Tubular dental post

Claim 1

A dental post for installation in a tooth having a borehole formed therein for use to receive a crown or other dental appliance thereon, comprising: an elongated tubular member of generally cylindrical external configuration having an external tubular surface and having a proximal end and a distal end, said external surface adjacent said proximal end having a plurality of circumferential grooves therein, such grooves each having an external inclined wall surface configured to permit insertion of the post in a borehole in a tooth but which resists extraction of the post from a borehole, said elongated tubular member having opposed elongted slots therein each in a plane of the member tubular axis and communicating with said distal end and dimensioned to permit the portions of said post between such slots to deflect inwardly as the post is installed in a borehole in a tooth, and including at least one lateral opening communicating said interior and exterior surfaces, such lateral opening being adjacent to and spaced from said proximal end and spaced away from said elongated slots, the tubular member thereby having an intermediate portion without an opening therethrough.