Emergence profile system having a combined healing abutment and impression coping

A set of dental components for attachment to an implant implanted in living jawbone having overlying gingiva at a site in the mouth, said implant having an apical end embedded within said jawbone and a gingival end near an interface of said gingiva and said jawbone, each of said set of dental components comprising:

• a body having a lower region, a gingival region, and an upper region, said lower region having an end surface to engage said gingival end of said implant, said gingival region extending through said gingiva and having an outer surface for forming and maintaining an aperture in said gingiva that exposes said gingival end of said implant, said outer surface defining an outer contour of said body for shaping said aperture, said upper region having a top surface that is to be located near an exterior surface of said gingiva, said body includes a core and an emergence profiler element fitting over and engaging said core, said emergence profiler element of one of said set of dental components having a different outer contour than emergence profiler elements of remaining ones of said set of dental components;
• first means for receiving a healing element, said healing element including means for fastening said body to said implant so as to allow said gingiva to heal around said body for an extended period of time;
• second means for receiving an impression element, said impression element including an upper segment for extending above said supragingival region and receiving impression material, and a lower segment for securing said body to said implant;
• wherein said first means of said dental components are identical such that the same healing element can be received by each of said set of dental components,
• wherein said second means of said dental components is identical such that the same impression element can be received by each of said set of dental components, and
• wherein said body becomes mechanically coupled to said impression element after said lower segment of said impression element is secured to said implant such that said body can be removed from said gingiva when said impression element is removed from said site.

A dental component for attachment to an implant implanted in living jawbone having overlying gingiva, said implant having an apical end embedded within said jawbone and a gingival end near an interface of said gingiva and said jawbone, said dental component comprising:

• a body having a lower region, a gingival region, and an upper region, said lower region having an end surface to engage said gingival end of said implant, said gingival region extending through said gingiva and having an outer surface for forming and maintaining an aperture in said gingiva that exposes said gingival end of said implant, said upper region to be located near an exterior surface of said gingiva, said body including a bore extending therethrough, said bore adapted to receive a healing element for securing said body to said implant and allowing said gingiva to heal around said body for an extended period of time, said bore also adapted to receive an impression element for securing said body to implant and for engaging impression material, said body including a core and an emergence profiler element, said emergence profiler element fitting over and engaging said core, and
• wherein said bore is defined by first and second internal surfaces, said first internal surface for engaging said healing element when said healing element secures said body to said implant, said second internal surface for engaging said impression element when said impression element secures said body to said implant, at least one of said internal surfaces being tapered to match a corresponding taper on one of said healing and impression elements.

A set of dental components that attach to an implant implanted in living jawbone having overlying gingiva, said implant having an apical end embedded within said jawbone and a gingival end near an interface of said gingiva and said jawbone, said set of dental components for healing said gingiva and for taking an impression of the region above said implant, said set of dental components comprising:

• a body having a lower region, a gingival region, and an upper region, said lower region having an end surface to engage said gingival end of said implant, said gingival region extending through said gingiva and having an outer surface for forming and maintaining an aperture in said gingiva for exposing said gingival end of said implant, said upper region to be located near an exterior surface of said gingiva, said body including first and second internal tapered surfaces defining at least a portion of a bore that extends through said body, said first and second internal tapered surfaces having different tapering angles;
• a healing element adapted to extend through said bore and engage a part of said first internal tapered surface of said body, said healing element having a lower portion for securing said body on said implant, a combination of said body and said healing element being a gingival healing component;
• and
• an impression element adapted to extend through said bore and engage a part of said second internal tapered surface of said body, said impression element having an upper segment for engaging impression material and a lower segment for securing said body on said implant, a combination of said impression element and said body being an impression coping.

A set of dental components that attach to an implant implanted in living jawbone having overlying gingiva, said implant having an apical end embedded within said jawbone and a gingival end near an interface of said gingiva and said jawbone, said set of dental components for healing said gingiva and for taking an impression of the region above said implant with impression material, said set of dental components comprising:

• an elongated core having a lower surface for engaging said gingival end of said implant and an outer surface;
• means for fastening said elongated core to said implant;
• a plurality of emergence profiler elements each having an outer surface defining an outer contour for forming an aperture in said gingiva, at least one of said plurality of emergence profiler elements having a different outer contour than remaining ones of said plurality of emergence profiler elements, each of said plurality of emergence profiler elements adapted to couple to said elongated core, each of said emergence profiler elements having a hole therethrough, an internal shape of each of said holes being substantially the same as said outer surface of said elongated core;
• and
• an impression element adapted to couple to said elongated core, said impression element having an upper segment for engaging said impression material and means for securing said elongated core on said implant.

A method of taking an impression of a region in a mouth being located adjacent to an implant implanted in jawbone having overlying gingiva, said implant having an apical end embedded within said jawbone and a gingival end near an interface of said gingiva and said jawbone, said method comprising the steps of:

• exposing said gingival end of said implant through said gingiva;
• attaching a gingival forming component to said gingival end of said implant with a first fastener, said gingival forming component having an outer surface for shaping said gingiva;
• allowing said gingiva to heal around said gingival forming component;
• removing said first fastener from said gingival forming component prior to the next two steps;
• securing an impression element to said gingival forming component without removing said outer surface of said gingival forming component from said gingiva;
• and
• taking an impression of said region with impression material, said impression material engaging said impression element.

A method of taking an impression of a region in a mouth being located adjacent to an implant implanted in jawbone having overlying gingiva, said implant having an apical end embedded within said jawbone and a gingival end near an interface of said gingiva and said jawbone, said method comprising the steps of:

• exposing said gingival end of said implant through said gingiva;
• attaching a gingival forming component to said gingival end of said implant, said gingival forming a component having an outer surface for shaping said gingiva, said gingival forming component includes a central bore;
• allowing said gingiva to heal around said gingival forming component;
• inserting an impression coping head partially into said central bore of said gingival forming component;
• inserting an impression coping bolt through a hole in said coping head, through said central bore, and into a threaded opening in said implant to secure said coping head and said gingival forming component to said implant;
• and
• taking an impression of said region with impression material, said impression material engaging said impression coping head.

A dental component for attachment to an implant implanted in living jawbone having overlying gingiva, said implant having an apical end embedded within said jawbone and a gingival end near an interface of said gingiva and said jawbone, said dental component comprising:

• a body having a lower region, a gingival region, and an upper region, said lower region having an end surface to engage said gingival end of said implant, said gingival region extending through said gingiva and having an outer surface for forming and maintaining an aperture in said gingiva that exposes said gingival end of said implant, said upper region to be located near an exterior surface of said gingiva, said body including a bore extending therethrough, said bore adapted to receive a healing element for securing said body to said implant and allowing said gingiva to heal around said body for an extended period of time, said bore also adapted to receive an impression element for securing said body to implant and for engaging impression material;
• and
• wherein said bore is defined by first and second tapered surfaces, said first tapered surface for engaging a matching tapered surface on said healing element when said healing element secures said body to said implant, said second tapered internal surface for engaging a matching tapered surface on said impression element when said impression element secures said body to said implant, said first and second tapered surfaces tapering at different angles.

A dental component for attachment to an implant implanted in living jawbone having overlying gingiva, said implant having an apical end embedded within said jawbone and a gingival end near an interface of said gingiva and said jawbone, said dental component comprising:

• a body having a lower region, a gingival region, and an upper region, said lower region having an end surface to engage said gingival end of said implant, said gingival region extending through said gingiva and having an outer surface for forming and maintaining an aperture in said gingiva that exposes said gingival end of said implant, said upper region having a top surface that is to be located near an exterior surface of said gingiva;
• first means for receiving a healing element, said healing element including means for fastening said body to said implant so as to allow said gingiva to heal around said body for an extended period of time thereby forming said aperture, said first means includes a first tapered surfaces extending from a supragingival end of said body;
• second means for receiving an impression element, said impression element including an upper segment for extending above said upper region and receiving impression material, and a lower segment for securing said body to said implant, said second means includes a second tapered surface that is directly adjacent to said first tapered surface, said second tapered surface tapering at a different angle than said first tapered surface;
• and
• wherein said body is removable from said gingiva with said impression element after said lower segment of said impression element is released from said implant.

A dental component for attachment to an implant implanted in living jawbone having overlying gingiva, said implant having an apical end embedded within said jawbone and a gingival end near an interface of said gingiva and said jawbone, said dental component comprising:

• a unitary body having a lower region, a gingival region, and an upper region, said lower region having an end surface to engage said gingival end of said implant, said gingival region extending through said gingiva and having an outer surface for forming and maintaining an aperture in said gingiva that exposes said gingival end of said implant, said upper region having a top surface that is to be located near an exterior surface of said gingiva;
• first means for receiving a healing element, said healing element including means for fastening said body to said implant so as to allow said gingiva to heal around said body for an extended period of time thereby forming said aperture;
• second means for receiving an impression element, said impression element including an upper segment for extending above said upper region and receiving impression material, and a lower segment for securing said body to said implant;
• said first and second means include a bore extending through said body, said bore including a first surface for engaging said healing element and a second surface for engaging said impression element, said second surface having a frictionally locking taper that is angled from about 1.degree. to about 5.degree. from a central axis of said body;
• and
• wherein said body is removable from said gingiva with said impression element after said lower segment of said impression element is released from said implant.

A dental component for attachment to an implant implanted in living jawbone having overlying gingiva, said implant having an apical end embedded within said jawbone and a gingival end near an interface of said gingiva and said jawbone, said dental component comprising:

• a body having a lower region, a gingival region, and an upper region, said lower region having an end surface to engage said gingival end of said implant, said gingival region extending through said gingiva and having an outer surface for forming and maintaining an aperture in said gingiva that exposes said gingival end of said implant, said upper region to be located near an exterior surface of said gingiva, said body including a bore extending therethrough, said bore adapted to receive a healing element for securing said body to said implant and allowing said gingiva to heal around said body for an extended period of time, said bore also adapted to receive an impression element for securing said body to implant and for engaging impression material;
• and
• wherein said bore includes first and second internal surfaces, said first internal surface being tapered and for engaging said healing element when said healing element secures said body to said implant, said second internal surface being a frictionally locking taper that is angled in the range from about 1.degree. to about 5.degree. from a central axis of said body, said second internal surface for engaging a corresponding locking taper on an outer surface of said impression element.

A set of dental components that attach to an implant implanted in living jawbone having overlying gingiva, said implant having an apical end embedded within said jawbone and a gingival end near an interface of said gingiva and said jawbone, said set of dental components for healing said gingiva and for taking an impression of the region above said implant with impression material, said set of dental components comprising:

• an elongated core having a lower surface for engaging said gingival end of said implant and an outer surface;
• means for fastening said elongated core to said implant;
• a plurality of emergence profiler elements each having an outer surface defining an outer contour for forming an aperture in said gingiva, at least one of said plurality of emergence profiler elements having a different outer contour than remaining ones of said plurality of emergence profiler elements, each of said plurality of emergence profiler elements adapted to couple to said elongated core;
• an impression element adapted to couple to said elongated core, said impression element having an upper segment for engaging said impression material and means for securing said elongated core on said implant;
• and
• wherein said elongated core further includes on said outer surface means for restraining said emergence profile element from rotating therearound.