Patent ID: 8535055
Filing Date: 2013-09-17
Classification: A61C

Abstract:
1. A method of aligning a dental implant based upon the position and depth of the natural tooth socket at the time of tooth extraction, said method comprising: extracting a tooth from the jaw of a human patient having a plurality of other teeth, thus producing an empty tooth socket in said jaw; obtaining a post with length and width dimensions capable of penetrating substantially to the bottom of said empty tooth socket, said post having a plurality of X-ray visible markers positioned along the length of said post, thus enabling the depth of said post in said tooth socket to be determined by dental X-ray images; positioning said post in said empty tooth socket; obtaining a guideblock with an outer surface and at least one hole, said at least one hole having dimensions capable of fitting over at least a portion of said post; stabilizing said post by slipping one of said at least one hole of said guideblock over said post; stabilizing the position of said guideblock, relative to the position of at least some of said plurality of other teeth that are adjacent to said empty tooth socket, by constructing a guide that contacts at least some of the outer surface of said guideblock and the outer surface of at least some of said plurality of other teeth using a rapid setting or thermoplastic guide material, so that when said guide material has hardened, the position of at least some of said plurality of other teeth and said guide act to hold said guideblock into a fixed position; removing said post from said empty tooth socket and said guideblock; and using at least one hole in said guideblock to subsequently position a drilling procedure to install and align a dental implant.