Dentistry – Prosthodontics – Holding or positioning denture in mouth
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-10
2001-06-26
Lewis, Ralph A. (Department: 3732)
Dentistry
Prosthodontics
Holding or positioning denture in mouth
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250925
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates generally to dental prostheses and more particularly to a dental prosthesis having multi-section infrastructure to strengthen the dental prosthesis and to provide a simple, relatively low cost, improved fixed bridge and method for the replacement of a tooth or teeth in an edentulous space adjacent to or between existing teeth in a patient's mouth.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,713,005 and 4,775,320 disclose a substantial portion of the existing prior art for forming a dental prosthesis and the use thereof for the replacement of a pontic or pontics in an edentulous space or spaces adjacent to or between the teeth in a patient's mouth.
These patents and other patents which they identify disclose dental prostheses using longitudinally extending bridge bars affixed generally into the occlusal surfaces in the patient's teeth adjacent to the edentulous space, as the main support for the pontic or pontics to fill the edentulous space or spaces adjacent to or between the patient's teeth.
The purpose and object of all these prior art fixed bridge pontic replacement assemblies and methods are designed to simplify the procedures for the Dentist to replace missing teeth, reduce the time required for accomplishing such replacement and the cost of such dental prosthesis to the patient.
Thus, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,713,005 and 4,775,320, an improved dental prosthesis and method for fabricating the pontic or pontics for replacement of a tooth or teeth in an edentulous space disposed either adjacent to an existing tooth or between existing teeth, utilizes a longitudinally extending bridge bar having at least one connecting member or end which is fixedly mounted in groves cut in the occlusal surface of the adjacent existing teeth, and a centrally located boss on which a pontic base is adjustably and operatively connected.
When this bridge bar, boss and pontic base are in position in the occlusal grooves in the adjacent existing tooth or teeth in respect of the edentulous space adjacent to or between the patient's teeth and the pontic base has been properly adjusted relative to the occlusal surface of the gum line in the edentulous space, the pontic or pontics, when formed about the bridge bar, centrally located boss and pontic base in accordance with the method as further disclosed therein, will lightly touch the occlusal surface of the gum with the polished outer surface of the pontic base.
Two methods are described in U.S. patents '005 and '320 for fabricating the dental prosthesis with the pontic or pontics to provide the replacement tooth or teeth for the edentulous space in the patient's mouth. One method establishes the dental prosthesis with the pontic replacement thereon by “in situ” procedures in the patient's mouth. The other method utilizes a suitable model of the edentulous space and the associated tooth or teeth, which model is used exteriorly of the patient's mouth to establish the dental prosthesis having a pontic or pontics. The dental prosthesis so formed on the models are then transferred into the patient's mouth, and then the dental prosthesis is finished, set and polished.
The dental prosthesis and method in accordance with the present invention for the replacement of a tooth or teeth in an edentulous space adjacent to or between the tooth or teeth in a patient's mouth has an improved multi-section infrastructure which is critical because it enables the pontic or pontics formed thereon which span the edentulous space to withstand the enormous vertical, horizontal and more particularly the rotational forces exerted on the teeth during mastication, clenching of the jaws and nocturnal grinding of the teeth without flexing or deforming.
This improved multi-section infrastructure consists generally of, a longitudinally extending main support bar having, a shaped and sized center section, at least one connecting end or oppositely projecting connecting ends for connecting the main support bar into the prepared occlusal surface or surfaces in the tooth or teeth adjacent to the edentulous space so the shaped and sized center section can be centered in the edentulous space, and secondary support means such as spaced buttresses operatively connected on opposite sides of the shaped and sized center section of the main support bar and disposed to engage indentations cut in the tooth or teeth in which the main support bar is mounted provide three points of contact to prevent torque or rotation of the dental prosthesis when it is in assembled position.
This shaped and sized center section in assembled position is in a plane slightly more gingival than the relative plane or planes of the connecting end or ends of the main support bar. Thus, if the edentulous space is in the lower jaw, the occlusal surface of the shaped and sized center section is lower than connecting ends, and in the upper jaw the occlusal mid surface of the shaped and sized center section will be superior to the connecting ends. Additionally, the actual position of the medial occlusal surface of the shaped and sized center section is also a function of how deeply the preparations are drilled in the occlusal surface or surfaces and whether such respective preparations are equal in depth from the respective occlusal surfaces of the tooth or teeth to which the shaped and sized center section is connected. The length of the connecting end or the oppositely extending connecting ends are adjustable by grinding or by cutting. The angles of the connecting and/or the oppositely extending connecting ends are adjustable with a simple pliers to accommodate for various differences and degrees of tilting of the supporting tooth or teeth and for relative curvatures at various sections of the supporting teeth in a patient's mouth.
As also will be clear to those skilled in the art from the description of the various species of the invention, the width and height of the enlarged shaped and sized center section will depend on the size and location of the edentulous space or spaces within the dental arch where a pontic or pontics is replacing missing teeth in a patient's mouth.
Additionally, the occlusal surface of the shaped and sized center section may also have a centrally disposed depression, insert or hollowed out portion so that in the formation of the pontic or pontics on the multi-section infrastructure, composite deposited or formed on the associated occlusal surface of the formed pontic will have an extra thickness at the point where it meets the opposing cusp of the opposite upper or lower teeth particularly during a chewing function so that such thicker or heavier composite is better able to withstand pressure exerted on such pontic or pontics during mastication, clenching of the jaws and nocturnal grinding of the teeth.
The secondary support section is operatively connected to the enlarged shaped and sized center section of the main support bar. In the illustrated embodiments of the multi-section infrastructure, it consists of coacting and associated buccal and lingual side buttresses, so connected in the main support bar that it enables the improved dental prosthesis formed from such multi-section infrastructure in accordance with the present invention to be affixed into suitable shaped cuts in the occlusal surface and into indentations in the mesial-buccal and distal buccal and mesial-lingual and distal lingual proximal sides of the tooth or teeth adjacent to the edentulous space in which the pontic or pontic will be mounted or positioned. This three-point contact arrangement provides an extremely important anti-torque component to the dental prosthesis which prevents rotation around the longitudinal or mesial-distal axis of the dental prosthesis in assembled position.
In another aspect, the secondary support section is operatively connected to the enlarged shaped and sized center section of the main support bar by a buccal groove and a lingual groove which are associated and coact to receive the respective buccal and lingual side buttresses. The buc
Lerner David Littenberg Krumholz & Mentlik LLP
Lewis Ralph A.
Oro-Health International, Inc.
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