Dental system for developing custom prostheses through scanning of coded members

1. A method for developing a physical abutment-level model for use in developing a patient-specific prosthesis, the method comprising:

scanning a scanning member that is attached to an implant in a mouth of a patient to obtain scan data, the scanning member having a top surface with a code thereon, the code being indicative of a size of the scanning member and an orientation of a non-rotational fitting of the scanning member;

from the scan data, creating a virtual three-dimensional model of the mouth, the virtual three-dimensional model including a virtual scanning member with a virtual code thereon, the virtual code corresponding to the code on the scanning member attached to the implant in the mouth of the patient;

obtaining, from the virtual three-dimensional model, the virtual code associated with the virtual scanning member;

based on a scanning-member library, determining a size of the scanning member from the virtual code, wherein the size of the scanning member is associated with at least a first library code and a second library code, wherein the first library code matches the virtual code and is different from the second library code;

based on the virtual code, determining the orientation of the non-rotational fitting of the scanning member;

replacing the virtual scanning member in the virtual three-dimensional model with a virtual link abutment to create a modified virtual three-dimensional model, the virtual link abutment corresponding to a physical link abutment that is a portion of the patient-specific prosthesis;

developing physical model fabrication instructions from the modified virtual three-dimensional model;

transferring the physical model fabrication instructions to a fabrication machine; and

based on the physical model fabrication instructions, fabricating, using the fabrication machine, the physical abutment-level model as a replica of the modified virtual three-dimensional model such that the fabricated physical abutment-level model includes a link abutment structure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fabrication machine is a rapid-prototype machine.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the link abutment structure is an integral link abutment structure that is made of the same material as the rest of the physical abutment-level model using the rapid-prototype machine.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fabrication machine is a milling machine.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising developing a portion of the patient-specific prosthesis directly on the link abutment structure of the physical abutment-level model.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the portion of the patient-specific prosthesis is a patient-specific crown.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the size of the scanning member from the virtual code includes matching the virtual code to the first library code in the scanning-member library.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the size of the scanning member includes at least a maximum diameter and a height of the scanning member.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first library code and the second library code are associated with the same scanning member in the scanning-member library.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scanning member is a healing abutment.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scanning member is a temporary abutment.

12. A method for developing a modified virtual three-dimension model for use in developing a patient-specific prosthesis, the method comprising: receiving scan data of a mouth of a patient including a scanning member that is attached to an implant in the mouth of the patient, wherein the scanning member has a top surface with a code thereon, the code being indicative of a size of the scanning member; from the scan data, creating a virtual three-dimensional model of the mouth, the virtual three-dimensional model including a virtual scanning member with a virtual code thereon, the virtual code corresponding to the code on the scanning member attached to the implant in the mouth of the patient; obtaining, from the virtual three-dimensional model, the virtual code associated with the virtual scanning member; based on a scanning-member library, determining a size of the scanning member from the virtual code, wherein the size of the scanning member is associated with at least a first library code and a second library code, wherein the first library code matches the virtual code and is different from the second library code; and replacing the virtual scanning member in the virtual three-dimensional model with a virtual link abutment to create a modified virtual three-dimensional model, the virtual link abutment corresponding to a physical link abutment that is a portion of the patient-specific prosthesis.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first library code is associated with at least a first maximum diameter and a first height and the second library code is associated with at least a second maximum dimeter and a second height, the first maximum diameter equal to the second maximum diameter and the first height equal to the second height.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the code is defined by a series of indentations on the top surface of the scanning member.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the code is defined by a series of raised features on the top surface of the scanning member.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the code is defined by indentations and raised features on the top surface of the scanning member.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the scanning member is a healing abutment.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the scanning member is a temporary abutment.