Locating device and method of placing a tooth implant

Claim 1

A method of imbedding a tooth implant comprising the steps of forming a stint comprising a negative impression of a patient's teeth in the vicinity of the implant area, locating a plurality of X-ray opaque strips in the negative impression of said stint in the vicinity of the implant area, placing the stint so formed on the teeth of the patient, taking a series of oblique X-rays for a diagnostic evaluation of a patient's jaw structure in the vicinity of the implant area with said stint in the patient's mouth, and plotting the optimal trajectory for an implant fixture by reference to the image points produced on said X-ray by said opaque strips.

Claim 2

A method of imbedding a tooth implant comprising the steps of forming a stint comprising a negative impression of a patient's teeth in the vicinity of the implant area, locating a plurality of X-ray opaque strips in the negative impression of said stint in the vicinity of the implant area, placing the stint so formed on the teeth of the patient, taking a series of oblique X-rays for a diagnostic evaluation of a patient's jaw structure in the vicinity of the implant area with said stint in the patient's mouth, and plotting the optimal trajectory for an implant fixture by reference to the image points produced on said X-ray by said opaque strips.

Claim 7

A method for accurately forming an implant seat in the most optimal bone structure of a patient's mouth comprising the steps of forming a model of the patient's teeth adjacent the void area to receive an implant fixture, placing an artificial tooth on the model in the void area for determining the proper occlusal and aesthetic determinations, taking a negative impression of the model with the artificial teeth in place thereon, placing a radiopaqued marker along the central fossae of the negative impression in the void area, disposing a plurality of radio-opaqued markers spaced horizontally in the void area between the central fossae and the tissue side of said negative impression, placing the negative impression so formed onto a patient's teeth, making a diagnostic evaluation of the patient's bone structure with the negative impression in place on the patient's teeth by taking a series of oblique X-rays at transversely spaced intervals along the void area, determining the location of the most optimal bone structure for receiving the implant fixture on the X-ray, plotting the trajectory of a proposed implant by referencing the location of the most optimal bone structure to the image points formed of said radio opaqued markers of said negative impression, transferring the trajectory as determined by said oblique X-ray to the model of the patient's teeth by cutting said negative impression transversely adjacent to the site location of the implant seat, and noting the trajectory at the cut end of said negative impression by locating corresponding points of reference from said X-ray onto said cut end of said negative impression, placing the model and negative impression on a surveying table to orient the model relative to drill, and boring a hole in the model to coincide with the established trajectory, locating a guide sleeve in axial alignment with said hole, making a second negative impression of the model to include the guide sleeve therein, placing the second impression onto the teeth of the patient, and utilizing the guide sleeve as a guide for drilling the implant seat in the optimal bone structure of the patient as determined by the diagnostic evaluation.

Claim 8

A method for accurately forming an implant seat in the most optimal bone structure of a patient's mouth comprising the steps of forming a model of the patient's teeth adjacent the void area to receive an implant fixture, placing an artificial tooth on the model in the void area for determining the proper occlusal and aesthetic determinations, taking a negative impression of the model with the artificial teeth in place thereon, placing a radiopaqued marker along the central fossae of the negative impression in the void area, disposing a plurality of radio-opaqued markers spaced horizontally in the void area between the central fossae and the tissue side of said negative impression, placing the negative impression so formed onto a patient's teeth, making a diagnostic evaluation of the patient's bone structure with the negative impression in place on the patient's teeth by taking a series of oblique X-rays at transversely spaced intervals along the void area, determining the location of the most optimal bone structure for receiving the implant fixture on the X-ray, plotting the trajectory of a proposed implant by referencing the location of the most optimal bone structure to the image points formed of said radio opaqued markers of said negative impression, transferring the trajectory as determined by said oblique X-ray to the model of the patient's teeth by cutting said negative impression transversely adjacent to the site location of the implant seat, and noting the trajectory at the cut end of said negative impression by locating corresponding points of reference from said X-ray onto said cut end of said negative impression, placing the model and negative impression on a surveying table to orient the model relative to drill, and boring a hole in the model to coincide with the established trajectory, locating a guide sleeve in axial alignment with said hole, making a second negative impression of the model to include the guide sleeve therein, placing the second impression onto the teeth of the patient, and utilizing the guide sleeve as a guide for drilling the implant seat in the optimal bone structure of the patient as determined by the diagnostic evaluation.

Claim 9

A method of imbedding a tooth implant into the most optimal bone structure of a patient's mouth comprising the steps of forming a model of a patient's teeth to include the implant void, making a first negative impression of the model and implant void, locating in said first impression in the implant void thereof a plurality of spaced apart X-ray opaque strips to define points of reference cross-sectional thereof, placing said first impression onto the patient's teeth, void to obtain cross-sectional views of the patient's bone structure and said first impression whereby said radio opaque marker defines a reference grid on said X-rays, and utilizing said X-rays to determine the trajectory for seating an implant fixture in the patient's most optimal bone structure by referencing said bone structure to said grid.

Claim 10

A method of imbedding a tooth implant into the most optimal bone structure of a patient's mouth comprising the steps of forming a model of a patient's teeth to include the implant void, making a first negative impression of the model and implant void, locating in said first impression in the implant void thereof a plurality of spaced apart X-ray opaque strips to define points of reference cross-sectional thereof, placing said first impression onto the patient's teeth, void to obtain cross-sectional views of the patient's bone structure and said first impression whereby said radio opaque marker defines a reference grid on said X-rays, and utilizing said X-rays to determine the trajectory for seating an implant fixture in the patient's most optimal bone structure by referencing said bone structure to said grid.