An Illinois dentist has been awarded a patent -- U.S. patent No. 7,866,797 B2 -- for inventing a device that eliminates the risk of overdrilling during implant surgery, according to a story in the Pantagraph.
The drill stop fits like a sleeve over different manufacturers' drill bits and has a collar that stops the drill bit from going too deeply, according to Emil Verban, DDS, of Bloomington. The stop rotates with the drill bit but does not tear gum tissue because the tissue already has been opened for the drill to penetrate into the bone, Dr. Verban explained.
At least 200 dentists in the U.S. and Puerto Rico already are using the invention, according to the story. As more general dentists do implant surgery, Dr. Verban believes the demand for drill stops will increase.
Some dental handpiece makers have their own drill stops, but Dr. Verban says his is more user-friendly because it can be used with several sizes of drills.
Because the device does not go into the body, it did not need to go through U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) trials, but he does have an FDA certificate to sell it as a medical device.
Marshall Manufacturing of Minneapolis is making the drill stops, which are sold through Blue Sky Bio, a medical instrumentation company. Beginning in June, the product will also be distributed through Osseous Technologies of America.
For more information and to see a videotaped demo of the drill stop, visit Dr. Verban's website.
