Screw-attached pick-up dental coping system and methods

A method of attaching a denture to a plurality of implant abutments, comprising:

• placing copings on the plurality of implant abutments, wherein each of the copings has a distal end portion shaped to fit on a proximal end portion of a respective aligned implant abutment of the plurality of implant abutments, and wherein each of the copings has an aperture sized larger than a shaft diameter and smaller than a head diameter of definitive screws;
• providing a plurality of temporary fasteners, each temporary fastener comprising a post portion with threads and also comprising a cap portion;
• inserting the post portion of a respective temporary fastener into the aperture of a corresponding coping from a proximal end of the aperture of the coping, wherein the cap portion of the temporary fastener is larger than the aperture of the coping;
• engaging the threads of the post portion to threads of the respective aligned implant abutment;
• applying a rotary torque to each temporary fastener sufficient to cause the cap portion to hold the corresponding coping against the aligned implant abutment for pick-up processing without separating the cap portion from the post portion;
• bonding the cap portion and the corresponding coping of each of the temporary fasteners to the denture;
• and
• applying an axial separation pick-up force sufficient to cause the cap portion to separate from the post portion of each temporary fastener whereby the cap portion and the coping remain bonded to the denture and are separated from the implant abutments while the post portion remains attached to the aligned implant abutment,
• wherein:
• at a time prior to bonding the cap portions and the copings to the denture,
• marking positions of the implant abutments on an intaglio side of the denture,
• boring blind clearance cavities configured to receive respective coping and temporary fastener assemblies at the marked positions,
• wherein:
• after applying the axial separation pick-up force to cause the cap portion to separate from the post portion of each of the temporary fasteners,
• unscrewing the post portion of the temporary fasteners from the implant abutments,
• forming definitive screw clearance holes in the denture,
• mounting the denture to the implant abutments with definitive screws that engage the threads of the implant abutments,
• wherein the marking of the implant abutment positions on the denture can be carried out before or after mounting the coping and temporary fastener assemblies to the denture, and wherein the unscrewing the post portion of the temporary fasteners and the forming the definitive screw clearance holes in the denture occur in either order.

A method for aligning a dental prosthesis with a threaded implant abutment for definitive screw attachment comprising:

• mounting a coping on the threaded implant abutment with a temporary screw, wherein the temporary screw comprises a distal end portion adapted to engage threads of the threaded implant abutment and a proximal end portion;
• holding the coping in position relative to the threaded implant abutment using a separable mechanical attachment, wherein the temporary screw holds a distal end of the coping in alignment to the threaded implant abutment when the distal end portion of the temporary screw engages threads of the threaded implant abutment, and wherein the separable mechanical attachment releases the coping without the distal end portion of the temporary screw disengaging from the threaded implant abutment upon the application of a predetermined axial force in a proximal direction;
• bonding the coping to the dental prosthesis with adhesive;
• applying an axial pick-up force in the proximal direction to disengage the coping from the threaded implant abutment and the distal end portion of the temporary screw;
• and
• drilling a clearance bore for the definitive screw in the dental prosthesis, wherein the clearance bore allows a threaded shaft of the definitive screw to extend through the dental prosthesis into the aperture of the coping.

A method of installing a dental prosthesis comprising:

• providing a coping comprising an aperture and a temporary fastener comprising threads wherein the temporary fastener is configured to extend into the aperture of the coping;
• attaching the temporary fastener to implant abutment threads of the implant abutment while the coping extends about the temporary fastener in axial alignment with the implant abutment;
• processing the coping using a pick-up process or closed tray impression process while the temporary fastener is attached to the implant abutment;
• releasing the coping from the implant abutment in response to an axial release force applied from the processing wherein the threads of the temporary fastener remain engaged to the implant abutment threads;
• drilling at least one hole through a dental prosthesis incorporating the released coping wherein one hole of the at least one hole is aligned with the aperture of the released coping;
• disengaging the threads of the temporary fastener from the implant abutment threads;
• aligning the dental prosthesis with the implant abutment;
• and
• attaching the dental prosthesis with the released coping to the implant abutment using a definitive screw inserted through an aligned hole of the at least one hole of the dental prosthesis.