阅读说明：本技术 经牙槽的牙种植体的装置和方法 (Apparatus and method for transforaminal dental implants ) 是由 R·G·哈尔 于 2019-07-09 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开涉及单齿或全弓牙修复。在患者的骨存量不足以用于常规的牙根形牙种植体的情况下,当前的解决方案通常无法对功能进行恢复。本公开描述了用于单牙或全弓牙修复的经牙槽的牙种植体。经牙槽的牙种植体包含基台和骨板,所述骨板具有被制作成与所述面部骨骼的骨表面的形貌相匹配的轮廓部分。通过初步固定所述骨板的所述轮廓部分,经牙槽的牙种植体改善了患病患者的功能和预后。(The present disclosure relates to single or full arch dental restoration. Current solutions are often unable to restore function in cases where the patient's bone stock is insufficient for conventional root-form dental implants. The present disclosure describes a trans-alveolar dental implant for single-tooth or full-arch dental restoration. The transforaminal dental implant comprises an abutment and a bone plate having a contoured portion shaped to match the topography of the bony surface of the facial bone. By initially fixing the contoured portion of the bone plate, the transoral dental implant improves the function and prognosis of the patient with the disease.)

1. A dental implant, comprising:

a bone plate having a planar portion and a contoured portion; and

a base station, a plurality of positioning pins and a plurality of positioning pins,

wherein the planar portion of the bone plate and the abutment are positioned in a vertical slot osteotomy,

wherein one or more surfaces of the contoured portion of the bone plate are contoured relative to a selected bone surface of the facial bone, and

wherein the bone plate is configured to be coupled to the facial bone.

2. The dental implant of claim 1, wherein the bone plate is made of titanium.

3. The dental implant of claim 1, wherein the contoured portion of the bone plate is configured to couple to the facial bone.

4. The dental implant of claim 1, wherein the selected bone surface of the facial bone is selected based on a determination of cortical bone thickness.

5. The dental implant of claim 1, wherein the bone plate further comprises a plurality of through holes for securing the dental implant to the facial bone.

6. The dental implant of claim 1, wherein an abutment tip of the abutment is coupled perpendicularly to a surface of the planar portion of the bone plate in the vertical-slot osteotomy.

7. The dental implant of claim 1, wherein the vertical slot osteotomy is performed within the alveolar bone.

8. The dental implant of claim 1, wherein the bone plate has an outside angle of between-60 ° and +60 °, the outside angle being defined as the angle between the longitudinal axis of the bone plate and the axis of the contoured portion of the bone plate in the first plane.

9. The dental implant of claim 1, wherein the anterior angle of the bone plate, defined as the angle between the longitudinal axis of the bone plate and the axis of the contoured portion of the bone plate in the second plane, is between-60 ° and +60 °.

10. The dental implant of claim 1, wherein the vertical canal osteotomy is sealed by a collagen membrane.

11. A method of producing a dental implant, the method of producing comprising:

obtaining, by a processing circuit, structural data corresponding to facial bones;

selecting, by the processing circuitry, a bone surface of the facial bone based on the determination of cortical bone thickness;

generating, by the processing circuit, a contoured surface based on the selection of the bone surface of the facial bone; and

fabricating a bone plate based on the generated contoured surface based on instructions sent by the processing circuit,

wherein the bone plate includes a planar portion and a contoured portion, the planar portion of the bone plate being positioned in a vertical slot osteotomy and the contoured portion being positioned proximate the selected bone surface of the facial bone, and

wherein the bone plate is configured to be coupled to the facial bone.

12. The method of production of claim 11, wherein the bone plate is fabricated by direct metal laser sintering.

13. The production method of claim 11, wherein the vertical slot osteotomy is performed by one or more templates based on the selected bone surface of the facial bone.

14. A dental implant, comprising:

a bone plate having one or more surfaces contoured relative to a selected bone surface of the facial bone; and

a protruding portion of the dental implant extending from and below the bone plate,

wherein the protruding part is configured to be coupled to a dental prosthesis, and

wherein the bone plate is configured to be coupled to the facial bone.

15. The dental implant of claim 14, wherein the dental implant is made of titanium.

16. The dental implant of claim 14, wherein the bone plate of the dental implant is configured to be coupled to the facial bone.

17. The dental implant of claim 14, wherein the selected surface of the bone of the facial bone is selected based on a determination of cortical bone thickness.

18. The dental implant of claim 14, wherein the bone plate of the dental implant further comprises a plurality of through holes for securing the dental implant to the facial bone.

19. The dental implant of claim 14, wherein the protruding face further comprises a biasing member proximate a coupling between the protruding portion of the dental implant and the bone plate.

20. The dental implant of claim 19, wherein the biasing member is configured to fracture in response to a force applied to the protruding portion of the dental implant.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery, and in particular to dental implant surgery for dentition restoration.

Background

Partial or, in severe cases, complete loss of teeth, all teeth fall off, which can have serious consequences for chewing, speech and aesthetics. Dental implant surgery is a replacement method of a prosthetic tooth or a bridge tooth, which replaces a tooth root with a metal abutment and a damaged or missing tooth with an artificial tooth similar in function and aesthetics to a natural tooth. Like natural teeth, these artificial teeth are fixed in alveolar bone by abutments or screw-like members that provide firm fixation by osseointegration and, in addition, distribute load and maintain bone around the prosthesis.

However, typical root-form dental implants require sufficient alveolar bone to promote osseointegration and achieve proper load and function. If alveolar bone is inadequate due to severe bone loss or bone translocation, replacement strategies that are often time consuming and have variable success rates must be employed. A robust tooth reconstruction method has not been developed.

The foregoing "background" description is for the purpose of generally presenting the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

Disclosure of Invention

According to an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a dental implant comprising a bone plate having a planar portion and a contoured portion; and an abutment, wherein the planar portion of the bone plate and the abutment are positioned in a vertical slot osteotomy, wherein one or more surfaces of the contoured portion of the bone plate are contoured relative to a selected bone surface of the facial bone, and wherein the bone plate is configured to be coupled to the facial bone.

According to an embodiment, the present disclosure further relates to a method of producing a dental implant, the method of producing comprising obtaining, by a processing circuit, structural data corresponding to facial bones; selecting, by the processing circuitry, a bone surface of the facial bone based on the determination of cortical bone thickness; generating, by the processing circuit, a contoured surface based on the selection of the bone surface of the facial bone; and based on instructions sent by the processing circuit, fabricating a bone plate based on the generated contoured surface, wherein the bone plate comprises a planar portion and a contoured portion, the planar portion of the bone plate being positioned in a vertical slot osteotomy and the contoured portion being positioned proximate to a selected bone surface of the facial bone, and wherein the bone plate is configured to be coupled to the facial bone.

According to an embodiment, the present disclosure further relates to a dental implant comprising a bone plate having one or more surfaces contoured relative to a selected bone surface of a facial bone; and a projecting portion of the dental implant extending from and below a bone plate, wherein the projecting portion is configured to be coupled to a dental prosthesis, and wherein the bone plate is configured to be coupled to the facial bone.

The foregoing paragraphs have been provided by way of general introduction and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims below. The described embodiments, together with further advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

A more complete appreciation of the present disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a schematic view of a dental implant system;

FIG. 1B is a radiograph of an in vivo dental implant system;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a trans-alveolar dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3A is a schematic illustration of a front view of a trans-alveolar dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 3B is a schematic diagram of a side view of a trans-alveolar dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 4A is a schematic illustration of a front view of a trans-alveolar dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 4B is a schematic diagram of a side view of a trans-alveolar dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 4C is a perspective view of a trans-alveolar dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for the manufacture of a trans-alveolar dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 6 is a flow chart of implantation of a trans-alveolar dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is an in vitro representation of one or more implanted trans-alveolar dental implants from an anterior perspective according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is an in vitro representation of one or more implanted trans-alveolar dental implants from a bottom view according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 9 is an in vitro representation of one or more implanted trans-alveolar dental implants from a side perspective according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a hardware description of a data processing device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a transfibular dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 12A is a schematic illustration of a front view of a peroneal dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 12B is a schematic illustration of a perspective view of a transfibular dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a transfibular dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 14 is a flow chart of implantation of a transfibular dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 15 is an illustration of one or more implanted transfibular dental implants according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The terms "a" or "an", as used herein, are defined as one or more. The term "plurality", as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term another, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms including and/or having, as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). Reference throughout this document to "one embodiment," "certain embodiments," "an embodiment," "an implementation," "an example" or similar terms means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of such phrases or in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments without limitation.

A root form dental implant as shown in fig. 1A is an effective dental reconstruction strategy when there is sufficient alveolar bone. In contrast to a dental bridge supported by teeth, a dental implant of root shape fixed within an alveolar bone can maintain the health of the underlying bone by preserving the bone load. Referring to fig. 1A, a root type dental implant initially includes an abutment 105 or screw-like metal component fixed within the alveolar bone of the facial bone. The abutment 110, which serves as a platform for a subsequently added crown 150, is mechanically coupled to the base of the abutment 106. In the radiograph, as shown in fig. 1B, the abutment 105 is firmly fixed in the alveolar bone similarly to the arrangement of the root 120 of the natural tooth 121. In most cases, patients can go home after a functional replacement, receive permanent crown repairs after implant integration (4-12 weeks), and can return to normal function by improving chewing, speech, and aesthetics.

However, in cases of insufficient bone mass, root-form dental implants are not a surgical option, as described above, due to bone atrophy or bone translocation. In this case, it may be necessary to adopt special techniques including, but not limited to, bone grafting for bone atrophy, alveolar bone distraction osteogenesis, maxillary sinus filling bone elevation, mandibular nerve roll, cortical osteotomy, and alveolar dilatation, with or without grafting. Although the above methods may be desirable for some patients, each method has its own drawbacks. Typically, these techniques increase the chair-side time and increase the number of associated laboratory steps required to install the dental restoration. In particular, the risk and time-intensive recovery period of donor site morbidity prior to implantation of dental implant hardware, as in the case of bone grafting, presents a significant challenge to achieving a successful outcome.

To this end, the transforaminal dental implant as described in this disclosure and introduced in fig. 2 improves the care of osteopenic patients by alleviating the above-mentioned disadvantages associated with alternative strategies while retaining the benefits of dental root shaped dental implants. Briefly, the Transoral Dental Implant (TDI) of the present disclosure includes a contoured bone plate that extends through the vertical socket osteotomy of the alveolar bone to the adjacent bone of the facial bone, providing primary stability to TDI. An alveolar bone vertical canal osteotomy with a newly inserted abutment is performed through bone grafting to ensure regeneration and stabilization of the abutment. In an example, where four TDIs are implanted around the arch, the complete arch prosthesis may be coupled to the TDIs for immediate function.

A more detailed description of the present disclosure, including exemplary embodiments, is as follows.

For illustrative purposes, fig. 2 depicts a TDI 201 of the present disclosure. The TDI 201 is directed to a region of the facial bone called the alveolar bone, which is the thickened bone region that supports the root system. The TDI 201 of the present disclosure includes a base station 205. The submount 205 includes a submount base 207 and a submount tip 206. The abutment base 207 is designed to receive an abutment. The trailing tip 206 is not a trabecula coupled to the alveolar tip, but rather is coupled to the face of the bone plate 215. Bone plate 215 includes two portions. The first portion is a planar portion 217 for coupling with the posterior tip 206 and for physically interacting with an osteotomy capture surface, which in the upper arch embodiments of the present disclosure is the upper portion of the osteotomy. The second portion is a contoured portion 216. The contoured portion 216 contours against a selected region of the facial skeleton determined to have sufficient bone mass for fixation. In an embodiment, the axis of the contoured portion 216 may be related to the longitudinal axis 211 of the bone plate 215 by a rake angle 213. Along the length of the contoured portion 216 of the bone plate 215, a plurality of through holes 218 having locking threads and sized according to the appropriate screw size are provided from the anterior surface 202 to the posterior surface 203 for securing the TDI 201 to the facial bone through the posterior surface 203. In another embodiment, a plurality of through holes 218 lacking threads and sized according to the appropriate screw size may be provided along the length of the contoured portion 216 of the bone plate 215 from the anterior surface 202 to the posterior surface 203 for securing the TDI 201 to the facial bone through the posterior surface 203.

The bone mass required to fix the contoured portion 216 of the bone plate 215 is related to the selected fixation screw portion and to the predetermined minimum cortical bone thickness. In an example, the predetermined minimum cortical bone thickness is 1.5 mm. In another example, the predetermined minimum cortical bone thickness is based on selected screw characteristics including, but not limited to, diameter, thread pitch, and screw length.

Briefly, the contoured portion 216 of TDI 201 is designed in the context of the individual patient's skeletal structure. After the medical image is acquired and reconstructed, one or more regions of the facial bone are selected to receive bone plating by a data processing device having processing circuitry by reflecting the bone macrostructure and microscopic structure of the facial bone through techniques including, but not limited to, micro-computed tomography, cone-beam computed tomography, and high resolution magnetic resolution imaging. According to an embodiment, and as mentioned above, this determination is made based on local cortical bone thickness, where sufficient cortical bone, i.e. dense outer surface of the bone, is required to prevent fracture during bone plate fixation. After region selection, the reconstructed model of the one or more target regions is then further manipulated by software (e.g., mics, SolidWorks) and prepared for production, as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. According to an embodiment, the posterior surface 203 of the bone plate 215 is contoured with respect to a selected facial bone region, and the anterior surface 202 of the bone plate 215 is substantially planar. It should be appreciated that the anterior surface 202 of the bone plate 215 may have various contours in a non-limiting manner such that secure fixation by screws through the plurality of through holes 218 may be achieved.

Each bone plate 215 is produced to achieve secure fixation to the patient's facial bone and to promote osseointegration between TDI 201 and the bone surrounding the prosthesis. To this end, and in accordance with an embodiment, the TDI 201 of the present disclosure may be produced from one of a group of materials including, but not limited to, titanium, cobalt-chromium-molybdenum, cobalt-chromium-nickel, cobalt-nickel-chromium-molybdenum-titanium, calcium phosphate derivative coated metals, zirconia, zirconium coated metals, titanium coated metals, and other biocompatible metals. In the example, the materials selected for each component of TDI 201 are similar. In addition, and in accordance with an embodiment, the TDI 201 of the present disclosure may be produced by a variety of additive or subtractive production techniques including, but not limited to, direct metal laser sintering, injection molding, iterative plate bending, and computer-aided production. In another embodiment, the bone plate 215 and the abutment 205 are produced separately, the bone plate 215 being produced according to the techniques described above and the abutment 205 being produced according to techniques understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. In another embodiment, the bone plate 215 and the abutment 205 are produced together by three-dimensional metal printing. After fabrication, the two components of the TDI 201 may be joined at the junction consisting of the planar portion 217 of the bone plate 215 and the abutment tip 206 of the abutment 205. The coupling may be formed by a variety of methods including, but not limited to, welding, friction coupling, and structural adhesives. In the context of the present disclosure, screws are selected for the plurality of through holes 218 or may be made according to predetermined specifications to ensure that the bone plate 215 is securely fixed to the facial bone.

In addition, and in accordance with an embodiment, the TDI 201 of the present disclosure is produced according to the physical dimensions of the selected skeletal member of each patient. As described above, contoured portions 216 of bone plate 215 are produced from selected bone regions of each patient upon which the dimensions of contoured portions 216 depend. Likewise, the number of through holes 218 depends on the selected bone region and the minimum number of screws required to secure the bone plate 215 to the facial bone. In an embodiment, the abutment 205 and planar portion 217 of the bone plate 215 may be selected from a set of predetermined dimensions, the dimensions of which are determined therein. In another embodiment, the abutments 216 and 217 of the bone plate 215 may be custom manufactured according to the patient's needs (upon which the dimensions of the bone plate 215 and the planar portion 217 of the abutments 216 depend). It should be appreciated that using the techniques and methods described above, the present disclosure provides the flexibility to make TDIs 201 of the necessary size based on the needs of the individual patient.

According to an embodiment, the bone plate 215 has a width equal to the diameter of the abutment 205. The thickness of the bone plate 215 is determined by the length of the bone plate 215, wherein a longer bone plate 215 requires an increased thickness of the bone plate 215 to support the abutment 205 and prevent excessive micro-motion. In an example, the thickness of the bone plate 215 ranges from 1.00mm to 3.00mm, and preferably from 1.25mm to 2.00 mm. Thus, the length of the bone plate 215 is determined based on the local sufficiency of the cortical bone.

According to an embodiment, the relative positions of the abutment 205 and the contoured portion 216 of the bone plate 215 along the axis of the bone plate, defined as the axis including the longitudinal axis 211 of the bone plate 215, should have a mechanical structure sufficient to provide TDI to withstand vertical loads. In an example, the anterior angle 213 between the abutment 205 and the contoured portion 216 of the bone plate 215 along the plate axis ranges from 90 ° to 180 °, and preferably from 135 ° to 180 °.

According to embodiments, and according to the U.S. food and drug administration's special control guidelines category 2 for root-shaped intraosseous dental implants and intraosseous abutments, the diameter of the abutment 205 may be no less than 3.25mm, the length of the abutment no less than 7.00mm, and the abutment no more than 30 ° offset from the longitudinal axis of the abutment.

To this end, fig. 3A and 3B are exemplary embodiments of TDIs of the present disclosure. As shown in the front view of fig. 3A, TDI may comprise a bone plate 315 having a contoured portion 316 specific to the selected skeletal member and an abutment 305. As shown in the side view of fig. 3B, the TDI may further comprise a plurality of screws 312 configured according to the size of the corresponding plurality of through holes. In an embodiment, the thickness of the planar portion of bone plate 322 may be 1.00mm to 2.00mm, and the length of the planar portion of bone plate 323 may be 3.00mm to 5.00 mm. In an example, the thickness of the planar portion of bone plate 322 may be 2.00mm and the length of the planar portion of bone plate 323 may be 4.00 mm. In another embodiment, the abutment 308 may be 7.00mm to 12.00mm in length, as described above. In an example, the length of the abutment 308 may be 8.00 mm.

Also, the contoured portion 316 of the bone plate 315 may be angled relative to the abutment 305. Fig. 4A, 4B and 4C are illustrations of various angular configurations of contoured portions of a bone plate. In an embodiment, as shown in fig. 4A, in a first plane, an outer side angle 414 of the contoured portion 416 of the bone plate 415 may be between-60 ° and +60 ° relative to a longitudinal axis 411 of the bone plate 415. In another embodiment, the outer side angle 414 of the contoured portion 416 of the bone plate 415 may be between-45 ° and +45 °. In an example, the outer side angle 414 of the contoured portion 416 of the bone plate 415 may be +25 °. In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 4B, the anterior angle 413 of the contoured portion 416 of the bone plate 415 in the second plane may be between-60 ° and +60 ° relative to the longitudinal axis 411 of the bone plate 415. In another embodiment, the rake angle 413 of the contoured portion 416 of the bone plate 415 may be between-45 ° and +45 °. In an example, the rake angle 413 of the contoured portion 416 of the bone plate 415 may be +15 °. Fig. 4C is a schematic illustration of a perspective view of the TDI of the present disclosure, in which the range of positions of the contoured portion 416 of the bone plate 415 may be visualized. In an embodiment, various rake angles 413 and outboard angles 414 may be implemented simultaneously.

According to an embodiment, the above ranges of the anterior angle 413 and the lateral angle 414 are determined such that the bone plate 415 may be subjected to normal loading forces during mouth movements (including chewing), wherein a anterior angle 413 and a lateral angle 414 of approximately 0 (or 180 in different directions) are ideal choices for load transfer.

Production of TDI according to an exemplary embodiment is illustrated in the flow chart of fig. 5. First, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT or C-arm CT) of facial bones (e.g., maxilla, mandible) is performed at S530. By assisting CBCT with a radiopaque stent, the stent can provide a preview of the final restoration relative to adjacent structures, allowing surgical planning to be performed without knowledge. The radiopaque stent or stents also position the jaws in a central relationship with the appropriate vertical occlusion dimension. Next, a virtual surgical plan executed by the data processing apparatus positions TDI location S531 to align the custom contoured bone plate along a thick enough cortical bone of the adjacent facial bone. According to an embodiment, adjacent facial bones include, but are not limited to, the nasal maxillary posts and the zygomatic buttresses. After selecting the target region and after incorporating the three-dimensional anatomical data into the software by the data processing device S533, the planar portion and the contoured portion of the bone plate may be produced in S532 according to the method described above. In an example, the bone plate is produced by adding titanium laser sintering to promote osseointegration. During assembly S534, the abutment tip is welded to the surface of the planar portion of the bone plate such that the longitudinal axis of the abutment is perpendicular to the surface of the planar portion of the bone plate. A middle crest extending from the abutment tip and protruding through the alveolar bone is produced according to the above method to receive the dental implant abutment. The bone plate and associated screws both provide a locking technique to prevent loosening during loading. In addition to TDI, polyethylene templates, drill guides and drill stop bushings can be produced by computer aided design/computer aided machining techniques to guide osteotomy. For example, the polyethylene template, drill guide and drill stop bushing described above may be custom manufactured such that the angle, diameter and depth of the osteotomy is controlled according to the individual patient's anatomy. In an example, osteotomies are performed with a lateral and distal cutting surgical drill.

According to an embodiment, the selection of the target region during production of TDI may be performed by the processing circuitry in dependence of bone parameters (e.g. minimum cortical bone thickness). In another embodiment, the selection of the target region during TDI production may be performed by the surgeon.

The shape of the aforementioned TDI produced in fig. 5 and referring again to fig. 2, achieves a secure fixation of the TDI to the facial bone and positioning of the abutment in the area near the alveolar bone so that the abutment and subsequent crown can be coupled in place for normal dental function. To achieve this, and in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, implantation follows the flow chart depicted in fig. 6.

Fig. 6 depicts a method of full arch dental restoration. It should be understood that while fig. 6 depicts the implantation of multiple TDIs and the repair of an intact dental arch (e.g., upper or lower), the implantation of a single TDI may be similarly performed with necessary modifications according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Initially, as shown in fig. 6 and in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, alveolar bone and facial bone are exposed after a full arch gingival incision and a mucosal gingival flap reflex S640. After the alveolar ridge is prepared, four vertical canal osteotomies are completed with the corresponding template guides S641. Each of the four TDIs are positioned in their respective vertical osteotomy slots and are positioned proximate to the cortical bone of facial bone S642. Next, a dental arch-shaped titanium alignment bar is placed over the abutment base of the TDI and secured to the abutment by abutment screws, thereby finally aligning the TDI with the facial bone S643. A locking self-drilling screw may then be secured through the plurality of through holes of the contoured portion of the bone plate to secure the TDI in precisely aligned position on the facial bone S644. The vertical slot osteotomy is transplanted with the resulting cortical bone particles, embedding the TDI abutment. Collagen or other acceptable membrane is then placed over the graft site to confine cortical bone particles and enhance bone regeneration (S645). Finally, the mucosal gingival flap is repositioned over the bone and positioned circumferentially around the abutment and sutured S646 to seal the oral environment from the bone/implant interface while leaving the base of the abutment exposed for further modification.

In embodiments of full arch dental restorations, and due to load sharing and trans-arch stability, the alignment rod is further fitted with a prosthesis immediately after TDI implantation. According to an exemplary embodiment, after repositioning of the mucosal gingival flap, the titanium sleeve is positioned over the alignment arch rod and a pre-fabricated (i.e., polymethylmethacrylate) abrasive prosthesis having a cleft palate member is attached to the alignment arch rod and the sleeve. The sleeve is then attached to the prosthesis using conventional dental adhesive techniques. In embodiments, and to prevent direct contact of the dental adhesive with the wound environment, a soft tissue barrier is included. Next, the prosthesis and attached sleeve are removed and the space between the sleeve and the bottom side of the prosthesis is filled with dental material and finished until smooth S648. Finally, the completed prosthesis is then secured to the alignment bar with mechanical means or an adhesive.

According to another embodiment, where one or more individual TDIs are implanted instead of the full arch, the stability of each TDI is evaluated post-operatively to determine the strength of implant fixation and whether immediate loading is possible. In assessing implant stability, one of a variety of methods for determining the ISQ or implant stability quotient (ostell) may be used. If the ISQ of a single TDI is below the minimum for adequate implant fixation, a 4 to 12 week recovery period may be required.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, and following in part the flow chart of fig. 6, the above-described transforaminal dental implant can be used in the context of a previously failed intraosseous dental implant (mutatis mutandis). In an exemplary embodiment, one or more intraosseous dental implants supporting a full arch dental prosthesis are in a failed state. After implant size and implant type are determined by radiographic implant matching, a virtual surgical plan and computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing are used to design and produce an appropriate TDI substitute, referred to herein as "rescue" TDI (rtdi). Similar to the flowchart of fig. 6, after the surgical site is exposed by reflection of the mucosal gingival flap, the failed one or more intraosseous dental implants are removed and debrided. One or more vertical socket osteotomies are performed in the alveolar ridge through a template (including a bushing) to provide a pathway for each tdi to approach the correct arch position. By interfacing the abutment of the rTDI with the native hardware of the prosthetic device, a precisely aligned rTDI may be achieved. Similar to the alignment rods of the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure, each tdi is fixed to the facial bone by a plurality of screws placed through a corresponding plurality of through holes of the contoured portion of the bone plate when engaged with the prosthetic device by the abutment. After the implant is secured to the facial bone, each vertical slot osteotomy is bone grafted and sealed to prevent adverse interaction with the oral environment and to promote osseointegration with each rTDI abutment. The mucosal gingival flap may then be repositioned and sutured, leaving the abutment of each abutment exposed for attachment to the prosthetic device.

According to embodiments, the above-described bushing and associated polyethylene template and drill guide may be custom-manufactured such that the angle, diameter, and depth of the osteotomy is controlled according to the individual patient's bone structure.

An in vitro demonstration of the composition of the full arch prosthesis shown in fig. 6 is shown in fig. 7, 8 and 9.

Fig. 7 is an in vitro illustration of one or more implanted TDIs from an anterior perspective according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. For each of the one or more implanted TDIs, the bone plate 715 is secured to the facial bone by screws inserted into through holes 718 of the contoured portion of the bone plate 715. The abutment 705 is coupled to the planar portion of the bone plate 715, extending through the depth of the vertical socket osteotomy in the alveolar ridge 725.

Fig. 8 is an in vitro illustration of one or more implanted TDIs from an inferior perspective, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. For each of the one or more implanted TDIs, the bone plate 815 is secured to the facial bone by screws inserted into through holes in the contoured portion of the bone plate 815. An abutment 805 having an abutment base 807 is coupled to the planar portion of the bone plate 815, extending through the depth of the vertical socket osteotomy in the alveolar ridge 825. From an inferior perspective, the approximate relative position of the implanted TDI in the maxillary arch can be observed. In addition, the abutment base 807, for abutment attachment, alignment rods and final restoration are viewable and accessible.

Fig. 9 is an in vitro illustration of one or more implanted TDIs from a side perspective according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. For each of the one or more implanted TDIs, bone plate 915 is secured to facial bone by a screw inserted into through hole 918 in the contoured portion of bone plate 915. The abutment 905 is coupled to the planar portion of the bone plate 915 and extends through the depth of the vertical socket osteotomy 927 in the alveolar ridge 925. From a side perspective, the relative size and location of the contoured portion of the bone plate 915 on the facial skeleton may be observed, according to an embodiment. In addition, the relative position of the abutment 905 within the vertical socket osteotomy 927 and the position of the abutment base 907 relative to the lower portion of the alveolar ridge 925 can be observed.

Next, a hardware description describing the data processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment is described with reference to fig. 10. In fig. 10, the data processing apparatus includes a CPU 1070 that performs the processing described above and below. Process data and instructions may be stored in the memory 1072. These processes and instructions may also be stored on a storage media disk 1074, such as a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) or portable storage media, or may be stored remotely. Furthermore, the claimed advancements are not limited by the form of computer readable media storing the instructions of the inventive process. For example, the instructions may be stored in a CD, DVD, FLASH memory, RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, hard disk, or any other information processing device (such as a server or computer) in communication with a data processing device.

Further, the claimed advancements may be provided in the form of utility applications, background daemons or components of operating systems, or combinations thereof, that may be executed in conjunction with the CPU 1070 and systems such as Microsoft Windows 7, UNIX, Solaris, LINUX, Apple MAC-OS and others known to those skilled in the art.

The hardware elements for implementing the data processing device may be implemented by various circuit elements known to those skilled in the art. For example, the CPU 1070 may be a Xeron or Core processor of Intel, USA, or an Opteron processor of AMD, USA, or may be other processor types recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art. Alternatively, the CPU 1070 may be implemented on an FPGA, ASIC, PLD, or using discrete logic circuitry, as recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art. Further, the CPU 1070 may be implemented as a plurality of processors working in cooperation in parallel to execute the instructions of the inventive process described above.

The data processing apparatus in fig. 10 also includes a network controller 1076, such as an intel ethernet PRO network interface card from intel corporation of america, for interfacing with the network 1100. It will be appreciated that the network 1100 may be a public network (such as the internet), or a private network (such as a LAN or WAN network), or any combination thereof, and may also include PSTN or ISDN sub-networks. The network 1100 may also be wired, such as an ethernet network, or may be wireless, such as a cellular network including EDGE, 3G, and 4G wireless cellular systems. The wireless network may also be WiFi, bluetooth, or any other known form of wireless communication.

The data processing apparatus further includes a display controller 1078, such as a NVIDIA GeForce GTX or Quadro graphics adapter from NVIDIA Corporation of America, for interfacing with a display 1080, such as a Hewlett Packard HPL2445w LCD monitor. General purpose I/O interface 1082 interfaces with a keyboard and/or mouse 1084 and touch screen panel 1086 on display 1080 or separate from display 1080. The general purpose I/O interface 1082 also connects to various peripherals 1088, including printers and scanners, such as OfficeJet or DeskJet from Hewlett Packard.

A Sound controller 1090 is also provided in the data processing device, such as Creative Sound X-Fi Titanium, to interface with the speaker 1092 or microphone to provide Sound and/or music.

The general storage controller 1094 connects the storage media disk 1074 with a communication bus 1096, which may be an ISA, EISA, VESA, PCI, or the like, for interconnecting all of the components of the data processing apparatus. For the sake of brevity, descriptions of the general components and functions of display 1080, keyboard and/or mouse 1084, as well as display controller 1078, storage controller 1094, network controller 1076, sound controller 1090, and general purpose I/O interface 1082, which are well known herein, are omitted.

In addition to the full arch dental prosthesis described above, in which the dental prosthesis may be loaded immediately, temporary fixation of an intraosseous implant or soft tissue reconstruction is required. In these cases, the TDI of the present invention can be used as well as modifications when it is desired to transfer the bite load from the intraosseous dental implant to the skeletal (zygomatic and nasal-maxillary) fixation point. In an embodiment, the modified TDI of the present disclosure is a peroneal dental implant (TVI).

Fig. 11 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a transfibular dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment, a peroneal dental implant (TVI)1151 is directed to a cortical area of the facial bone. TVI 1151 includes bone plate 1115 and projection 1155. In an example, the projections 1155 are support rods 1156 having a length for attachment to a dental prosthesis. Support bar 1156 includes a support bar base 1157 and a support bar tip 1158. The support rod base 1157 is configured to the shape of the bone plate 1115. Bone plate 1115 is contoured with respect to selected areas of the facial bone that are determined to have sufficient bone mass for fixation. The support rod tips 1158 may be configured to couple with a dental prosthesis. In an example, the support rod tips 1158 may be attached to the dental restoration by a variety of techniques, including but not limited to adhesives, resins, or mechanical attachment.

According to an embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 1155 is circular, as described for the support bar 1156 of the present disclosure. Alternatively, the cross-sectional shape of the protruding portion 1155 of the support bar 1156 may be one selected from the group of polygons including, but not limited to, a triangle, a rectangle, a pentagon, and a hexagon. In embodiments, the cross-sectional dimensions of the support bar 1156 are determined based on the structural or mechanical sufficiency desired. The length of the support rods 1156 is determined based on the sufficiency of the local cortical bone and the axial position of the prosthesis. In an exemplary embodiment, the support rods 1156 have a circular cross-sectional shape with a diameter of 1.50mm to 2.50mm and a length of 15mm to 40 mm.

According to an embodiment, a plurality of slave threaded holes 1118 are provided along the length of bone plate 1115, lacking threads and provided according to appropriate screw sizes, from anterior surface 1102 to posterior surface 1103, for securing TVI 1151 to facial bone through posterior surface 1103. In another embodiment, a plurality of through holes 1118 may be threaded, sized according to the appropriate screws, and disposed along the length of bone plate 1115 from anterior surface 1102 to posterior surface 1103 for securing TVI 1151 to facial bone through posterior surface 1103.

The bone mass required to fix bone plate 1115 is related to the selected fixation screw portion and to a predetermined minimum cortical bone thickness. In an example, the predetermined minimum cortical bone thickness is 1.5 mm. In another example, the predetermined minimum cortical bone thickness is based on selected screw characteristics including, but not limited to, diameter, thread pitch, and screw length.

As briefly described, bone plate 1115 of TVI 1151 is designed according to the individual patient's bone structure. After the medical image is acquired and reconstructed, one or more regions of the facial skeleton are selected to receive bone plating by a data processing device, by techniques including, but not limited to, micro-computed tomography, cone-beam computed tomography, and high resolution magnetic resolution imaging, reflecting the skeletal macrostructure and microscopic structure of the facial skeleton. According to an embodiment, and as mentioned above, this determination is made based on local cortical bone thickness, where sufficient cortical bone, i.e. dense outer surface of the bone, is required to prevent fracture during bone plate fixation. After region selection, the reconstructed model of the one or more target regions is then further manipulated by software (e.g., mics, SolidWorks) and prepared for production, as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. According to an embodiment, posterior surface 1103 of bone plate 1115 is contoured with respect to a selected facial bone region, and anterior surface 1102 of bone plate 1115 is substantially planar. It should be appreciated that anterior surface 1102 of bone plate 1115 may have various contours in a non-limiting manner such that secure fixation by screws through the plurality of through holes 1118 may be achieved.

According to embodiments, the longitudinal shape of the ledge 1155 of the TVI 1151 may be straight, reflecting the abutment described in fig. 2, or angled to closely follow the contour of the facial bone. In another embodiment, and in a manner similar to bone plate 1115 described above, projection 1155 of TVI 1151 may be designed in the context of the individual patient's bone structure. Generally, the dimensions of the ledge 1155 of the TVI 1151 are predetermined to maximize mechanical performance and minimize aesthetic misalignment. In particular, the customization methods described herein allow for patient-specific design of the projections 1155 of the TVI 1151, thereby preserving facial aesthetics while providing improved prosthesis stability. In an example, in the case of facial aesthetics, the patient specific design of the projections 115 maintains a gap in the range of 1.00mm to 2.00mm between the facial bone and the dental restoration.

Each bone plate 1115 is produced to achieve secure fixation to the patient's facial bones. To this end, and in accordance with an embodiment, the TVI 1151 of the present disclosure may be produced from one of a group of materials including, but not limited to, titanium, cobalt-chromium-molybdenum, cobalt-chromium-nickel, cobalt-nickel-chromium-molybdenum-titanium, calcium phosphate derivative coated metals, zirconium oxide, zirconium coated metals, titanium coated metals, and other biocompatible metals. According to another embodiment, the TVI 1151 of the present disclosure may be produced from a material having mechanical properties that allow for bending, such that a user may modify the structure in situ as desired to match the contours of the facial bones. In the example, the materials selected for each component of the TVI 1151 are similar. Additionally, and in accordance with an embodiment, the TVI 1151 of the present disclosure may be produced by a variety of additive or subtractive production techniques including, but not limited to, direct metal laser sintering, injection molding, iterative plate bending, and computer-aided production. In an example, TVI 1151 is produced from a single anodized titanium rod, wherein bone plate 1115 is the stamped or milled face of the titanium rod. In another embodiment, bone plate 1115 and support rods 1156 are produced separately, bone plate 1115 being produced according to the techniques described above, and support rods 1156 being produced according to techniques understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. In addition to the TVI 1151 described above, a simulation template TVI 1151 may be similarly produced. After fabrication, the two components of TVI 1151 may be coupled at the junction of neck 1154, which connects one end of bone plate 1115 to support rod base 1157. The coupling may be formed by a variety of methods including, but not limited to, welding, friction coupling, and structural adhesives. In the context of the present disclosure, screws are selected for the plurality of through holes 1118 or may be made according to predetermined specifications to ensure that bone plate 1115 is securely fixed to the facial bone.

Additionally, and in accordance with an embodiment, the TVI 1151 of the present disclosure is produced according to the physical dimensions of the selected skeletal member of each patient. As described above, bone plate 1115 and protrusions 1155 of TVI 1151 may be produced according to the selected bone region of each patient (depending on the size of rear portion 1103 of bone plate 1115 and protrusions 1155). Likewise, the number of through holes 1118 of bone plate 1115 depends on the selected bone region and the minimum number of screws required to securely fix bone plate 1115 to facial bone. In an embodiment, and as described above, support bar 1156 and anterior portion 1102 of bone plate 1115 may be selected from a set of predetermined sizes, the sizes of which are determined therein. In another embodiment, support bar 1156 and front 1102 of bone plate 1115 may be custom manufactured according to the needs of the patient, depending on which front 1102 of bone plate 1115 and the size of support bar 1156 are used. It should be appreciated that using the techniques and methods described above, the present disclosure provides the flexibility to fabricate a TVI 1151 having dimensions based on the needs of an individual patient.

According to an embodiment, the width of bone plate 1115 is determined according to the selected screw size. The length of bone plate 1115 is determined by the sufficiency of the local cortical bone. The thickness of bone plate 1115 is determined based on the length of bone plate 1115. In an exemplary embodiment, bone plate 1115 has a width of 3.00mm to 5.00mm, a thickness of 1.50mm to 3.50mm, and a length of 6.00mm to 12.00mm, depending on the sufficiency of the cortical bone.

More than one TVI may be required to stabilize the dental restoration based on the position of the tooth, the sufficiency of the local cortical bone, and the stability of other intraosseous dental implants that support the expected bite load. In embodiments, four to six TVIs are placed over the entire arch to support the complete arch prosthesis. In an example using six TVIs, the TVIs at the central position on both sides of the dental arch may be oriented diagonally to improve stability.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the method of TVI production is substantially similar to the method previously described for TDI in the flow chart of fig. 5 of the present disclosure, mutatis mutandis.

Fig. 12A and 12B are schematic diagrams of a front view and a perspective view of a TVI, respectively. In embodiments, as shown in fig. 12A, bone plate 1215 may have a length 1236 of 15mm to 40 mm. In another embodiment, bone plate 1215 may have a length 1236 of 15mm to 25 mm. In an example, bone plate 1215 may be 20mm in length 1236. Further, the contoured portion 1237 of bone plate 1215 may be 10mm to 15mm in length, depending on the size of the selected bony feature of the patient. In an example, contoured portion 1237 of bone plate 1215 may be 12mm in length. Also, the width of contoured portion 1239 of bone plate 1215 may be 3.00mm to 5.00mm, depending on the size of the selected skeletal member of the patient. In an example, the width of the contoured portion of bone plate 1239 may be 4.00 mm. As a result, the plurality of through holes 1218 of the contoured portion of bone plate 1215 may have a diameter of 1.75mm to 2.00 mm. In an example, each of the plurality of through holes 1218 of the contoured portion of bone plate 1215 may be 1.85mm in diameter. As shown in fig. 12B, bone plate 1215 may be further defined in terms of the thickness of each component. In embodiments, the thickness of the support rods 1268 or, for example, the diameter of the support rods 1268 may be 2.00mm to 2.50 mm. In an example, the thickness of the support rod 1268 may be 2.25 mm. In another embodiment, the thickness of the contoured portion of bone plate 1238 may be 1.50mm to 3.50 mm. In an example, the thickness of the contoured portion of bone plate 1238 may be 2.50 mm.

Depending on the embodiment, the above-described dimensions of the contoured portion of bone plate 415 may vary depending on the selected bone component of the patient. In addition, the above-described dimensions of the contoured portion of the bone plate 415, which has been contoured to be a partial component of the patient's facial anatomy, may vary locally.

Fig. 13 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a transfibular dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment, as depicted in fig. 11, TVI 1351 includes a fragment plate 1315 and a protrusion 1355. In an example, the protruding portion 1355 is a support bar 1356 having a length to attach to the dental restoration. The brace 1356 includes a brace base 1357 and a brace tip 1358. Support rod base 1357 is configured to couple with one end of bone plate 1315. Bone plate 1315 is contoured with respect to a selected region of facial bone determined to have sufficient bone mass for fixation. The support post tip 1358 is configured for attachment to a dental restoration. In an embodiment, a plurality of slave threaded holes 1318 are provided along the length of the bone plate 1315, lacking threads and provided according to appropriate screw sizes, from the anterior surface 1302 to the posterior surface 1303, for securing the TVI 1351 to the facial bone through the posterior surface 1303. In another embodiment, plurality of through holes 1318 may be threaded, sized according to appropriate screws, and disposed along the length of bone plate 1315, from anterior surface 1302 to posterior surface 1303 for securing TVI 1351 to facial bone through posterior surface 1303.

The TVI 1351 described above is intended to be a temporary device that can be removed after the primary implant is stabilized. In an embodiment, TVI 1351 may be removed by a reverse surgical procedure, wherein the entire hardware of TVI 1351 is removed. In another embodiment, as depicted in fig. 13, support post 1356 may further include a biasing member or score 1359, for example, proximate the coupling between bone plate 1315 and support post 1356. Upon application of sufficient force, the nicks 1359 may break or deform, causing the support rods 1356 to disengage from the bone plate 1315 at the neck 1351 of the TVI 1351. Although this approach does not completely remove the TVI 1351 hardware from the patient, additional surgical intervention may be avoided. In an embodiment, the score 1359 of the TVI may be manipulated by manual force application via forceps. In an example, the score 1359 of the TVI is a transverse score 1359 that extends the perimeter of the support bar 1356.

Fig. 14 is a flow chart of implantation of a transfibular dental implant according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be understood that although fig. 14 depicts the implantation of multiple TVIs and stabilization of a complete arch dental prosthesis (e.g., upper or lower), the implantation of a single TVI may be similarly performed with the necessary modifications according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

In the event of an intraosseous dental implant failure, it is possible to retain the original dental restoration for a stabilization method, such as the TVI of the present disclosure. To this end, the implantation of the TVI is substantially similar to the TDI implantation method described above. Initially, as shown in fig. 14 and in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, alveolar bone and facial bone are exposed after a full arch gingival incision of the middle crest and a mucosal gingival flap reflex S1461. After the facial bones are prepared, each of the four TVIs is placed near a selected cortical bone of the facial bones (S1462), in which the posterior portion of the bone plate is placed. The bone plate may be further shaped in situ, if appropriate, to properly seat the rear portion of the bone plate. After the TVI is properly placed on the facial bone, the bone plate is secured to the facial bone by a plurality of screws inserted through a corresponding plurality of through holes of the bone plate (S1463). If desired, and in order to attach the nose portion tip to the primary dental restoration, the nose portion may be shaped S1464. The positioning and adjustment of the TVI projections can be known from the positioning of the original dental prosthesis. Once adjusted and in the final position, the mucosal gingival flap may be repositioned and sutured around the bone plate and the projection of the TVI such that only the length of the projection required for dental restoration attachment is observed in the oral cavity S1465. Once the mucosal gingival flap is sutured and the oral environment is restored, the original dental restoration can be fixed on the TVI by the methods previously described.

Fig. 15 is an illustration of one or more implanted transfibular dental implants according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. For each of the one or more implanted TVI 1551, the bone plate is secured to the facial bone by screws inserted through the bone plate through holes. Support rods 1556 are attached to the ends of the bone plate and extend from the facial bone to the dental prosthesis 1500. From the described perspective, the relative size and location of the bone plate on the facial bone may be observed, according to embodiments. In addition, the configuration of the support rods 1556 can be observed, as well as the adjusted support rods 1560, which are angled to follow the contours of the facial bones. Fig. 15 is an illustration of two TVI 1551 of a portion of an arch, but it should be understood that similar fixation strategies may be applied to the rest of the arch as appropriate.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be described in parentheses below.

(1) A dental implant comprising a bone plate having a planar portion and a contoured portion; and an abutment, wherein the planar portion of the bone plate and the abutment are positioned in a vertical slot osteotomy, wherein one or more surfaces of the contoured portion of the bone plate are contoured relative to a selected bone surface of the facial bone, and wherein the bone plate is configured to be coupled to the facial bone.

(2) The dental implant according to (1), wherein the bone plate is made of titanium.

(3) The dental implant according to any one of (1) or (2), wherein the contoured portion of the bone plate is configured to couple to the facial bone.

(4) The dental implant according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the selected bone surface of the facial bone is selected based on a determination of cortical bone thickness.

(5) The dental implant according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the bone plate further comprises a plurality of through holes for fixing the dental implant to the facial bone.

(6) The dental implant according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein an abutment tip of the abutment is perpendicularly coupled to a surface of the planar portion of the bone plate in the vertical slot osteotomy.

(7) The dental implant according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the vertical slot osteotomy is performed within the alveolar bone.

(8) The dental implant according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the bone plate has an outside angle between-60 ° and +60 °, the outside angle being defined as the angle between the longitudinal axis of the bone plate and the axis of the contoured portion of the bone plate in the first plane.

(9) The dental implant according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the anterior angle of the bone plate, defined as the angle between the longitudinal axis of the bone plate and the axis of the contoured portion of the bone plate in the second plane, is between-60 ° and +60 °.

(10) The dental implant according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the vertical canal osteotomy is sealed by a collagen membrane.

(11) A method of producing a dental implant, the method of producing comprising obtaining, by a processing circuit, structural data corresponding to facial bone; selecting, by the processing circuitry, a bone surface of the facial bone based on the determination of cortical bone thickness; generating, by the processing circuit, a contoured surface based on the selection of the bone surface of the facial bone; and based on instructions sent by the processing circuit, fabricating a bone plate based on the generated contoured surface, wherein the bone plate comprises a planar portion and a contoured portion, the planar portion of the bone plate being positioned in a vertical slot osteotomy and the contoured portion being positioned proximate to a selected bone surface of the facial bone, and wherein the bone plate is configured to be coupled to the facial bone.

(12) The production method according to (11), wherein the bone plate is produced by direct metal laser sintering.

(13) The production method according to any one of (11) or (12), wherein the vertical slot osteotomy is performed by one or more templates based on a selected bone surface of the facial bone.

(14) A dental implant comprising a bone plate having one or more surfaces contoured relative to a selected bone surface of facial bone; and a projecting portion of the dental implant extending from and below a bone plate, wherein the projecting portion is configured to be coupled to a dental prosthesis, and wherein the bone plate is configured to be coupled to the facial bone.

(15) The dental implant according to (14), wherein the dental implant is made of titanium.

(16) The dental implant according to any one of (14) or (15), wherein the bone plate of the dental implant is configured to be coupled to the facial bone.

(17) The dental implant according to any one of (14) to (16), wherein the selected bone surface of the facial bone is selected based on determination of cortical bone thickness.

(18) The dental implant according to any one of (14) to (17), wherein the bone plate of the dental implant further comprises a plurality of through holes for fixing the dental implant to the facial bone.

(19) The dental implant according to any one of (14) to (18), wherein the protruding face further comprises a biasing member proximate to a coupling between the protruding portion of the dental implant and the bone plate.

(20) The dental implant according to any one of (14) to (19), wherein the biasing member is configured to fracture in response to a force applied to the protruding portion of the dental implant.

Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

Accordingly, the foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, as well as other claims. This disclosure includes any readily identifiable variation of the teachings herein that partially defines the scope of the preceding claim term such that non-inventive subject matter is not disclosed to the public.