JPH0221265B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a dental attachment structure adapted for removably attaching and supporting either a local denture, a continuous tooth, or a bridge structure within the oral cavity. The mounting structure consists of mutually cooperating mounting members and elements arranged between the two mounting members and characterized as sleeves, liners, coatings, etc. One attachment member is permanently positioned within the oral cavity, and the other attachment member is attached and integrated with a removable denture or the like. The element is made of plastic and is rigidly and mechanically latched to both attachment parts, in particular to removable dentures, etc., to prevent wear of the attachment parts.

There are known techniques for dental attachment structures that removably attach and support either a local denture, a continuous tooth, or a bridge structure within the oral cavity. US patent
Those shown in Nos. 1324476, 1664726, and 3787975 are actually used. U.S. Pat. No. 1,324,476 shows a column member and a sleeve member that are inserted into and removed from each other.
This patent also discloses a lining positioned within the sleeve member by cooperating recesses and protrusions to facilitate engagement of the sleeve member and post member during installation of the local denture in the oral cavity. has been done.
Frictional contact during installation only acts between the column member and the lining.

The local denture attachment and support structure of U.S. Pat. There is. As in the above-mentioned patent, there is also the problem of wear of both parts.

US Pat. No. 3,787,975 shows a removable attachment and support structure for a partial or complete denture.
This structure has an anchor part formed in the shape of a socket at the base of the sleeve and a support unit for a partial or complete denture. The anchor portion is positioned at the previously dentally prepared root of the tooth. The support unit is attached to the frame structure of the full or partial denture and has a spherical head suitable for removable attachment to the socket. The anchor part and/or the support unit may be made of rubber, plastic or metal.

Each of the aforementioned patents has various drawbacks and problems, the most important of which is the need to replace or repair the mounting structure when the contact surfaces are diagnosed as worn. Wear of the contact surfaces is often based on the manner in which the denture is mounted and supported within the oral cavity. For this reason, the lining in the above-mentioned patent No. 1324476 is made of metal, preferably hard metal, to provide the necessary elasticity or springiness for retention. Repeated insertion and removal of dentures causes the pillar members to wear out and require replacement or remanufacturing. Additionally, there are problems caused by shortening the post member for attachment to short teeth. Shortening both the column member and therefore the sleeve member reduces the contact area between the lining and the column member, thereby limiting the frictional retention force.

The problem of abrasion of the contact surface is the same in the case of the above-mentioned patent No. 3787975. This differs from the other two in that it does not use a lining and surface wear occurs on one or both of the anchor unit parts. If the wear becomes severe, the entire unit will need to be replaced.

As a conventional technology, Hader Vertical Extension was manufactured by APM Stan Gold.
There are special coronal mounting structures that are commercially available and used. It includes a male member and a female member, and in use the male member of plastic material is cast into a metal member placed outside the crown-like shape of the abutment tooth. The female member is molded from acrylic resin into the hollow plastic part of the denture. As with the mounting structures of the aforementioned patents, there are problems of contact surface wear, as well as problems with the strength characteristics of the plastic male member. Furthermore, this structure has the disadvantage that the male member protrudes outward.

The dental structure according to the present invention generally includes a male member that is permanently attached to either an abutment tooth or a removable denture in the oral cavity, and a male member that is permanently attached to either an abutment tooth or a removable denture in the oral cavity. a female member permanently attached to the other of the male and female members, and an element made of a resilient material and mechanically latched to one of the male and female members; The element is in face-to-face contact with both the extension and the wall of the pocket when the members are engaged by being retractably housed within the pocket of the member. The element includes a replaceable plastic layer in the form of a sleeve, lining, etc., and mechanical latches that cooperate with complementary structures on both the extension of the male member and the wall of the pocket of the female member. It has a stop structure. According to one aspect of the invention, the element is rigidly mechanically latched to a member attached to a removable denture.

According to one aspect of the invention, the male member includes a base;
and a lug attached to one side of the base to attach the male member to the metal frame portion of the denture. The base is generally rectangular in shape and the lugs have a flat profile and extend at least along a major length of the base.
A plurality of holes are formed along the lugs to serve as perforated surfaces for attachment during the casting process or during attachment with a suitable resin. In another aspect of the invention, the male member is secured to a hole formed in the tooth root. In another aspect of the invention, the male member includes a base that is attached to a coping that is fixedly cast into a chamfer formed above the tooth root.
In both embodiments, the female member and the male member removably engage when the denture is installed in the oral cavity.

The element covers the contact surfaces of both parts of the mounting structure. This thus solves the problem of wear of both parts which are difficult or impossible to replace, thereby eliminating the problem of difficult repairs and expensive remanufacturing of the denture. Furthermore, the general problem of failure of metal mechanical latching devices integrally constructed with the mounting member is also solved by the present invention.

Furthermore, because the metal-to-metal contact between the male and female members, which is typical in prior devices, is now made into a plastic-to-metal contact according to the present invention, precision machining is not required or is significantly reduced, and both members can be assembled, e.g. It can be manufactured by a method suitable for mass production, such as a casting method, and which provides good fitting accuracy. Other advantages of the present invention include that the plastic elements can be easily, quickly and inexpensively replaced, immediately restoring the original retention force and obtaining a good fit of the denture, which will be discussed below. It becomes clear in

An attachment structure 10 for removably retaining a local denture or bridge structure (hereinafter simply referred to as a "denture") within the oral cavity is shown in FIG. Structure 10 includes a male member 12, a female member 14, and an element 16. Element 16 is housed within the male member and in the assembled state both members 12,1 are connected as seen in FIGS. 2-6.
Located between 4.

Figure 1 shows a part of the oral cavity, showing the original teeth 18,
20 and a "denture" 22 are shown. “Dentures” 22
are removably held on adjacent teeth 20 and may consist of two or more teeth. tooth 18,
20 and 22 may be premolars, molars, or the like.

The male member 12 is attached to a metal frame (not shown) of a "denture" 22 and the female member 14 is attached to the abutment tooth 20. Arrow 24 indicates the direction in which the male member and element 16 are removably attached to the female member 14 after the element 16 is removably attached to the male member 12, whereby the "denture" 22 is placed in a predetermined position in the oral cavity. Positioned. Although not shown, similar attachment structures may be placed on the opposite side in opposite directions to support the "denture" on adjacent teeth on both sides.

Male member 12 includes a base 26, a lug 28 extending in one direction from the base, and an extension 30 extending in the opposite direction from the base. The base has a flat rectangular shape. The extension portion 30 has substantially the same length as the main length of the base (vertical length in FIG. 1) and includes an outer end portion 30a and a web 30b (FIG. 6), and the web extends between the outer end portion 30a and the base. 26. The outer end portion 30a has a non-rectangular shape, such as a trapezoidal shape, for example. The web has a rectangular cross section and its thickness is equal to the width of the short side of the connected trapezoid.

The lugs 28 are also substantially the same length as the main length of the base and are rectangular in shape. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, the lug 28 is an extension 28 of rectangular profile.
It has a. The extension 28a is located at one end of the lug 28 and forms an L-shape as a whole.
A plurality of holes 32 are provided in the lugs, which will be discussed below. The holes are preferably evenly spaced in the lug and its extension.

Male member 12' of FIG. 6 is substantially similar to male member 12 described above. The difference between the two lies in the lug 28'. Lug 28' does not include an extension. A sleeve 34 is provided in association with the male member 12'. sleeve 3
The lug 28' is attached to the groove part 4, that is, the pocket part 34a.
is accommodated.

As previously described, the male member 12 (or male member 12') is attached to the metal frame portion of the "denture" 22.
In connection with the male member 12', according to known techniques, the shape of the frame portion may directly take the shape of the sleeve 34, so that the sleeve 34 forms part of the wax for the frame portion. In this case, the sleeve is made of a material such as plastic, and the metal frame is manufactured by burning it with the wax and vaporizing it and escaping from the sprue during the manufacture of the investment mold. The male member 12' is unaffected by the furnace during frame mold production and maintains the desired orientation with respect to the metal frame in investment casting. During casting, the molten metal penetrates into the hole 32 of the lug 28' and a metal frame is formed directly surrounding the lug 28'.

For simplicity, high productivity, and ease of subsequent adjustment, the male member 12 may be attached to the metal frame using acrylic resin. in this case,
Increasing the surface area of the lugs 28 and increasing the number of holes 32 is necessary to stabilize and integrate the connection between the male member and the metal frame portion. So lag 2
8 is preferably L-shaped. The acrylic resin flows into the gap between the two and hardens within the hole 32 of the lug 28, bonding the two together. If adjustment is necessary, heat is applied to soften the resin.

The female member 14 is provided over the entire crown portion of the abutment tooth 20 or within the fitted portion. The female member 14 includes a base 36 and a pair of walls 38, 4 extending from the base.
Including 0. Both walls 38, 40 are closed by a connecting wall 42 which defines a pocket 44 at the rear of the base along its entire length. The pocket portion 44 is closed at the end on the side of the root portion (not shown) of the abutment tooth. A slot 46 is formed in the base 36. Slot 46 is pocket 44
It extends from near the upper end opening substantially to the lower end of the base 36 and has a width suitable to receive the web 30b of the male member. A ridge 48 is formed within the pocket 44 along the wall 42 as shown in FIG. The female member 14' of FIG.
It is similar to the female member in Figures 4 to 4, but the protrusion 4
It has two 8'. In this case, one protrusion 4
8' is provided on the wall 38, and the other protrusion is provided on the wall 40 at a corresponding position (not shown). female member 14,
The ridge 14' will be described later.

One of the important features of the mounting structure of the present invention is element 16. Element 16 may be a layer of plastic such as nylon, Teflon, etc., and may include a sleeve,
It shall be in the form of lining, coating, etc. The element 16 is of the same length as the extension 30 of the male member 12, and its cross-sectional shape is such that it fits snugly into the pocket 44 of the female member 14, 14'. Therefore, the element 16 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape, and the notch 50 has an outer shape that matches the shape of the outer end 30a of the extension 30.
has. Furthermore, the element 16 has a protrusion 52, for example spherical, in the cutout and the outer end 3 of the extension 30.
It is mechanically latched to a recessed portion 54 formed at 0a (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The protrusion is preferably located close to the closed end of the notch.

Element 16 and male member 12 constitute a male unit which is mechanically latched to female member 14. For this purpose, the element 16 has a groove 56, by the cooperation of which groove and the ridge 48 in the pocket 44, a mechanical latching is achieved.

A variation of a similar mechanical latching device for the male unit is shown in FIG.
2') and female member 14' are shown. A pair of grooves in the element 16' are formed in the walls 38, 4 of the female member.
It latches into engagement with the protrusion 48' provided at 0.

When positioning the "denture" 22 within the oral cavity, the elements 16, 16' are connected to the extensions 30 of the male members 12, 12'.
Then, the male unit is inserted into and removed from the pocket 44 of the female member 14, 14', and is engaged and latched. As shown in the assembled condition in FIGS. 2-4, the base 26 of the male member 12, 12' is adjacent the base 36 of the female member 14, 14', and the web 30
b extends through the slot 46, and the male unit is latched within the pocket of the female member. The mechanical latching force of the male unit shall be greater than the mechanical latching force of the entire device in the assembled state. That is, when removing the "denture" the male unit is removed as a unit from the female member.

Figures 7 and 8 show a mounting structure 60 primarily used for continuous teeth. The structure 60 includes a male member 62
, a female member 64, and an element 66, the functions of which are substantially the same as those of the structure 10 described above.

Male member 62 includes a base 68 and an extension 70 including a spherical outer end 70a supported on the base by a connecting pedestal 70b. The base 68 includes at least one, and preferably a pair of flat circular base members 68a, 68b as shown in FIG. Both base members are separated from each other by a recess 69 forming a neck. The neck portion and extension portion 70 are on the central axis of the base 68.

The female member 64 is closed at one end and has an opening 72 at the other end communicating with a substantially cylindrical pocket 74. The shape of the closed end of pocket 74 is complementary to the shape of spherical outer end 70a of extension 70. Desirably, the closed end of the housing is provided with a flange 76 to provide a secure connection between the female member and the continuation tooth.

One of the main features of the structure 60 of the present invention is the element 66. Element 66 is suitably shaped to be received within pocket 74 of female member 64 and includes pocket 78 for receiving extension 70 of male member 62.
have.

One or more ridges 80 are connected to element 66.
an equal number of grooves 82 of complementary shape formed on the outer surface of the
is provided on the inner surface of the female member 64. Groove 82 and ridge 80 provide a mechanical latch that maintains the integrity of the female unit when the element is snapped into place. A retaining ring 84 is provided within pocket 78 and will be discussed below.

As mentioned above, the structure 60 is primarily used for continuous teeth. As is well known in the dental arts, the overlyingly extending portion of the tooth is surgically removed and the root of the tooth is prepared for attachment of the male member 62. For example, the root of the tooth may be chamfered and a male member bonded onto the coping of the root. In particular, the base 68 of the male member is glued onto the root coping and the extension 70 projects for attaching the female member 64 and the continuation tooth. The coping that covers the surface of the tooth root is made of wax with a male member 62 inside. Using investment casting techniques similar to those described above, the coping is cast as a casting of an alloy, such as gold, and mechanically latches a male member of a fusible alloy. The device is then secured onto the root of the tooth within the oral cavity.

When removably installing the continuation tooth, the retaining ring first contacts the large profile of the male member and is moved over this profile until it is snapped into the position of FIG. 8.

During manufacture of the continuous teeth, spacers (not shown) are used to connect the ends of the female member 64 and the male member 6 in the opening 72.
A gap is provided between the base 68 of No. 2 and the base 68 of No. 2. A similar gap is formed between the spherical outer end 70a of extension 70 and the inner surface of element 66. Remove the spacer when installing the finished continuation tooth. The trailing tooth is then given some movement in a direction perpendicular to the tooth root. In the case of the mounting structure of this embodiment, the continuation tooth is rotatably movable relative to the tooth root. This protects the tooth root from excessive forces.

The structure shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is the above-mentioned element 16.
It may also have a manufacturing element 90 (FIG. 9) that is substantially similar to the above. The element 90 is used by being attached to the male part when mechanical latching of the male unit to the female part is not required during the whole process of denture manufacturing (mold making, attachment of the male part to the denture metal frame structure, etc.). Ru. The fabrication element 90 is also used during the initial stages of familiarizing the patient with the use of the denture.
For this purpose, the manufacturing element 90 is provided with a recess in the area between the groove and the closed end. The fabrication element may be substantially similar to element 16'. That is, the mechanical latching ability of the male unit to the female member can be reduced or eliminated, thereby making it easier to attach and detach the denture.

Element 16 has several advantages not achieved with the prior art. Its main effect is that element 16
gives the best protection to the male and/or female parts,
The advantage is that it prevents wear of both members, and therefore eliminates the need for replacement, repair, and remanufacturing that would be required in the past. Prior art structures are difficult or impossible to replace and expensive to repair or remanufacture. According to the present invention, since it is made of plastic that can be manufactured by mass production techniques such as injection molding, it can be replaced if it is diagnosed that it has worn out due to friction. The element itself is relatively inexpensive, and its degree of elasticity eliminates the need for precision machining traditionally performed on both parts to achieve metal-to-metal contact. In practice, it has been found that a better fit between the parts can be achieved than if precision machining were used. Furthermore, the element according to the invention allows the use of dentally approved alloys other than precious metals. These alloys have high hardness and high strength properties at low cost. The male and female members can be manufactured using inexpensive manufacturing techniques such as investment casting. Additionally, the element has mechanical latching capabilities. In summary, the element according to the invention provides a significantly better protection for both parts, significantly reduces costs during the production of the denture and its installation in the oral cavity, and also serves to provide a comfortable use experience.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a developed perspective view of an embodiment in which the mounting structure according to the present invention is provided in the crown of a tooth for a local denture;
The figure is a perspective view showing the fitted state, Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Figure 2 and also shows the latching structure, and Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the fitted state.
3 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, showing details of the latching structure; FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a mounting structure according to the present invention showing a modified example of the latching structure; and FIG.
The figure is a perspective view of the male member of the mounting structure shown as a variation of FIGS. 1-4, with the sleeve and lug extensions shown separated. Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the abutment cap mounting structure for continuous teeth;
The figure is a sectional view showing the mounting state of the mounting structure shown in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a side view of the coupling element. 10, 60...Mounting structure, 12, 12', 6
2... Male member, 14, 14', 64... Female member,
16, 16', 66... Element, 26, 68... Base, 30, 70... Extension part, 30a, 70a...
...outer end, 30b...web, 28, 28'...
Lug, 32... hole, 14, 14', 64... female member, 36, 68... base, 38, 40... wall,
42... Connecting wall, 44, 74, 78... Pocket, 48, 48', 80... Projection, 56, 82...
... Groove, 20... Abutment tooth, 18... Teeth, 22... Denture, 46... Slot.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A dental structure for removably attaching dental dentures such as local dentures, continuous teeth, and bridges in the oral cavity, which includes a male member including means for permanently attaching to either one of the dental dentures removably attached thereto and an extension extending from the attaching means; The extension part of the male member is removably housed in the pocket when the denture is attached inside the mouth, and the extension part is removably extracted when the denture is removed from the oral cavity, and the extension part of the male member is removably housed in the pocket. An element comprising a female member permanently attached to the other side of the denture and a body of resilient non-metallic material, the element being attached to either the extension of the male member or the pocket of the female member so that both members can be inserted and removed. the element which makes face-to-face contact with both the extension portion and the wall of the pocket when engaged with each other to achieve a firm insertion/extraction engagement and prevent frictional contact between the two members during storage and removal; A dental mounting structure comprising: 2. the means for attaching includes a base and a lug;
A structure according to claim 1, wherein the base has a rectangular and flat shape, and the lug extends from the base portion at least along its longitudinal direction on the side opposite the extension portion. . 3. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the lug has an L-shape. 4. The structure of claim 2 or 3, wherein the lugs include a plurality of holes along the lugs for attaching the male member to a denture. 5. The lug is rectangular and has a plurality of apertures along its length, and the structure further includes a sleeve with a groove that slidably fits along the lug. The structure according to claim 2. 6. The extension part is formed along the main length of the base, the outer end thereof has a non-rectangular cross section, and the outer end part and the base are connected by a web. A structure according to claim 2. 7. The structure of claim 6, wherein the outer end has a trapezoidal cross section and the web has a rectangular cross section. 8. The main body is a solid body having an outer shape complementary to the outer shape of the pocket, and includes a cutout portion having a shape complementary to the outer shape of the outer end, thereby achieving the surface-to-surface contact. 7. The structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: 9. The attachment means includes a substantially circular flat base, the outer end of the extension is spherical, and a pedestal is provided for supporting the outer end on the base. A structure according to claim 1. 10. The main body is a lining having an external shape complementary to the pocket, and the lining has an open end, a closed end, and a surface therebetween, and is in face-to-face contact with the pocket. A structure according to claim 9. 11 first attachment means for attaching the body to one of the male and female members, the first attachment means comprising at least one protrusion on the body and a cooperating recess formed in the member; attaching the main body to the other of the male member and the female member when engaged with each other;
and second attachment means including at least one ridge in the pocket and a groove provided in the body and cooperating with the respective ridge, the first attachment means being smaller than the second attachment means. 11. A structure according to claim 8 or claim 10, characterized in that the structure also provides a rigid attachment. 12 the body is attached to one of the male and female members and includes a single protrusion in the form of a spherical protrusion formed in the notch and a cooperating recess formed in the outer end; a first attachment means, which attaches the main body to the other of the male member and the female member when the two members are inserted into and removed from each other; and second attachment means comprising a ridge and a cooperating groove, the first attachment means providing a more rigid attachment than the second attachment means. The structure according to item 1 or item 10. 13. A first member which attaches the main body to one of the male member and the female member and includes a plurality of protrusions in the shape of protrusions formed on the lining and a plurality of recesses formed in the pocket and cooperating with each other. an attachment means for attaching the main body to the other of the male member and the female member when the two members are inserted into and removed from each other; and at least one protrusion in the pocket and each protrusion provided on the main body; and second attachment means comprising cooperating grooves, the first attachment means providing a more rigid attachment than the second attachment means. The structure according to item 10. 14. The device according to claim 12, wherein the female member includes a base, the housing includes a pair of side walls extending from the base, and a connecting wall, and the protrusion is formed on the connecting wall. Structure. 15 first attachment means for attaching the body to one of the male and female members, the first attachment means comprising at least one protrusion on the body and a cooperating recess formed in the member; attaching the main body to the other of the male member and the female member when engaged with each other;
and includes a protrusion, the protrusion being formed within the lining and surrounding the surface near the open end, the protrusion extending beyond the maximum dimension of the spherical portion when the two members are inserted into and removed from each other. and second attachment means cooperating with the portion, the first attachment means providing a stronger attachment than the second attachment means. The structure described. 16. A structure according to claim 1, characterized in that said element is made of plastic material. 17 The web portion connects the extension and the base, the thickness of the web portion is less than the maximum thickness of the extension, the lugs serve to permanently attach the male member to the denture, and the female a first mechanical attachment provided on the element and the extension for attaching the element to the extension, including a slot for allowing movement of the web portion when the member is engaged and withdrawn and when the denture is withdrawn from the oral cavity; and a second mechanical attachment means provided on the element and the housing pocket for removably securing the denture within the oral cavity, the mechanical attachment means having a mechanical securing capability that is superior to the first mechanical attachment means. said second mechanical attachment means being smaller than the mechanical fixation capacity of said second mechanical attachment means, said second mechanical attachment means being adapted to secure said element to said denture when said denture is removed from the oral cavity. The structure according to item 6. 18. The structure of claim 17, wherein said base has a generally rectangular flat shape and said lugs extend along a major dimension of the base substantially coextensive with said major dimension. body. 19. The structure of claim 17, wherein opposite sides of the extension extend outwardly from the web to an outer end, thereby providing a non-rectangular cross-section. 20. Claim 17, wherein the first attachment means includes at least one protrusion provided on the main body and a recessed portion provided on the extension portion and cooperating with each protrusion. structure. 21 the body is a solid body having a contour complementary to the contour of the pocket, the contour including a cutout complementary to the contour of the extension, and the first mechanical attachment means is a solid body having a contour complementary to the contour of the pocket; 21. The structure of claim 20, comprising a single projection formed thereon in the form of a spherical projection and a cooperating recess formed in said extension. 22. The structure of claim 17, wherein said second attachment means includes at least one ridge cooperating with a groove provided in said pocket. 23. The female member includes a base, the slot is positioned within the base, the housing includes a pair of side walls extending from the base, and a connecting wall connecting the side walls, and the protrusion is formed on the connecting wall. 23. A structure according to claim 22, characterized in that: 24. said base serves to permanently mount said male element within an abutment tooth in the oral cavity; first mechanical attachment means provided on said element and cooperating with a surface of said extension; and said pocket. second mechanical attachment means provided on both the housing and the element within the housing;
the mechanical fixation capacity is greater than the mechanical fixation capacity of the first mechanical attachment means, such that the element is attached to the housing when the denture is removed from the removable attachment position in the oral cavity; 11. The structure of claim 10, further comprising: said second attachment means being fixedly retained. 25. Claim 24, characterized in that said second attachment means comprises at least one projection in the form of a ridge formed on the outer surface of the lining and a cooperating recess formed in the pocket. Structure described in section. 26. The first attachment means includes a protrusion formed on the inner surface of the lining near the open end, the protrusion being such that when the two members are retractably engaged and the lining is engaged with the extension. 25. A structure according to claim 24, characterized in that it cooperates with a portion preceding the largest dimension of the extension.