Patent ID: 8241037

Claim:
A dental implant for mounting prosthetic devices such as crowns, said dental implant comprising: a shaft having an external end adapted for receiving a prosthetic device and said shaft having a longitudinal axis; a foot attached to an opposing end of said shaft, said foot and shaft being generally orthogonal; said implant foot having a circular outline over an arc, said foot having two long substantially linear sides enclosing an angle said circular outline and said linear sides defining a first foot width in a first direction substantially orthogonal to an said longitudinal axis of said shaft and a second foot width in a second direction substantially orthogonal to an said longitudinal axis of said shaft; said foot being placeable in a U shaped slot such that when one of said linear sides abuts a long side of the U shaped slot the extent of said foot along a longitudinal axis of the U shaped slot is substantially the radius of said circular outline of said foot; and said shaft having a cross section that defines a first shaft width in a first direction substantially orthogonal to said longitudinal axis of said shaft, and a second shaft width in a second direction substantially orthogonal to an said longitudinal axis of said shaft; said first foot width and said first shaft width being substantially aligned, such that when said implant is placed to abut one of said linear sides against the side of the U shaped slot, said shaft is wider with respect to the longitudinal axis of the U shaped slot than when said linear side does not abut the long side of the U shaped slot.