Dental restoration system and method

A method for replacing an entire arch of a patient's jaw, the method comprising:

• for every tooth in a patient's arch having fourteen teeth:
• separating gingival tissue from the tooth using a high-powered laser to expose a portion of a root surface of the tooth;
• and
• extracting the tooth to define a post-extraction root socket while substantially maintaining the patient's original alveolar bone and original keratinized gingiva, thereby defining a bony/gingival ridge along the arch;
• installing a first, second, third, and fourth straight implants into first, second, third, and fourth post-extraction root sockets such that a threaded body of each of the straight implants is located within bone of the corresponding post-extraction root socket and a collar of each of the straight implants is located generally above an outer cortex layer of the bone at least partially in a gingiva layer of the corresponding post-extraction socket, each straight implant having an implant axis that is substantially coaxially aligned with a tooth socket axis of the corresponding post-extraction tooth socket and having a threaded opening for receiving an abutment screw with a thread axis extending substantially along the implant axis;
• providing a dental restoration device, comprising:
• a body extending between a gingival side and an occlusal/incisal side, wherein the body includes fourteen integrally formed teeth portions, each tooth portion having a tooth axis extending buccally/labially between the gingival side and the occlusal/incisal side;
• an ovate pontic portion defined on each tooth portion on the gingival side of the body, the ovate pontic portion of each tooth portion substantially conforming in shape to a corresponding post-extraction tooth socket defined by keratinized gingiva covered interdental and interseptal bone of the patient after a tooth is extracted;
• and
• first, second, third, and fourth abutment holes extending through first, second, third, and fourth teeth portions from the gingival side to the occlusal/incisal side, wherein each abutment hole includes a longitudinal axis that is substantially coaxially aligned with the tooth axis of the corresponding tooth portion and the tooth socket axis of the corresponding post-extraction tooth socket;
• using a high-powered laser to treat at least one of an interior surface of each of the first, second, third, and fourth abutment holes and an exterior surface of each of first, second, third, and fourth abutments to be received in each of the first, second, third, and fourth abutment holes;
• placing each of the first, second, third, and fourth abutments within the first, second, third, and fourth abutment holes, respectively;
• seating the body of the dental restoration device against the bony/gingival ridge such that the ovate pontic portions of each tooth portion engage a corresponding post-extraction tooth socket;
• passing first, second, third, and fourth abutment screws through the first, second, third, and fourth abutment holes, respectively;
• and
• threadably securing the first, second, third, and fourth abutment screws within the threaded openings of the first, second, third, and fourth straight implants, respectively.