Denture support frame with ramus implant for molar area of lower jaw

Claim 1

A permanent frame for removably supporting an artificial denture required for a toothless molar area in the lower jaw posterior to a sound natural tooth retained in the jaw, said frame formed from an integral rigid bar, preferably substantially rectangular in cross-section, the rear portion of said bar so formed as to constitute a ramus implant having an overall length of at least 30 mm., an upwardly curved bottom edge, the bottom and top edges converging at the rear end tip, and adapted to be driven rearwardly in between the lingual and buccal plates of the ramus, thE denture-supporting portion of said bar being of the proper shape and length to extend forwardly from the ramus implant, spaced slightly above the epithelium in said molar area, to within a slight distance of said sound natural tooth, said latter mentioned portion of said bar ending with a 90* downward turn adjacent said natural tooth and forming a leg member, said leg member having a length sufficient to allow said leg to be implanted in the jawbone but only to a depth considerably less than the depth of the root of said natural tooth, the bottom end of said leg member turned forwardly 90* and forming the terminal of said bar and frame, said forwardly-turned bottom end and capable of extending into a slit cut in said tooth root and to be anchored therein.