Patent ID: 6123546
Filing Date: 2000-09-26
Classification: A61C

Abstract:
A surgical instrument for use in the surgical procedure for implanting in the upper jaw bone of a patient a dental implant system of the type which includes a fixture component selected from a set of standard fixture components having different predetermined insertion lengths, the surgical instrument presenting an elongate depth gauge body for insertion in a forward direction into a bore provided in the upper jaw bone for receipt of the fixture component extending forwardly from an entrance opening in the oral cavity to an exit opening in the sinusoidal cavity, wherein the depth gauge body has a shaft portion on which there is provided a series of bands of alternate contrasting color and predetermined widths and a transversely extending button portion connected to a forward end of the shaft portion which is adapted to hook onto the edge of the exit opening in the sinusoidal cavity and wherein the boundary lines between adjacent bands on the shaft portion are so positioned on the shaft portion that when the button portion has been hooked on the edge of the exit opening the positions of the boundary lines relative to the entrance opening of the bore indicate which fixture from the set has the correct predetermined insertion length for receipt in the bore.