Dental kit-of-parts and method of assembling the same

Abstract

The present invention describes a dental kit-of-parts comprising an implant abutment having at least a surface, a through hole configured to accommodate at least part of a screw shaft therein, and is configured to be connected to a dental implant implanted in a jawbone; a dental restoration having at least an inner surface and an outer surface, a channel through which a tool is insertable, and is configured to be connected to the implant abutment via the inner surface; and a screw having a screw head, a threaded screw shaft, wherein the diameter of the screw head is larger than the diameter of the screw shaft, and is configured to connect a pre-assembly including the implant abutment and the dental restoration to the dental implant. The pre-assembly is so configured as to comprise therein a recess that encloses at least the screw head, whereby the screw is a captive screw. In the pre-assembly, the implant abutment and dental restoration are merged via the inner surface of the implant abutment and the inner surface of the dental restoration forming an interface therebetween at least partially intersecting an outer surface of the pre-assembly. Further, the channel of the dental restoration has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the screw head of the screw and is configured to connect the outer surface of the dental restoration to the recess. Also, a method of manufacturing a dental kit-of-parts is described with the step of forming a pre-assembly including the implant abutment and the dental restoration, including: aligning the implant abutment and the dental restoration; positioning the screw between the implant abutment and the dental restoration and assembling the implant abutment and the dental restoration via the surface of the implant abutment and the inner surface of the dental restoration, with the screw head positioned in the recess and at least part of the screw shaft accommodated in the through hole of the implant abutment.

1 . Dental kit-of-parts comprising:
 an implant abutment having
 an inner surface and an outer surface, and 
 a through hole configured to accommodate at least part of a screw shaft therein, the implant abutment being configured to be connected to a dental implant implanted in a jawbone; 
   a dental restoration having
 an inner surface and an outer surface, and 
 a channel through which a tool is insertable, the dental restoration being configured to be connected with its inner surface to the inner surface of the implant abutment; and 
   a screw having
 a screw head and a threaded screw shaft, the diameter of the screw head being larger than the diameter of the screw shaft; 
 the kit-of-parts being so configured that the screw can connect a pre-assembly of the implant abutment and the dental restoration to the dental implant; and 
 the pre-assembly being so configured as to comprise therein a recess that encloses the screw head, whereby the screw is a captive screw; 
 in which kit-of-parts the channel of the dental restoration connects the outer surface of the dental restoration to the recess and has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the screw head of the screw; and in which kit-of-parts the recess is formed within the dental restoration such that the recess is enclosed by the dental restoration and has no open sides to a peripheral surface of the dental restoration. 
   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . Dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 1 , wherein the recess is connected to the outer surface of the dental restoration via a through hole in the dental restoration configured to accommodate at least part of the screw shaft therein and having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the screw head and larger than a diameter of the screw shaft. 
     
     
         4 . Dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 1 , wherein the dental restoration is configured to be splittable in at least two parts. 
     
     
         5 . Dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal extension of the channel coincides with or is angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the screw shaft. 
     
     
         6 . Dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 5 , wherein an angulation of the longitudinal extension of the channel relative to the longitudinal axis of the screw shaft is 0° to 30°. 
     
     
         7 . Dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 1 , wherein the implant abutment is provided with a protrusion and the dental restoration with a receiving section, wherein in the pre-assembly, the protrusion and the receiving section matingly engage each other. 
     
     
         8 . Dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 1 , wherein the dental restoration comprises a crown, a bar, or a bridge structure. 
     
     
         9 . Dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the parts of the dental kit-of-parts comprises at least one material selected from the group of: polymers, polymethylmethacrylate, polyurethane, polyether ether ketone; reinforced polymers, reinforced by glass fibers, carbon fibers or ceramic particles; dental hybrid ceramics; glass ceramics; titanium and titanium alloys; cobalt chromium alloys; zirconia and alumina. 
     
     
         10 . Dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the parts of the dental kit-of-parts is formed by at least one selected from the group of: rapid manufacturing, selective laser melting, selective laser sintering, electron beam melting, direct metal laser sintering, stereolithography, three-dimensional printing and fused deposition modeling; casting, molding and machining. 
     
     
         11 . Dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 1 , wherein the connection between the inner surface of the implant abutment and the inner surface of the dental restoration is formed by at least one selected from the group of: chemical bonding, gluing, bonding and cementing; thermal bonding, laser welding, friction welding; and mechanical bonding, press-fitting, shrink-fitting, screwing and bolting. 
     
     
         12 . Dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 1 , wherein the screw comprises an amorphous metal material or an amorphous metal alloy, wherein the amorphous metal material or the amorphous metal alloy is a bulk metallic glass. 
     
     
         13 . Dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 12 , wherein the screw comprises the amorphous metal material or the amorphous metal alloy in bulk. 
     
     
         14 . Dental kit-of-parts according  claim 1 , comprising:
 a dental implant configured to be implanted into a jawbone; and   tooling configured to adjust and fasten the dental implant, the implant abutment and the dental restoration.   
     
     
         15 . Dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 14 , wherein the tooling comprises an amorphous metal material or an amorphous metal alloy, wherein the amorphous metal material or the amorphous metal alloy is a bulk metallic glass 
     
     
         16 . Dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 15 , wherein the part of the tooling which engages the screw comprises the amorphous metal material or the amorphous metal alloy in bulk. 
     
     
         17 . Dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 a plurality of said screws, individual ones of the plurality of screws having different geometrical features for engagement of a tool, and   a plurality of said implant abutments, individual ones of the implant abutments having different geometrical features capable of preventing rotation between the individual abutment and a dental implant.   
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . Method of manufacturing a dental kit-of-parts, the method comprising the following steps:
 manufacturing a dental restoration by means of rapid manufacturing such that the recess and the through hole of the dental restoration are formed within the dental restoration; and   manufacturing of the screw simultaneously with the previous step, such that the screw head is formed in the recess and the screw shaft is formed in the through hole of the dental restoration and the screw is a captive screw enclosed by the dental restoration,   wherein the dental restoration has an inner surface and an outer surface, and a channel through which a tool is insertable, the dental restoration being configured to be connected with its inner surface to an inner surface of an implant abutment, the implant abutment being configured to be connected to a dental implant and having a through hole configured to accommodate at least a part of the screw shaft therein, and   wherein the diameter of the screw head is larger than the diameter of the screw shaft.   
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . Method of manufacturing a dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 20 , wherein the method of rapid manufacturing comprises at least one selected from the group of: laser melting, selective laser sintering, electron beam melting, direct metal laser sintering, stereolithography, three-dimensional printing and fused deposition modeling. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . Method of manufacturing a dental kit-of-parts according to  claim 20 , wherein the screw and the tooling are formed by net shape casting. 
     
     
         25 . Dental kit-of-parts comprising:
 an implant abutment comprising
 an inner surface and an outer surface, and 
 a through hole configured to accommodate at least part of a screw shaft therein, 
 the implant abutment being configured to be connected to a dental implant implanted in a jawbone; 
   a dental restoration comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, and
 a channel through which a tool is insertable, 
 a recess formed within the dental restoration, 
 a through hole extending from the recess to the outer surface of the dental restoration, 
 a screw seat disposed at a face of the recess that is intersected by the through hole, 
 the dental restoration being configured to be connected with its inner surface to the inner surface of the implant abutment; and 
   a screw having
 a screw head and a threaded screw shaft, 
 the diameter of the screw head being larger than the diameter of the screw shaft; 
 the kit-of-parts being so configured that the screw can connect the dental restoration to the dental implant; and 
   in which kit-of-parts
 the channel of the dental restoration connects the outer surface of the dental restoration to the recess and has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the screw head of the screw; and in which kit-of-parts 
   the screw head is enclosed by the recess and so accommodated in the dental restoration that the screw head is trapped in the recess and cannot be removed from the recess without destroying at least one of the dental restoration and the screw.