Abstract:
Set of dental implant and prosthetic components ( 1 ), which comprises a dental implant ( 10 ), a transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ), a first screw ( 30 ), an upper part ( 40 ) and a second screw ( 50 ), wherein an upper end of the dental implant ( 10 ) and a lower end of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) can be coupled together via a first anti-rotational connection ( 60 ), and wherein an upper end of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) and a lower end of the upper part ( 40 ) can be coupled together via a second anti-rotational connection ( 70 ). Having a combination of two anti-rotational connections ( 60, 70 ) between the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ), the dental implant ( 10 ) and the upper part ( 40 ), respectively, allows obtaining a set that is extremely rigid and resistant to torsion, for unitary dental prostheses on a single dental implant ( 10 ), and which prevents the rotation of the dental prosthesis with respect to the dental implant ( 10 ).

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates to a set of a dental implant and prosthetic components, and particularly to a set that includes a transepithelial sleeve intended to be fixed to a dental implant and which has an anti-rotational upper connection for the securing of an upper part that supports a single dental prosthesis. 
       PRIOR ART 
       [0002]    A dental implant is a biocompatible and osteoconductive part configured to be inserted in a patient&#39;s upper or lower jaw bone to act as an anchor for one or more dental prostheses or artificial teeth. The number of artificial teeth supported by each implant depends on various factors, particularly on where the implant is to be placed, whether there are healthy teeth or other dental prostheses near the implant and the number of artificial teeth to be inserted. 
         [0003]    For example, it is common practice to fit a dental prosthesis that includes a set of various artificial teeth on two or more dental implants. It is also common to fit a dental prosthesis including a single artificial tooth to a single dental implant, referred to as a unitary implant. On another hand, multiple or unitary dental prosthesis can be fitted to the implant or the implants immediately after the insertion of the implant or implants in the patient&#39;s bone, this being known as immediate loading. Alternatively, it is possible to connect the prosthesis some time after the insertion of the implants, for example to allow for the osseointegration of the implants and for treating any infections. 
         [0004]    Fixing a dental prosthesis to an implant normally requires certain intermediate parts. In the first place, the upper end of the implant is connected to a part that is commonly known as a “transepithelial sleeve” or “transepithelial pillar”, which is shaped like a sleeve having a through hole. The transepithelial pillar is coupled or seated on the head of the implant and is fixed to the implant by a first screw that extends through the through hole of the transepithelial pillar and is threaded to an inner blind threaded hole of the implant, retaining the pillar against the implant. Next, a pillar post is placed on the transepithelial pillar and secured to the transepithelial pillar by a screw that extends through the pillar post and is threaded to a blind threaded hole of the first screw. The unitary or multiple dental prosthesis is formed on the pillar post and secured to the pillar post using cement or another adhesive substance. 
         [0005]    In short, the purpose of the transepithelial pillar is to extend the head of the implant through the gum, providing a connection above the gum to which the additional parts and the dental prosthesis can be secured. This allows, for instance, moving the artificial tooth away from the gum and therefore preventing the artificial tooth from becoming embedded in the gum and deteriorating the gum. In other words, the transepithelial pillar helps respect the biological environment in the patient&#39;s mouth. Another advantage of a transepithelial pillar is that, in “extending” the head of the implant, the transepithelial pillar facilitates the capture of imprints for the subsequent construction of the dental prosthesis. 
         [0006]    Conventional transepithelial pillars generally have an upper female opening, for the connection of a lower male termination of the pillar post. The upper female opening is generally cylindrical or circular. This allows multiple prostheses to be easily installed on conventional pillars, as the circular section facilitates the variation of the rotational position of the pillar post with respect to the transepithelial pillar, to correct divergences and adjust to the orientation required for the multiple prosthesis. 
         [0007]    However, in conventional unitary implant installations, it is common to connect the pillar post directly to the dental implant, without an intermediate transepithelial pillar, to ensure that the unitary dental prosthesis remains fixed relative to the dental implant. Therefore, the insertion of unitary implants does not benefit from the aforementioned advantages of introducing a transepithelial pillar. 
         [0008]    The present invention aims to provide a transepithelial pillar intended to facilitate the placing of a unitary prosthesis on a single dental implant. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    An object of the invention is a set of a dental implant and prosthetic components, comprising a dental implant, a transepithelial sleeve, an upper part (e.g., a pillar post) intended to be fixed to the transepithelial sleeve, a first screw and a second screw. An upper end of the dental implant and a lower end of the transepithelial sleeve are connectable to one another via a first connection. In turn, an upper end of the transepithelial sleeve and a lower end of the upper part are connectable to one another via a second connection. The first screw extends through the transepithelial sleeve and is threaded to a blind threaded hole of the dental implant securing the transepithelial sleeve against the dental implant. In turn, the second screw extends through the upper part and is threaded to a blind threaded hole of the first screw, securing the upper part to the transepithelial sleeve. In accordance with the invention, the second connection, i.e. the connection between the upper end of the transepithelial sleeve and the lower end of the upper part, is anti-rotational. 
         [0010]    The invention thus allows having a non-rotating transepithelial pillar that, in addition to providing an elongation or extension of the head so that the prosthetic restoration emerges above the gum, allows unitary prosthetic structures to be threaded, preventing the tooth from rotating in the patient&#39;s mouth. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0011]    The details of the invention can be seen in the accompanying figures, which do not intend to limit the scope of the invention: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a top perspective view of a dental implant in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  shows a cross-sectional front elevation view of the dental implant of the previous figure. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  shows a top plan view of the dental implant of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  shows a top perspective view of a transepithelial sleeve in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  shows a bottom perspective view of the transepithelial sleeve of the previous figure. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  shows a cross-sectional front elevation view of the transepithelial sleeve of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  shows a top plan view of the transepithelial sleeve of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  shows a top perspective view of a first screw in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  shows a bottom perspective view of the first screw of the previous figure. 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  shows a bottom perspective view of an upper part in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  shows a cross-sectional front elevation view of the upper part in the previous figure. 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  shows a bottom plan view of the upper part of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 13  shows a top perspective view of a second screw in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
           [0025]      FIG. 14  shows a cross-sectional perspective of the set of the dental implant, the transepithelial sleeve, the first screw, the upper part and the second screw of the previous figures. 
           [0026]      FIG. 15  shows a cross-sectional front elevation view of the set of  FIG. 14 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    This invention relates to a set of a dental implant and prosthetic components, particularly indicated to secure a unitary dental prosthesis in a patient&#39;s upper or lower jaw bone. The set of dental implant and prosthetic components comprises a dental implant, a transepithelial sleeve, an upper part (e.g., a pillar post) intended to be secured to the transepithelial sleeve, a first screw and a second screw. The figures accompanying this description show an example of an embodiment of this set. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 1 to 3  show two views of a dental implant ( 10 ) as per the illustrated example of an embodiment of the invention. The dental implant ( 10 ) comprises a head ( 11 ), a threaded body ( 12 ) and a blind threaded hole ( 13 ) that opens outwards at the upper end of the implant. The blind threaded hole ( 13 ) comprises an inner threaded area ( 14 ), located in registration with the threaded body ( 12 ) of the dental implant ( 10 ), and a female termination ( 15 ), situated at the head ( 11 ) of the dental implant ( 10 ). The female termination ( 15 ) comprises an anti-rotational portion, which can be, for example, a lobed portion ( 16 ) as shown in the figures. In this embodiment, the lobed portion ( 16 ) comprises four lobes ( 17 ) which are angularly equidistant, i.e. arranged at 90 degrees from one another. The threaded body ( 12 ) is intended to be secured to a patient&#39;s upper or lower jaw bone, with a subsequent osseointegration of the dental implant ( 10 ) taking place. When the dental implant ( 10 ) is positioned in place, the head ( 11 ) of the dental implant ( 10 ) is generally embedded in the gum. The prosthetic components, such as, for example those described below are connected at the female termination ( 10 ) of the dental implant ( 10 ). 
         [0029]      FIGS. 4 to 7  show three views of a transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) as per the depicted illustrative embodiment of the invention. As can be seen, the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) is a body that has a through hole ( 21 ) and comprises a female termination ( 22 ) at its upper end and a male termination ( 23 ) at its lower end. The female termination ( 22 ) comprises an anti-rotational portion, which may be, for instance, a lobed portion ( 24 ) as shown in the figures. In this embodiment, this lobed portion ( 24 ) comprises four lobes ( 25 ) which are angularly equidistant, i.e. arranged at 90 degrees to each other. In turn, the male termination ( 23 ) comprises an anti-rotational portion that may be, for instance, a lobed portion ( 26 ) as shown in the figures. In this embodiment, this lobed portion ( 26 ) comprises four lobes ( 27 ) which are angularly equidistant, i.e. arranged at 90 degrees to each other. 
         [0030]      FIGS. 8 and 9  show two perspective views of a first screw ( 30 ), in accordance with the depicted illustrative embodiment of the invention. As can be seen in greater detail below, the purpose of the first screw ( 30 ) is to secure the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) to the dental implant ( 10 ) and allow the subsequent securing of the second screw, as is explained hereinafter. The first screw ( 30 ) comprises a hexagonal head ( 31 ), a non-threaded, first body portion ( 32 ) arranged following the head ( 31 ), a narrower, non-threaded second body portion ( 33 ) extending from the first body portion ( 32 ), and a further narrower, non-threaded third body portion ( 34 ) extending from the second body portion ( 33 ). A threaded portion ( 35 ) extends from the third body portion ( 34 ) and has an outer diameter that is less than or equal to the diameter of the second body portion ( 33 ). The first screw ( 30 ) also comprises a blind threaded hole ( 36 ) that extends toward the inside of the first screw ( 30 ) in the area of the head ( 31 ). 
         [0031]      FIGS. 10 to 12  show three views of an upper part ( 40 ) as per the depicted illustrative embodiment of the invention. In this case, the upper part is a pillar post on which an artificial tooth (not illustrated) will be built. The upper part ( 40 ) or pillar post comprises a generally cylindrical elongated body ( 41 ), from which a conical portion ( 42 ) extends which provides an end surface ( 43 ) with a larger diameter than the diameter of the longitudinal body ( 41 ). A male protuberance or termination ( 44 ) protrudes from this end surface ( 43 ), the male termination ( 44 ) comprising an anti-rotational portion configured to couple in a male-female connection to the anti-rotational portion of the female termination ( 22 ) of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) ( FIG. 4 ). This anti-rotational portion may be, for example, a lobed portion ( 45 ) as shown in the figures. In this embodiment, this lobed portion ( 45 ) comprises four lobes ( 46 ) which are angularly equidistant, i.e. arranged at 90 degrees to each other. A through hole ( 47 ) extends through the elongated body ( 41 ) from the inner end to the upper end. The through hole ( 47 ) has a narrowing ( 48 ). A seating surface ( 49 ) is arranged above the narrowing ( 48 ). 
         [0032]      FIG. 13  shows a perspective view of the second screw ( 50 ) as per the illustrative embodiment of the invention. The second screw ( 50 ) comprises a head ( 51 ) and threaded body ( 52 ). The head ( 51 ) has a non-circular anti-rotational cavity ( 53 ), such as having a hexagonal cross-section, for the connection of a manual or motorised torque-applying tool. The second screw ( 50 ) is intended to be inserted into the upper part ( 40 ) and secured to the first screw ( 30 ), as is shown in detail below. 
         [0033]      FIGS. 14 and 15  show two sections, in perspective and elevation views respectively, of the set made up of the dental implant ( 10 ), the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ), the first screw ( 30 ), the upper part ( 40 ) and the second screw ( 50 ) of the previous figures. 
         [0034]    As can be seen, the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) is secured to the dental implant ( 10 ) via the coupling of the female termination ( 15 ) of the upper end of the dental implant ( 10 ) to the male termination ( 23 ) of the lower end of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ), and the subsequent securing of the first screw ( 30 ) in between the two. More specifically, the first screw ( 30 ) extends through the through hole ( 21 ) of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) and the threaded portion ( 35 ) of the first screw ( 30 ) and is threaded to the inner threaded area ( 14 ) of the blind threaded hole ( 13 ) of the dental implant ( 10 ). By tightening the first screw ( 30 ) sufficiently, the first body portion ( 32 ) of the first screw ( 30 ) is seated and presses against the inner surface ( 28 ) of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ), which has a radial component and which, in this embodiment, is conical; this pressure produced by the tightening of the first screw ( 30 ) keeps the dental implant ( 10 ) and the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) firmly secured to each other. The coupling between the dental implant ( 10 ) and the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) is anti-rotational, in this specific case via an anti-rotational coupling of the lobed portion ( 16 ) of the female termination ( 15 ) of the upper end of the dental implant ( 10 ) and the lobed portion ( 26 ) of the male termination ( 23 ) of the lower end of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ). Therefore, the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) cannot rotate with respect to the dental implant ( 10 ). 
         [0035]    In turn, the upper part ( 40 ) is fixed to the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) via the coupling of the male termination ( 44 ) of the lower end of the upper part ( 40 ) and the female termination ( 22 ) of the upper end of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ), and the subsequent securing of the second screw ( 50 ) in between the two. More specifically, the second screw ( 50 ) extends through the through hole ( 47 ) of the upper part ( 40 ) and the threaded body ( 52 ) of the second screw ( 50 ) is threaded to the blind threaded hole ( 36 ) of the first screw ( 30 ). By tightening the second screw ( 50 ) sufficiently, the head ( 51 ) of the second screw ( 50 ) is seated and presses against the seating surface ( 49 ) in the through hole ( 47 ) of the upper part ( 40 ); the pressure produced by tightening the second screw ( 50 ) keeps the upper part ( 40 ) firmly fixed to the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ). The coupling of the upper part ( 40 ) against the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) is anti-rotational, in this specific case via an anti-rotational coupling of the lobed portion ( 45 ) of the male termination ( 4 ) of the lower end of the upper part ( 40 ) and the lobed portion ( 24 ) of the female termination ( 22 ) of the upper end of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ). Therefore, the upper part ( 40 ) cannot rotate with respect to the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ). 
         [0036]    In this way, the set as per the invention is ideal for the positioning of a unitary dental prosthesis, as the prosthesis that is built in a fixed way on the upper part ( 4 ) does not turn with respect to the dental implant ( 10 ), thanks to the non-rotational connections between the upper part ( 40 ) and the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ), and between the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) and the dental implant ( 10 ). The invention guarantees that even though the dental prosthesis is fixed to the bone via a single anchor (a single dental implant), the dental prosthesis remains fixed and does not rotate. 
         [0037]    Preferably, an anti-rotational geometry of the first connection ( 60 ) and an anti-rotational geometry of the second connection ( 70 ) have similar shapes and are aligned in the direction of a longitudinal central axis of the dental implant ( 10 ). By similar shapes, it is understood that the connections have a cross-section with the same number of outward and inward portions and substantially the same geometry of the outward and inward portions (for example, an equal number of convex outward lobes and an equal number of concave inward portions). 
         [0038]    For example, in this embodiment, as mentioned heretofore, the first connection ( 60 ) comprises an anti-rotational coupling between a female termination ( 15 ) of the dental implant ( 10 ) and a male termination ( 23 ) of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ). On the other hand, the second connection ( 70 ) comprises an anti-rotational coupling between a female termination ( 22 ) of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) and a male termination ( 44 ) of the upper part ( 40 ). The female termination ( 15 ) of the dental implant ( 10 ) has a lobed portion ( 16 ) with the same angularly equidistant lobes ( 17 ) (in this case four lobes ( 17 ) at 90 degrees), and the male termination ( 23 ) of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) has a lobed portion ( 26 ) with the same angularly equidistant lobes ( 27 ) (in this case four lobes ( 27 ) at 90 degrees). In turn, the female termination ( 22 ) of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) has a lobed portion ( 24 ) with the same angularly equidistant lobes ( 25 ) (in this case four lobes ( 25 ) at 90 degrees), and the male termination ( 44 ) of the upper part ( 40 ) has a lobed portion ( 45 ) with the same angularly equidistant lobes ( 46 ) (in this case four lobes ( 46 ) at 90 degrees). As shown in  FIG. 7 , the lobed portions ( 24 ,  26 ) of the female termination ( 22 ) and of the male termination ( 23 ) of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ) are aligned in the direction of a longitudinal axis ( 29 ) of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ), allowing for the alignment of the first connection ( 60 ) and the second connection ( 70 ). In other words, the lobes ( 25 ,  27 ) of both lobed portions ( 24 ,  26 ), as well as the concave portions between lobes ( 25 ,  27 ), are oriented in the same angular directions. 
         [0039]    The alignment provided by the invention is particularly advantageous in the process of positioning the dental implant ( 10 ) and the rest of the parts in the patient&#39;s mouth. On starting to position the dental implant ( 10 ), the surgeon can know the final orientation of the upper part ( 40 ) through the observation of the orientation of the geometry of the anti-rotational portion of the dental implant ( 10 ); in other words, the orientation of the geometry of the lobed portion ( 16 ) acts as a reference to the surgeon regarding the orientation of the upper lobed portion ( 24 ) of the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ), and therefore of the upper part ( 40 ) once this has been placed at the end of the process. As a result, the surgeon may adjust the dental implant ( 10 ) to place the lobed portion ( 16 ) in the most suitable orientation that, in turn, allows for the optimum collocation of the upper part ( 40 ). Once the implant has been osseointegrated, the rest of the parts are positioned, in other words, the transepithelial sleeve ( 20 ), the first screw ( 30 ), the upper part ( 40 ) and the second screw ( 50 ), with the guarantee that the upper part ( 40 ) has a perfect angular orientation.