fabricating dental restorative devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The conventional process for preparing a dental restorative device, such as a prosthetic tooth, crown or dental bridge, can be time consuming and drawn out. With reference to Fig. 1, initially, the dental practitioner selects an abutment (1) for insertion into a dental implant (2) and then mates an impression coping (3) with the abutment. Using an intraoral scanning device, the dental practitioner takes a digital image of the impression coping along with the adjacent dental anatomy. The scanned image, containing critical measurements of the abutment, such as its height, position, angulation, and/or locking orientation, is transmitted to a laboratory where this data is correlated with a digital library of dental restorations. A dental technician uses CAD software to design and fabricate a suitable restoration to mate directly with the abutment.

Practically though, it is not uncommon for the technician to find that the abutment chosen by the dental practitioner would not fit properly within the restoration that would be suitable for the patient’s dental anatomy. In order to remedy this the patient will schedule another visit by the dental practitioner, where the dental practitioner will choose an alternative abutment for insertion into the dental implant, and once again scan and transmit a digital image to the laboratory.

If the abutment is yet again found to be problematic, then this process is repeated once more, and again, until the technician determines that the restoration would mate correctly with the abutment situated in the patient’s mouth.

It is understood that the process described above is undesirable for both the patient and the dental practitioner. During the time that the patient is waiting to receive the restorative device, he must endure the physical and aesthetic discomfort of walking around with a missing tooth for an undetermined amount of time. As well, the multiple visits to the dental practitioner are often inconvenient and frustrating. Similarly, the dental practitioner wastes valuable chair-time with patients who return due to the incorrect abutments instead of spending time with new patients. What’s worse, the dental practitioners risk having their patients become unhappy and get upset with the service that they are receiving due to the trouble they experience.

It is recognized that a solution to the problems described above would benefit patients in need of properly fitting restorations, as well as dental practitioners who are interested in minimizing the time needed to provide properly fitting restorations.

It is important to note that the field of digital abutment libraries is less than 10 years old. Only relatively recently intra-oral scanners became affordable enough for dental practitioners to acquire and use in their dental practice. Although the technology for taking dental impressions has improved and become more widespread, the process of preparing dental restorations has remained the same.

The lack of innovation in the process can be attributed to the disinterest of companies to initiate a project of digital library building since it requires investing in the creation and integration of various engineering capabilities, which can be costly. Furthermore, since companies typically focus on marketing the products that lead to financial profits, such as dental implants, they have not attended to the development of digital capabilities that are involved with the process of preparing dental restorations.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel digital abutment library and method of use of the digital library for overcoming the difficulties and drawbacks associated with the current dental restorative process described herein above.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel digital abutment library and method of use of the digital library that avoids rescanning of the patient’s oral cavity.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel digital abutment library and method of use of the digital library that is simple to use and inexpensive to produce.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a digital abutment library is disclosed, wherein the digital abutment library comprises data consisting of multiple images of digital impressions, wherein each of the digital impressions is associated with multiple abutments for use in preparing dental restorations.

Preferably, each digital impression image contains critical measurements of the abutment taken from the abutment level, such as its height, position, angulation, and locking orientation with respect to a dental implant.

Optionally, the digital impression images comprise digital images of abutments.

A process of preparing the correct abutment for insertion into a dental implant, preferably comprises the steps of: a. selecting an initial abutment for insertion into a dental implant and mating an impression coping with the initial abutment; b. scanning an image of the impression coping along with dental anatomy adjacent to the impression coping; c. associating the scanned image with a digital impression coping image contained within a digital abutment library and choosing the abutment associated with the image contained within the digital abutment library; d. using the image contained within the digital abutment library and CAD software to design a restoration to mate directly with the abutment chosen from the digital abutment library; e. determining whether the restoration is suitable for mating with the initial abutment; f. when the restoration is unsuitable for mating with the abutment, selecting an alternative digital abutment from the digital abutment library, with which the restoration is suitable to mate therewith; and g. replacing the initial abutment with a replacement abutment corresponding to the alternative digital abutment.

Preferably, determining whether the restoration is suitable for mating with the initial abutment comprises assessing the initial construction of the teeth anatomy on the CAD software, and includes checking one or more of: the height of the abutment, the angulation of the abutment and aesthetic flaws that could be corrected by use of a different abutment.

A process of preparing the correct abutment for insertion into a dental implant, preferably comprises the steps of: a. selecting an initial abutment for insertion into a dental implant; b. scanning an image of the abutment along with dental anatomy adjacent to the abutment; c. associating the scanned image with a digital abutment image contained within a digital abutment library and choosing the abutment associated with the image contained within the digital abutment library; d. using the image contained within the digital abutment library and CAD software to design a restoration to mate directly with the abutment chosen from the digital abutment library; e. determining whether the restoration is suitable for mating with the initial abutment; f. when the restoration is unsuitable for mating with the abutment, selecting an alternative digital abutment from the digital abutment library, with which the restoration is suitable to mate therewith; and g. replacing the initial abutment with a replacement abutment corresponding to the alternative digital abutment.

A process of preparing the correct abutment for insertion into a dental implant, preferably comprises the steps of: a. selecting an initial abutment for insertion into a dental implant; b. using a tray and silicon to take impressions on the abutment level; c. creating a model of the abutment along with the adjacent dental anatomy and scanning the model using a traditional scanner such as a desk scanner; d. associating the scanned image with a digital abutment image contained within a digital abutment library and choosing the abutment associated with the image contained within the digital abutment library; e. using the image contained within the digital abutment library and CAD software to design a restoration to mate directly with the abutment chosen from the digital abutment library; f. determining whether the restoration is suitable for mating with the initial abutment; g. when the restoration is unsuitable for mating with the abutment, selecting an alternative digital abutment from the digital abutment library, with which the restoration is suitable to mate therewith; and h. replacing the initial abutment with a replacement abutment corresponding to the alternative digital abutment.

To accomplish the above and related objects, the invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. With specific reference now to the figures in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the attached figures making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Fig. 1 shows an illustrative sketch of a dental implant, abutment and impression coping in a front view.

Claims (7)

Claims:

1. A digital abutment library comprising data consisting of multiple images of digital impressions, wherein each of said digital impressions is associated with multiple abutments for use in preparing dental restorations.

2. The digital abutment library of claim 1, wherein each digital impression image contains critical measurements of the abutment taken from the abutment level, such as its height, position, angulation, and locking orientation with respect to a dental implant.

3. The digital abutment library of claim 2, wherein the digital impression images comprise digital images of abutments.

4. A process of preparing the correct abutment for insertion into a dental implant, said process comprising the steps of: a. selecting an initial abutment for insertion into a dental implant and mating an impression coping with said initial abutment; b. scanning an image of said impression coping along with dental anatomy adjacent to said impression coping; c. associating said scanned image with a digital impression coping image contained within a digital abutment library and choosing the abutment associated with said image contained within said digital abutment library; d. using said image contained within said digital abutment library and CAD software to design a restoration to mate directly with said abutment chosen from the digital abutment library; e. determining whether said restoration is suitable for mating with said initial abutment; f. when said restoration is unsuitable for mating with said abutment, selecting an alternative digital abutment from said digital abutment library, with which said restoration is suitable to mate therewith; and g. replacing said initial abutment with a replacement abutment corresponding to said alternative digital abutment.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein determining whether the restoration is suitable for mating with the initial abutment comprises assessing the initial construction of the teeth anatomy on the CAD software, and includes checking one or more of: the height of the abutment, the angulation of the abutment and aesthetic flaws that could be corrected by use of a different abutment.

6. A process of preparing the correct abutment for insertion into a dental implant, said process comprising the steps of: a. selecting an initial abutment for insertion into a dental implant; b. scanning an image of said abutment along with dental anatomy adjacent to said abutment; c. associating said scanned image with a digital abutment image contained within a digital abutment library and choosing the abutment associated with said image contained within said digital abutment library; d. using said image contained within said digital abutment library and CAD software to design a restoration to mate directly with said abutment chosen from the digital abutment library; e. determining whether said restoration is suitable for mating with said initial abutment; f. when said restoration is unsuitable for mating with said abutment, selecting an alternative digital abutment from said digital abutment library, with which said restoration is suitable to mate therewith; and g. replacing said initial abutment with a replacement abutment corresponding to said alternative digital abutment.

7. A process of preparing the correct abutment for insertion into a dental implant, said process comprising the steps of: a. selecting an initial abutment for insertion into a dental implant; b. using a tray and silicon to take impressions on the abutment level; c. creating a model of the abutment along with the adjacent dental anatomy and scanning the model using a traditional scanner such as a desk scanner; d. associating said scanned image with a digital abutment image contained within a digital abutment library and choosing the abutment associated with said image contained within said digital abutment library; e. using said image contained within said digital abutment library and CAD software to design a restoration to mate directly with said abutment chosen from the digital abutment library; f. determining whether said restoration is suitable for mating with said initial abutment; g. when said restoration is unsuitable for mating with said abutment, selecting an alternative digital abutment from said digital abutment library, with which said restoration is suitable to mate therewith; and h. replacing said initial abutment with a replacement abutment corresponding to said alternative digital abutment.