Patent ID: 7708559
Filing Date: 2010-05-04
Classification: A61C

Abstract:
1. A dental implant assembly for supporting a dental prosthesis, the assembly comprising: a dental implant comprising a body portion located at a distal end of the dental implant, the body portion configured to lie at least substantially below a crest of a patient's jawbone, a collar portion located at a proximal end of the dental implant, the collar portion forming a mating surface which defines an outer edge that has at least one peak and valley to match the contours of a patient's soft tissue; a central bore that extends through the collar portion and into the implant body portion; the central bore including an engagement portion and a post portion; a post that includes an upper portion, a lower portion, a shoulder between and wider than the upper portion and the lower portion, and an inner bore extending through the post, the lower portion fitting at least partially within the post portion of the central bore of the implant, the post having at least one elastic portion; a ceramic abutment having a central bore and a lower mating surface that is configured to mate with the mating surface of the dental implant and an upper surface of the shoulder of the post, the upper portion of the post extending into the central bore of the ceramic abutment; and a coupling member extending through the central bore of the abutment and the inner bore of the post and configured to engage the engagement portion of the implant, wherein advancement of the coupling member advances the lower mating surface of the ceramic abutment toward the mating surface of the dental implant; wherein the dental implant assembly is configured to have a first configuration in which the lower mating surface of the ceramic abutment mates with the upper surface of the shoulder of the post, and wherein the dental implant assembly is configured to have a second configuration in which the coupling member has been advanced relative to the first configuration such that an interface between the lower mating surface of the ceramic abutment and the mating surface of the dental implant circumscribes the post.