Granted Patent B2

US 12,295,800 · App. 18/632,185 · Granted May 13, 2025

Inventor: Helena Soomer Lincoln (Bainbridge Island, WA)

Assignee: TruBridge Dental L.L.C.

A61C1/084A61C8/0095

Abstract

Claims (15)

1. A dental restoration device arch preparation method for replacing a full arch with a teeth-only, gingiva-free, full-arch dental restoration device having a plurality of integrally formed teeth portions and first, second, third, and fourth abutment holes, each abutment hole having a longitudinal axis that is substantially coaxially aligned with a tooth axis of a corresponding tooth portion of the plurality of integrally formed teeth portions and a tooth socket axis of a corresponding post-extraction tooth socket when the corresponding tooth portion is engaged with the corresponding post-extraction tooth socket, comprising:

performing, with a computing device, a tooth socket implant locating step including determining, based on a digital representation of a patient's replacement arch, first, second, third, and fourth tooth sockets of the patient's replacement arch that are intended locations of first, second, third, and fourth straight implants, respectively, for securing a teeth-only, gingiva-free, full-arch dental restoration device to the patient's replacement arch after all original teeth of the patient's replacement arch are extracted, wherein each of the replacement arch tooth sockets designated as intended locations of straight implants are adjacent to a replacement arch tooth socket that is not designated as an intended location of a straight implant;

extracting any teeth in the first, second, third, and fourth tooth sockets of the patient's replacement arch, wherein each tooth is extracted in a manner that substantially maintains the original alveolar bone and original keratinized gingiva of the patient's replacement arch;

placing a body of a surgical guide against at least one of teeth remaining in the patient's replacement arch and against gums of the patient's replacement arch such that first, second, third, and fourth surgical guide sleeves located in the body of the surgical guide are aligned with the first, second, third, and fourth tooth sockets of the patient's replacement arch, wherein each of the surgical guide sleeves is an elongated cylindrical shape and has a center longitudinal axis that is substantially aligned with an axis of the corresponding tooth socket when the surgical guide body is mated with the at least one of teeth and gums of a patient's replacement arch;

inserting the first, second, third, and fourth straight implants into the first, second, third, and fourth surgical guide sleeves;

placing each of the first, second, third, and fourth straight implants into the first, second, third, and fourth tooth sockets of the patient's replacement arch, respectively, with a surgical implant tool such that a longitudinal axis of each straight implant is substantially aligned with an axis of the corresponding tooth socket, wherein when placing each of the first, second, third, and fourth straight implants into the first, second, third, and fourth tooth sockets of the patient's replacement arch, respectively, a portion of the surgical implant tool engages a depth limiting feature of the surgical guide such that when the straight implant is placed in the corresponding tooth socket, a collar of each straight implant is generally above an outer cortex layer of bone at least partially in a gingiva layer of the corresponding tooth socket; and

extracting any remaining teeth of the patient's replacement arch in a manner that substantially maintains the patient's original alveolar bone and original keratinized gingiva of the patient's replacement arch.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising making a surgical guide by:

performing, with a computing device, a virtual implant placement step including digitally placing each of the first, second, third, and fourth straight implants in a digital representation of the patient's replacement arch;

performing, with a computing device, a surgical guide design step including digitally defining a size and shape of the body of the surgical guide relative to a digital representation of the patient' replacement arch; and

outputting, with a computing device, fabrication instructions to a fabrication machine for making a surgical guide based on the surgical guide digital design.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tooth socket implant locating step includes determining which of a patient's replacement arch tooth sockets are intended locations of straight implants by confirming at least one of a tooth root socket is disease free, all four walls of a tooth root socket are substantially intact, and a tooth root socket is a sufficient distance from a sinus cavity and an inferior alveolar nerve.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing, with a computing device, a preliminary bridge design process to determine at least one of a preliminary socket designation for straight implant placement, surgical guide use strategy, surgical guide design, and teeth extraction and ridge preservation strategy.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising extracting only teeth in the first, second, third, and fourth tooth sockets of the patient's replacement arch before the step of placing each of the first, second, third, and fourth straight implants into the first, second, third, and fourth tooth sockets of the patient's replacement arch, respectively.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising designating, with a computing device, replacement arch tooth sockets as intended locations of straight implants adjacent to a replacement arch tooth socket that is not an intended location of an implant.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (41)

Cited By (1)

US 1,146,023