Fiber-Reinforced Dental Fastening Element With Longitudinal Slit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastening systems for tooth canals, particularly those using prefabricated pins, face challenges with adaptation to varying canal sizes and diameters, leading to reduced retentive capacity and risk of prosthesis detachment due to incomplete mechanical overlapping.
Innovation Solution
A fastening element with a parallel or conical shape, a longitudinal through bore, and a main longitudinal slit, along with partial slits, is designed to fit within the tooth canal, mechanically overlapping with the canal walls to enhance retention, compatible with both prefabricated pins and used alone, made from a fiber-reinforced composite material with specific polymer matrices and additives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If prefabricated pins are used with standard diameters, then manufacturing is simplified and material selection is limited to specific options, but adaptation to varying canal sizes is poor leading to reduced retentive capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening element is divided into multiple segments with different diameters along its length, allowing each segment to adapt to the specific canal diameter at that location. This segmentation enables the element to conform to varying canal geometries while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular construction
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening element incorporates flexible portions that can dynamically adapt to the canal shape and diameter. The element is designed to be insertable in a compressed state and expands within the canal to engage with the walls, providing adaptability to various canal sizes while maintaining structural integrity
2Productivity
If prefabricated pins are used, then production efficiency is improved, but mechanical overlapping with canal walls is incomplete resulting in low retentivity
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening element incorporates a spiral or threaded structure that engages with the canal walls in a dimensional manner, creating mechanical interlocking beyond simple cylindrical contact. This adds a rotational and angular dimension to the retention mechanism, significantly improving retentive capacity while maintaining prefabricated production advantages
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening element is made from composite materials combining flexible polymer portions with reinforcing fibers or metallic elements. This composite construction provides both the flexibility needed for adaptation and the strength required for reliable mechanical overlapping, achieving high retentivity while maintaining manufacturing efficiency
3Object-affected harmful factors
If flexible fiber pins are used, then root fracture risk is reduced through flexibility, but adaptation to canal diameter is insufficient causing displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening element has different structural characteristics at different locations: the proximal portion is more flexible to absorb shocks and prevent root fracture, while the distal portion has enhanced rigidity and mechanical features for strong engagement with the canal walls. This local differentiation simultaneously achieves flexibility for shock absorption and adaptation for retention
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
Figure 2~3
Figure 4.1~4.2
AI summary
Fastening element and system for introduction in the canals of teeth to be treated, being used alone or together with a prefabricated intra-radicular pin serving as a root reinforcement or an anchorage of prostheses to be installed on the tooth, said fastening element comprises: - a body of parallel or conical shape; - a parallel or tapered longitudinal trhough bore; and - a main longitudinal slot running from the upper end to the lower end of the body of the fastenning element.