Dental attachment structure

The process of mounting an intracoronal dental appliance in the form of a partial denture, overdenture, bridge, or similar dental appliance in an oral cavity comprising:

• (a) mounting one of a male and female member to said dental appliance;
• (b) mounting the other of said male and female members to an abutment in said oral cavity;
• (c) mounting and mechanically latching an element having a body of resilient, non-metallic material to said member mounted to said dental appliance, said element being in surface-to-surface contact therewith;
• (d) receiving said members in telescopic movement to locate said dental attachment in said oral cavity, said element being in surface-to-surface contact with said member mounted to said abutment;
• and
• (e) mechanically latching said members together, said last-mentioned latching action being less secure so that said element will release with said dental attachment from the latched position when said dental appliance is removed from said oral cavity.

Dental structure for removable mounting of a dental appliance in the form of a partial denture, overdenture, bridge or similar dental appliance in an oral cavity comprising:

• (a) a male member including
• (1) a base,
• (2) an extension disposed along a major dimension of said base,
• (3) a web portion connecting said extension to said base, said web portion having a thickness less than the greatest thickness of said extension, and
• (4) a lug extending from said base on the side opposite to that of said extension, at least said lug serving to mount said male member permanently on said dental appliance;
• (b) a female member including a housing providing a pocket into which said extension is adapted to be telescopically received when said dental structure is mounted in said oral cavity and a slot to accommodate movement of said web portion during said telescopic receipt and during retraction of said dental structure from said oral cavity, said female member adapted to be permanently mounted to an abutment in said oral cavity;
• (c) an element including a body of resilient, non-metallic material, said element adapted to be mounted by said extension of said male member whereby when said members are telescopically received said element will be disposed between and in surface-to-surface contact with both said extension and the wall of said pocket both to cushion said member and provide a tight fitting telescopic engagement and prevent any frictional contact of members when received and retracted;
• (d) first mechanical attachment means carried by both said element and extension for mounting said element on said extension;
• and
• (e) second mechanical attachment means carried by both said element and housing within said pocket for removable securement of said dental appliance within said oral cavity, said first mechanical attachment means providing a mechanical securing capability greater than that provided by said second mechanical attachment means whereby said element when said dental appliance is removed from said oral cavity remains secured to said extension.

Dental structure for removable mounting of a dental appliance in the form of a partial denture, overdenture, bridge or similar dental appliance in an oral cavity comprising:

• (a) a male member including
• (1) a base generally of circular, planar outline serving to mount said male member permanently on an abutment within said oral cavity,
• (2) an extension including an outer end in the form of a spherical ball, and
• (3) a pedestal for supporting said extension on said base;
• (b) a female member including a housing providing a pocket into which said extension is adapted to be telescopically received when said dental structure is mounted in said oral cavity and from which said extension is retracted when said dental structure is removed from said oral cavity, said female member adapted to be permanently mounted on said dental appliance;
• (c) an element including a body of resilient, non-metallic material in the form of a lining complementary in outline to said pocket, said element having an open end, a closed end and a surface therebetween adapted to be mounted in said pocket of said female member whereby when said members are telescopically received said element will be disposed between and in surface-to-surface contact with both said extension and the wall of said pocket both to cushion said member and provide a tight fitting telescopic engagement and prevent any frictional contact of members when received and retracted;
• (d) first mechanical attachment means carried by said element interacting with the surface of said extension;
• and
• (e) second mechanical attachment means carried by both said element and housing within said pocket, said second mechanical attachment means providing a mechanical securing capability greater than that provided by said first mechanical attachment means whereby when removing said dental appliance from its position of removable securement within said oral cavity said element will remain secured to said housing.