US 4,789,338 A · Dental prosthesis

Abstract

A dental prosthesis having multiple components is provided with flexibility by connecting individual components of the prosthesis with flexible buffer components that are connected to the individual components of the prosthesis through dovetail slots that are located between adjacent components. The flexible buffer components are inserted in the dovetail slots to connect adjacent components of the prosthesis. The connection of tooth crowns and bridge components by the flexible means of the present invention fixes in place the remaining teeth to which the crown or bridge is connected but it preserves the flexibility of the teeth that support the crown or bridge. This contributes to a healthy mouth. The mobility of the dental prosthesis can be adjusted to approximate that of the normal teeth by varying the flexibility of the buffer part or parts.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A connector for flexible removable interconnection of dental units such as crowns and bridges, each dental unit including a biting surface and an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the biting surface, the connector comprising:

(a) a slot in each of the dental units parallel to the axis, said slot open at a first end that is closer to said biting surface and closed with a step at an end opposite to said first end, said slots opposite each other in adjacent dental units, each of said slots undercut to form a dovetail cross-section;
(b) a sleeve sized to fit in each of said slots;
and
(c) a flexible buffer means having dovetail corss-sections on opposite sides removably and slidably inserted into said sleeves in said slots in adjacent dental units to hold the dental units in side-by-side engagement.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dental prosthesis

Life of this patent

Dental prosthesis

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11