WO2012010794A1 - Dental implant and device for rotating said dental implant - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a dental implant (1) comprising: - a lower part (2), termed implant body, intended to be rigidly connected in a bone tissue of a mandible or of a maxilla; - and an upper part (3), termed post, intended to receive a dental prosthesis. Said upper part (2) comprises, on the surround thereof, at least one groove (4) able to engage with a device for rotating said dental implant (1), said groove (4) extending along the axial direction (X) of said dental implant (1). The dental implant according to the invention has a particularly advantageous application in the field of implant surgery.

Description

 DENTAL IMPLANT AND ROTATION DRIVE DEVICE

DUDIT IMPLANT DENTAIRE

The invention relates to a dental implant and to a drive device for this dental implant, which is intended to be implanted in the bone tissue of a mandible or maxilla.

 A one-piece dental implant usually comprises a first portion forming an implant body externally threaded so as to be immobilized in the bone tissue of the mandible or jaw and a second portion, said abutment, extending the implant body. When the dental implant is positioned in the mandibular or maxillary bone, the abutment protrudes into the oral cavity to be able to receive a dental prosthesis.

 The abutment has a conical shape whose base is located at the top of the implant body and usually has drive flats on its outer periphery. These flats allow, by means of a rotary drive tool formed by a suitable key, to screw the implant body into the mandibular or maxillary bone tissue.

 The purpose of the pillar is to support the dental prosthesis and regain the efforts generated during chewing. Therefore, in order not to weaken the pillar, the flats are made on a low height. This low height is imposed further by the conical shape of the pillar.

 To screw the implant body into the mandibular or maxillary tissue, a large torque is exerted by a tool at the abutment. The combination of a small bearing surface formed by the flats and a large torque exerted on the low bearing surface, often causes the sliding of the tool.

As a result, sliding of the tool generates premature wear of the flats preventing total screwing of the implant body into the mandibular or maxillary bone tissue. In addition, when the tool slides, it may come into contact with a tissue forming the oral cavity and generate a hematoma or a cut of this tissue.

 Dental implants are also known, the pillar of which is traversed over a portion of its height by a well of polygonal section. This well of polygonal section is intended to receive a rotation drive tool of complementary shape to ensure the screwing of the implant body in the mandibular or maxillary bone tissue.

 To prevent this well from weakening the pillar, the well has a small diameter and a shallow depth.

 Unfortunately, these small dimensions make it difficult to screw the implant body into the bone tissue of the mandible or maxilla. It is common that, in use, the rotating drive tool slides and out of its housing formed by the well of polygonal section.

 Furthermore, since the torque transmission is performed at the upper level of the pillar having a small section, the pillar generally undergoes bending to promote the sliding of the tool out of its housing.

 Too much bending of the abutment can be the source of a non-reversible deformation thereof preventing the subsequent positioning of a dental prosthesis.

 In addition, the sliding of the tool causes premature wear of the polygonal section of the well preventing the total screwing of the implant body into the bone tissue of the mandible or maxillary.

 In addition, as for the previously described solution, when the tool ripe and out of its housing, it can come into contact with a tissue forming the oral cavity and generate a hematoma or even a cut of this fabric.

In this context, the invention aims at providing a dental implant and a rotational drive tool for this dental implant to solve the aforementioned problems. In addition, the invention aims at providing a dental implant and a driving tool capable of driving in rotation this dental implant for screwing the dental implant efficiently and safely to the patient without the pillar experiencing any deformation.

 To this end, the subject of the invention relates to a dental implant comprising:

 - A lower part, said implant body, intended to be secured in a bone tissue of a mandible or maxillary;

 an upper part, called a pillar, intended to receive directly or indirectly a dental prosthesis;

said dental implant being characterized in that said upper portion comprises, on its periphery, at least one notch adapted to cooperate with a rotary drive device of said dental implant, said notch extending in the axial direction of said dental implant.

 Notching means a removal of material made in the upper part. Such a notch, is different from a flat surface in that it is adapted to receive a piece such as a pawn. In other words, notch means a location or housing in which is inserted a room. Such a notch preferably has a section of cylindrical shape.

 Without limitation, the notch may be formed by a gut, a groove or a groove.

The notch in the abutment rotates, by means of a rotary drive device cooperating with said notch, the dental implant safely and effectively. As the notch is not at the top of the pillar but at its full height, when a torque is exerted on the dental implant by means of a rotating drive device, the pillar undergoes no bending. In such an embodiment, the tool for rotating the dental implant is not likely to slip. In addition, the pillar is not likely to undergo a non-reversible deformation preventing the subsequent positioning of a dental prosthesis. Moreover, since the pillar is not excessively thinned, the latter keeps a mass necessary for the resumption of chewing efforts applied to it.

 In addition to the main features that have just been mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the dental implant according to the invention may have one or more additional characteristics below, considered individually or in any technically feasible combination:

 - said at least one notch that includes said upper portion continues through a portion of said lower portion. This feature increases the rotational driving surface of the dental implant. Thus, the rotational driving device also cooperates with the lower part thereby decreasing the rotational forces generated on the upper part. It follows that in such an embodiment, the bending forces exerted on the upper part are reduced.

 said notch has a diameter of between 0.8 and 2.5 mm;

said dental implant has three notches extending in the axial direction of said dental implant;

 each notch is spaced apart from a cut near an angle of 120 °;

 said dental implant comprises a housing adapted to receive means for holding said dental implant;

 said housing passes through at least a portion of the upper portion of said dental implant and extends in the axial direction of said dental implant.

The invention also relates to a device for rotating a dental implant according to one of the preceding claims, said rotational driving device comprising:

a body adapted to receive said upper portion of said dental implant; - At least one pin capable of cooperating with said at least one notch of said dental implant.

 According to two different embodiments, said pawn:

 protrudes beyond said body; or

 - is located inside said body.

 In order to cooperate with one of the embodiments according to a dental implant according to the invention, said rotary drive device comprises three pins, said dental implant having three notches, each pin being able to fit into a notch.

 In such an embodiment, each peg is spaced apart from a peg at an angle of 120 °.

 According to an advantageous embodiment of a rotation drive device according to the invention, said body and said at least one pin (s) form (s) a one-piece assembly.

 In a non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the drive device comprises means for holding said dental implant adapted to cooperate with said housing.

 In a non-limiting exemplary embodiment, said holding means have an elasticity.

 In an exemplary non-limiting embodiment, said holding means are formed by a pin.

 In an exemplary non-limiting embodiment, said drive device comprises means adapted to cooperate with a rotating drive tool.

 In a non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the drive device is made of magnetizable material.

Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge clearly from the description which is given below, by way of indication and in no way limitative, with reference to the appended figures in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dental implant according to the invention;

 FIG. 2 is a view from above of a dental implant in accordance with that shown in FIG. 1;

 Figure 3 is an enlargement of a portion of the dental implant illustrated in Figure 1;

 FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a device for rotating a dental implant in accordance with the invention;

 FIG. 5 is a sectional view AA of the rotary drive device shown in FIG. 4;

 FIG. 6 is a variant of a rotary drive according to the invention,

 - Figure 7 is a schematic representation in longitudinal section of a dental implant and a rotational drive device of said dental implant according to the invention;

 FIG. 8 is an exemplary non-limiting embodiment of a pin included in the drive device shown in FIG. 7.

 For the sake of clarity, only the essential elements for the understanding of the invention have been represented, and this without regard to the scale and in a schematic manner. In addition, the identical elements that are found in different figures bear the same references.

 FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a dental implant

1 according to the invention comprising in particular:

 - A lower part 2, said implant body, intended to be secured in a bone tissue of a mandible or maxillary;

an upper part 3, also designated by the term pillar, intended to receive a dental prosthesis, the upper part 3 being intended to receive directly or indirectly a prosthesis dental. In the case where the upper part 3 is intended to indirectly receive a dental prosthesis, an intermediate piece, for example corrective type axis, can be positioned between the upper part 3 and the dental prosthesis.

 - three notches 4 (only two are visible). More specifically, the upper portion 3 is provided on its periphery with three notches 4 extending longitudinally in the axial direction X of the body of the dental implant 1.

 In the example, each cut 4 forms a groove adapted to cooperate with a pin of a rotary drive device according to the invention described later. Each notch 4 (or gut) preferably has a diameter of between 0.8 and 2.5 mm.

 At its upper end 5, the lower part 2 continues with a truncated cone 6 flaring towards the upper part 3.

 The lower part 2 is externally threaded substantially over its entire length so as to be immobilized by screwing into the bone tissue of the mandible or jawbone

 A dental implant 1 thus shaped can advantageously be put in place in a borehole previously made in a mandibular or maxillary bone tissue, this bore preferably being of a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the lower part 2. The drilling makes it possible to guide the dental implant 1 during its screwing, as the lower part 2 is a path.

 During screwing, the truncated cone 6 can expand the cortical area of the mandibular or maxillary bone thereby ensuring good support. When the dental implant 1 is positioned in the mandibular or maxillary bone, the upper part 3 protrudes into the oral cavity (not shown) to be able to receive an external dental device such as a dental prosthesis.

Without limitation, two embodiments of the dental implant 1 according to the invention are compared below: a first embodiment consists in making each notch 4 only on the periphery of the upper part 3;

a second embodiment consists in extending each notch 4 so that each notch 4 passes through at least a portion of the lower part 2 of the dental implant 1. This characteristic makes it possible to increase the rotational driving surface of the dental implant 1.

 As represented in FIG. 3, it will be noted that according to the second embodiment each notch 4 comprises two parts:

 - a first part 7 forming a goulette, this first part

7 being located along the periphery of the upper portion 4 of the dental implant 1 and extending in the axial direction X of the dental implant 1; and

 a second part 8 forming a cylinder, this second part 8 being situated in the lower part 2.

The invention also relates to a device 10 for rotating a dental implant 1. The rotational drive device 10 illustrated in FIG. 4 is intended to cooperate with a dental implant 1 conforming to those described previously in support of FIGS. 1 to 3.

 The rotational drive device 10 shown in FIG. 4 comprises in particular:

 a body 1 1 having a recess 12 of shape substantially complementary to the upper part 3 of the dental implant 1;

 - Three pins 13, each pin 13 being adapted to be inserted into one of the three notches 4 of the dental implant 1.

 It should be noted that in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the three pins 13 protrude beyond the body 1 1 of the drive device 10.

Moreover, the recess 12 is intended to receive the upper part 3 of the dental implant 1 and the pins 13 are intended for cooperating with the notches 4 that includes the dental implant 1 so as to allow the screwing of the latter in a bone tissue of a mandible or maxillary. In addition to having a direct grip of the pins 13 in the notches 4, this mode allows the establishment of a dental implant 1 where an external screw wrench cooperating with flats is made difficult or impossible by the presence of adjacent biological or prosthetic teeth.

 The rotational drive tool 10 illustrated in FIG. 5 is adapted to cooperate with a dental implant 1 according to the second embodiment of the dental implant 1 illustrated in FIG. 3. Consequently, it may be noted that the pins 13 have two parts:

 an inner part 14 intended to come into contact with the first part 7 of the groove 4 forming a groove, which groove is located along the upper part 3 of the dental implant 1; and

 an external part 15 intended to be inserted in the second part 8 of the notch 4 located in the lower part 2 of the dental implant 1.

 Advantageously, the combination of the inner part 14 cooperating with a choke 7 and the outer part 15 cooperating with a cylindrical orifice 8 makes it possible to increase the driving surface of the dental implant 1 thus avoiding slipping of the driving device. 10 in rotation when screwing the dental implant 1.

 As illustrated in FIG. 5, each peg 13 can be inserted into an orifice that comprises the body 1 1 of the drive device 10 and then be held by means of a locking screw 16, a key or even a clip coming into contact with the pin 13. This locking screw 16 maintains the pin 13 in translation relative to the body 1 1.

According to a different embodiment not illustrated the pin (s) 13 and the body 1 1 of the rotating drive device 10 forms a one-piece assembly. In a still different embodiment of a rotational drive device 10 according to the invention shown in FIG. 6, each pin 13 is located inside the body 11. In other words, according to such an embodiment, the pins 13 do not protrude from the body 1 1.

 Each pin 13 of a rotary drive device 10 in accordance with that shown in FIG. 6 cooperates exclusively with the first portion 7 (or gut) of a notch 4.

 In a not shown embodiment of the invention, the recess 12 is adapted to receive a system for holding the dental implant 1. Such a holding system may be formed by an elastomer. This holding system is used to hold the dental implant 1 during its positioning. Without limitation, this holding system can be maintained by means of a locking screw, a clip or a key.

 The dental implant 1 may be made of titanium, or any other surgically acceptable biocompatible material.

 In addition, thanks to the invention, the rotary drive device is directly engaged with the dental implant without the need to use an intermediate piece.

 In addition, the frustoconical shape of the upper part allows optimum interlocking and guiding of a rotary drive device according to the invention with respect to the dental implant 1.

FIG. 7 illustrates a nonlimiting example of a dental implant 1 according to the invention further comprising a housing 9 adapted to cooperate with holding means 17 that comprises a rotational drive device 10 according to the invention.

In this nonlimiting embodiment, the dental implant 1 comprises a housing 9 adapted to receive holding means 17 of the dental implant 1. The housing 9 passes through at least a portion of the upper portion 3 of the dental implant 1 and extends in the axial direction X of the dental implant 1. In this particular embodiment, the drive device 10 comprises holding means 17 of the dental implant 1 adapted to cooperate with the housing 8. These holding means 17 are slightly elastically deformable so as to be inserted by friction in the housing 9 that includes the dental implant 1 and maintain integral dental implant 1 of the drive device 10.

In a non-limiting example, the holding means 17 are formed by a pin adapted to cooperate with the housing 9 of the dental implant 1. Such pin 17 is shown in Figure 8. The pin 17 has an upper portion 18 adapted to be secured to the body 1 1 of the drive device 10. For example, it can be secured by means of a thread 19. This type of connection is advantageous in that the pin 17 can be detached from the drive device 10 and then be cleaned.

In another nonlimiting example, this upper part 18 can be force-fitted into the body 1 1 of the driving device 10. In the example illustrated in FIG. 8, the lower part 20 of the pin 17 is formed of a perforated cylinder so as to form three legs 21. Thus, when the lower portion 20 of the pin 17 is introduced into the housing 9 of the dental implant 1, the three tabs 21 are tightened and allow the insertion of the lower portion 20 into the housing 9 so that the implant dental 1 is kept integral with the drive device 10. The maintenance is provided by the elasticity of the tabs 21 which exerts a holding force on the periphery of the housing 8.

Thanks to the housing 9 of the dental implant 1 and the holding means 17 that comprises the drive device 10, the dental implant 1 is held integral with the drive tool 10 so that the dental implant 1 can be screwed easily into the maxillary bone or mandible without the dental implant 1 falling during the handling of the dental implant 1.

It should be noted that the holding means 17 have elasticity. Thus, they can be introduced into the housing 9 and be secured to the dental implant 1 via this elasticity. In the nonlimiting example illustrated in FIG. 8, the elasticity is conferred by the three lugs 21. This elasticity can simply be conferred by the material of the holding means 17, for example the elastomer. In such an embodiment, the lower portion 20 of the holding means 17 may be formed by a solid cylinder of elastomer.

By way of non-limiting example, the holding means 17 are made of steel. In addition, the drive device 10 may comprise means 22 adapted to cooperate with a rotary drive tool. By way of non-limiting example illustrated in FIG. 7, the means 22 adapted to cooperate with the rotary drive tool are formed by a hexagonal housing situated at the proximal end of the drive device 10. This hexagonal housing is adapted to cooperate with a hexagonal key so as to screw the dental implant 1 in a maxillary bone or a mandible.

In another non-limiting example not shown, the means 22 adapted to cooperate with the rotary drive tool are formed by flats located on the periphery of the drive device 10. Thus, the means 22 are adapted to cooperate with an eye key.

In addition, in a non-limiting embodiment, the drive device 10 is magnetizable so as to facilitate for example the cooperation of the rotary drive tool (for example a hexagonal key) with the means 22 of the device. rotational drive of the dental implant 1. It is clear from the description that the dental implant 1 according to the invention finds a particularly interesting application in the field of implant surgery.

 It is understood that a person skilled in the art is able to present different variants of the dental implant 1 according to the invention or of the device 10 for rotating this dental implant 1, in particular with regard to the shape and / or or the positioning of the notches 4, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Dental implant (1) comprising: a lower part (2), called the implant body, intended to be secured in the bone tissue of a mandible or maxilla; an upper part (3), called abutment, intended to receive a dental prosthesis; said dental implant (1) being characterized in that said upper part (2) comprises, on its periphery, at least one notch (4) capable of cooperating with a device for rotating said dental implant (1), said notch (4) extending in the axial direction (X) of said dental implant (1). Dental implant (1) according to the preceding claim characterized in that said at least one notch (4) continues through a part of said lower part (2). Dental implant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said notch (4) has a diameter of between 0.8 and 2.5 mm. Dental implant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises three notches (4) extending in said axial direction (X) of said dental implant (1). 5. Dental implant (1) according to claim 4 characterized in that each notch (4) is spaced from a notch (4) close to an angle of 120°. 6. Dental implant (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that it comprises a housing (9) adapted to receive means for holding said dental implant (1). 7. Dental implant (1) according to preceding claim 6 characterized in that the housing (9) passes through at least part of the upper part (3) of said dental implant (1) and extends in the axial direction (X) said dental implant (1). 8. Rotation drive device (10) of a dental implant (1) according to one of the preceding claims, said rotation drive device (10) comprising: - a body (1 1) capable of receiving said upper part (3) of said dental implant (1); - at least one pin (13) capable of being inserted into said at least one notch (4) of said dental implant (1). 9. Drive device (10) according to claim 8 characterized in that said pin (13) projects beyond said body (1 1). 10. Training device (10) according to one of claims 8 or 9, said dental implant (1) comprising three notches, said device (10) being characterized in that it comprises three pins (13), each pin (13) being able to be inserted into a notch (4). 1 1 . Drive device (10) according to claim 10 characterized in that each pin (13) is spaced from a neighboring pin (13) at an angle of 120°. 12. Drive device (10) according to one of claims 8 to 1 1 characterized in that said body (1 1) and said pin (13) form a single piece assembly. 13. Drive device (10) according to one of claims 8 to 12 characterized in that it comprises holding means (17) of said dental implant (1) adapted to cooperate with said housing (9) of said implant dental according to one of claims 6 or 7. 14. Drive device (10) according to claim 13 characterized in that said holding means (17) have elasticity. 15. Drive device (10) according to one of claims 13 or 14 characterized in that said holding means (17) are formed by a pin. 16. Drive device (10) according to one of claims 8 to 15 characterized in that it comprises means (22) adapted to cooperate with a rotational drive tool. 17. Drive device (10) according to one of claims 8 to 16 characterized in that it is made of magnetizable material.