Helically fluted dental post

Claim 1

A dental post for retaining a dental restoration in a secured position on a prepared tooth stub, comprising: an elongated cylindrical pin having a longitudinal axis; flute means disposed on said pin for retaining said pin secured within a cement prepared bore in the tooth stub, and also to provide a vent for insertion of said pin into the bore; said flute means including a plurality of external, spaced apart helical flutes; said flutes being longitudinally disposed about said longitudinal axis of said pin; each of said helical flutes providing a separate spiral path about said pin; said pin having a major exterior diameter, and said flutes cut into said pin to a respective depth defining at least one minor diameter so that at any cross sectional taken along said longitudinal axis of said pin there exists a greater peripheral length at said major diameter than at said minor diameter; said depth of said flutes being smaller than the spacing between adjacent flutes; said pin having a predetermined length so that an upper portion of said pin extends outwardly from the tooth stub upon which the restoration can be secured when said pin is inserted into the tooth stub bore; said flutes having a pitch greater than said predetermined length of said pin so that said separate spiral path of each of said flutes is less than one revolution about said pin to define said vent; said pitch providing a pitch angle of less than 10 degrees with respect to said longitudinal axis of said pin to maintain venting capability of said flutes; said pitch being approximately one revolution per inch, and said pin length being approximately 0.750 inches; and a first group of said flutes having a first size, and a second group of said flutes having a second size smaller than said first size to provide said greater peripheral length at said major diameter.