Patent ID: 6019604
Filing Date: 2000-02-01
Classification: A61C

Abstract:
A dental structure for a patient having a gum, said dental structure comprising a dental prosthesis, a base component, and a connecting structure connecting said dental prosthesis to said base component, said dental prosthesis having a crown section, a neck section and a root section, said base component having at least one base recess formed therein for receiving said root section, said connecting structure comprising:a membrane made of a resilient membrane material; said membrane being configured and sized so as to be fittingly mountable over said root section of said dental prosthesis; said membrane having a membrane thickness; said resilient membrane material and said membrane thickness being such that when said root section with said membrane mounted thereon are fittingly inserted in said base recess, said membrane allows said prosthesis structure to move from a first position to a second position in response to a pressure applied thereon and said membrane resiliently biases said prosthesis structure from said second position to said first position when said pressure is released, and wherein said membrane defines a membrane bottom wall and a membrane peripheral wall; said membrane peripheral wall defining a peripheral wall oral segment and an opposed peripheral wall lingual segment; said membrane peripheral wall also defining a peripheral wall medial segment and an opposed peripheral wall distal segment; said peripheral wall further defining a peripheral wall upper peripheral edge positioned opposite said membrane base wall; the portion of the upper peripheral edge extending along said medial segment and said distal segment being located at a greater distance from said membrane base wall than said portion of said upper peripheral edge extending along said peripheral wall oral segment and said peripheral wall lingual segment; said peripheral wall medial segment and said peripheral wall distal segment thus each defining an integrally projecting tongue that projects generally away from said membrane base wall.