Patent Document ID: 10022916
Application ID: 14716571
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of creating a prosthetic tooth to be placed on a dental implant installed in a patient's mouth, comprising: receiving, at a computer, scan data that includes information about a location of the dental implant installed in the patient's mouth, the scan data being derived from a scan of an impression of at least a portion of the patient's mouth; by use of graphical design software associated with the computer, developing a virtual model of at least a portion of the patient's mouth from the scan data, the virtual model being displayed on a display associated with the computer; by use of the graphical design software, developing a first data set to be used in fabricating a rapid-prototype physical model of the at least a portion of the patient's mouth that will have a receptacle in which an implant analog structure is to be positioned at a location corresponding to the location of the dental implant installed in the patient's mouth, the implant analog structure having features corresponding to the installed dental implant; by use of the graphical design software, developing a second data set to be used in fabricating a custom dental abutment that is for placement on the dental implant installed in the patient's mouth, the custom dental abutment being a part of the prosthetic tooth; and fabricating, by use of the first data set, the rapid-prototype physical model having the implant analog structure in the receptacle to be mated with the custom dental abutment in creating the prosthetic tooth.