Denture retention system

摘要

A denture retention system includes a denture, abutments and an implant connected to each abutment. The denture has an inner channel with a resilient liner and engaging caps in the inner channel that releasably retain the denture on the abutments. The engaging caps each have a cavity that receives the head of an abutment. The cavities are sized with longitudinal space for the heads of the abutments so that the denture rests on the gingival tissue while the abutments restricts movement of the denture away from the gingival tissue. The system can be used with large diameter or mini implants. The separate implant and abutment allow precise selection of the abutment height. The abutment has a spherical head with tool engageable flats for tightening the abutment onto the implant.

主权项

1. A system for retaining a denture on gingival tissue, said denture having an outer side with a plurality of artificial teeth and an inner side having an inner channel shaped to receive said gingival tissue, said inner channel having a base and opposed sides extending away from said base and terminating in two ends, comprising:
at least one abutment, said abutment having a substantially spherical head, a neck connected to said head and a base connected to said neck, said neck having a diameter smaller than said head, an implant for each said abutment, said implant having a first end, a spaced second end, and external threads extending from said second end towards said first end for threading said implant into alveolar bone, said first end of said implant releasably, threadedly connecting to said base of said abutment, an engaging cap for each said abutment rigidly mounted in said denture, said engaging cap having an end portion with a first face and a spaced second face opposite said first face, and an enclosing fence that projects transversely from said second face to define a cavity with an open end opposite said end portion, said cavity being sized to receive said head, said engaging cap including means, connected to said fence at said open end, for releasably retaining said head in said cavity, said cavity being sized longitudinally to define a space between said head and said end portion when said means for releasably retaining said head contacts said head, and a resilient liner in said inner channel, said liner extending into said inner channel along said sides from said two ends to contact said engaging cap, said liner surrounding said engaging cap across said base of said inner channel, said liner supporting said denture on said gingival tissue, said liner compensating for the sponginess and surface irregularities in the gingival tissue so that the chewing forces are more uniformly distributed over the whole surface area of gingival tissue and said space is maintained during chewing wherein said abutment has a height that is selected such that said liner supports said denture on said gingival tissue so that chewing forces on said denture are transmitted from said denture through said liner to said gingival tissue and said space remains during chewing so that no chewing forces are transmitted from said denture to said abutment while said abutment restricts movement of said denture away from said gingival tissue.