Apparatus for removably securing a dental prosthesis
OwnerRannar Sillardinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A releasable holding element for the attachment of a primary support bar of a full or partial dental prosthesis to the overlaid secondary support bar and artificial teeth, the releasable holding element in the form of a latch pin, elongated in shape, being utilized as the actual electrode for forming the channel for its ultimate receipt in the primary and secondary support bars, the receiving channel forming an acute angle with the axis of the primary support bar and secondary bar in order to provide greater contact area between the releasable holding element and the primary bar and secondary bar.
Claims7
A dental prosthesis assembly, such as a denture, partial denture, crown, bridge or implant, said dental prosthesis assembly comprising:
- a dental prosthesis having an underlying metal support, a removable supra structure and artificial teeth being overlaid and attached to said supra structure;
- a holding element in the form of a latch pin, the latch pin having an inner end and an outer end, said latch pin having a decreasing cross-section from said outer end to said inner end, said latch pin having a slot on its longitudinal axis for retention of said latch pin to said supra structure and said artificial teeth, said latch pin having a removal clip at its outer end;
- a receiving channel for said latch pin extending from the exterior surface of said overlaid teeth through said supra structure and terminating in said underlying metal support, said receiving channel having a cross-section complimentary to said cross-section of said latch pin, said latch pin slidably frictionally engageable with said receiving channel from a locked engaging position securing said supra structure and said artificial teeth to said underlying metal support, to a disengaged position, permitting the separation of said supra structure and said artificial teeth from said underlying metal support;
- a stop pin formed in said supra structure cooperable with said slot of said latch pin to retain said latch pin in engagement with said supra structure when said supra structure and said artificial teeth are removed from said underlying metal support.
A method for the manufacture of a dental prosthesis, such as dentures, partial dentures, implants, crowns or bridges, and the retention of same within the mouth, wherein there is included a preformed underlying metal support, a preformed supra structure and artificial teeth overlaid and attached to said supra structure with at least one releasable holding element, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) fitting the preformed supra structure on the underlying metal support;
- b) forming a guide bore by means of sparking erosion from the exterior of said supra structure through said supra structure and into said underlying metal support;
- c) forming a receiving bore for a releasable holding element having an inner end and an outer end, and having a tapered cross-section from said outer end to said inner end, said receiving bore formed by sparking erosion utilizing said guide bore as a guide, and using said releasable holding element as the electrode for said sparking erosion;
- d) trimming said inner end of said releasable holding element after accomplishing the formation of said receiving bore by sparking erosion to compensate for sparking erosion over cut and ensuring said inner end of said releasable holding element is flush with the end of said receiving bore;
- e) forming a securing means on said releasable holding element to maintain said releasable holding element to said supra structure;
- f) forming a removal clip on said outer end of said releasable holding element;
- and
- g) forming an aperture in said overlaying artificial teeth to allow access to said removal clip by a dental prosthesis user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.