Provisional Denture Positioning With Soft Tissue Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional implant-supported dentures face challenges in accurate positioning and stabilization, especially in patients with insufficient teeth and bone structure, requiring iterative grinding and test fitting that can be painful and lead to overtrimming, and bone reduction procedures are often inaccurate due to repeated trial fittings.
Innovation Solution
A removable denture system with a soft tissue-supported provisional denture structure that uses adhesive and connectors to stabilize and position the denture immediately after surgery, allowing for precise trimming and minimizing patient discomfort, and an optional bar structure for enhanced rigidity and stability once healing progresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional implant-supported dentures are fitted immediately after surgery with iterative grinding and test fitting, then the denture can be adjusted to fit the patient's anatomy, but the fitting process is prolonged and exacerbates patient pain
Solution Approach 1:
A provisional denture is fabricated in advance with pre-integrated connectors that match the implant positions. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for iterative grinding and test fitting after surgery, as the denture is already customized to the patient's anatomy and implant locations before the surgical procedure begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The denture is divided into separate components including connectors that can be independently positioned and attached to implants. This segmentation allows for precise positioning of each component without requiring repeated adjustments to the entire denture structure, reducing fitting time while maintaining accuracy.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional implant-supported dentures are trimmed by grinding or cutting during fitting, then the denture can be adjusted for hygiene and fit, but overtrimming may occur due to repeated trial fitting
Solution Approach 1:
The denture borders and trimming requirements are predetermined and pre-marked during the preliminary fabrication stage. This allows the dental professional to make precise, single-pass trimming adjustments without repeated trial fittings, eliminating the risk of overtrimming while ensuring proper hygiene and fit.
3Manufacturing precision
If a conventional denture baseplate is used as a trimming guide for bone reduction, then bone can be reduced to accommodate the denture, but access to the area needing reduction is prohibited
Solution Approach 1:
The baseplate is segmented with removable sections or openings that provide surgical access to the bone reduction area. These removable portions can be temporarily detached during the bone reduction procedure, allowing the surgeon to reach the target area while maintaining the baseplate's function as an accurate trimming guide. After bone reduction, the sections are replaced to complete the fitting process.
4Manufacturing precision
If iterative grinding and test fitting is performed to achieve proper denture fit, then the denture can be customized to patient anatomy, but patient discomfort is increased due to prolonged procedure
Solution Approach 1:
The denture is fully customized to the patient's anatomy during the pre-surgical fabrication stage using digital impressions and planning software. This preliminary customization eliminates the need for post-surgical adjustments that would require the denture to remain in the patient's mouth for extended periods, thereby minimizing patient discomfort and pain while maintaining high anatomical fit accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables accurate and rapid fitting of implant-supported dentures with reduced patient discomfort and minimizes the risk of overtrimming, while facilitating bone reduction with a cut or break-away feature for improved surgical precision.
Implementation Method 1
adhesive is applied to the underside of the provisional denture, and implant connectors are seated on the implants. The implant connectors adhere to the adhesive and transfer the implant positions to the provisional denture
Data Source
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AI summary
A removable system and method for helping position and stabilize implant supported dentures during the healing process after surgery is provided, wherein a removable system comprises a soft tissue supported provisional denture structure configured to help position and stabilize the provisional denture during the transfer of the implant positions to the provisional denture. In the surgical process of providing implant-supported dentures, immediately after the implants are surgically implanted, adhesive is applied to the underside of the provisional denture, and implant connectors are seated on the implants. The provisional denture is seated in the patient's mouth wherein the soft tissue supported provisional denture structure helps stabilize and position the denture. The implant connectors adhere to the adhesive and transfer the implant positions to the provisional denture.