Patent ID: 7845946

Claim:
A method for orienting a bridge in position relative to a dental implant, the method comprising: coupling a first sleeve-shaped part of a spacer member to the dental implant using a screw; guiding an inner surface of a first portion of a second sleeve-shaped part against an outer surface of the first sleeve-shaped part; rotating the screw in a first direction to contact a cone-shaped surface of a head of the screw against an inner surface of the first sleeve-shaped part as the screw moves into the first sleeve part to_expand at least a portion of the first sleeve-shaped part such that the outer surface of the first sleeve-shaped part expands against the inner surface of the first portion of the second sleeve-shaped part to secure the second sleeve-shaped part to the first sleeve-shaped part; attaching a bridge to a second portion of the second sleeve-shaped part; rotating the screw in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to loosen the second sleeve-shaped part from the first sleeve-shaped part of the spacer member as the screw is withdrawn from the first sleeve part and at least a portion of the outer surface of the first sleeve-shaped part contracts; and removing the bridge along with the second sleeve-shaped part with the first sleeve-shaped part remaining attached to the implant.