Patent ID: 8221119

Claim:
A dental implant for insertion in a maxilla or mandible, comprising: a) an elongated, substantially cylindrical shaft having a distal and a proximal end; said proximal end for supporting a dental restoration; said shaft having a threaded section for insertion in the maxilla or mandible; b) at least one course of external threads helically disposed on the threaded section of said shaft; said threads comprising a crest region defining the implant's maximum diameter in the threaded section, and a substantially smooth inner core region extending between adjacent crest regions defining the implant's minimum diameter in the threaded section; and c) at least two grooves helically disposed in said crest region, wherein the implant's diameter at the bottom of said grooves is greater than the implant's diameter in said smooth inner core region and wherein the distance between said at least two grooves is less than the distance between adjacent crest regions.