Method and apparatus for preparing a ceramic dental restoration in one appointment

• US 10,456,223 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James R Glidewell Dental Ceramics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: James R Glidewell Dental Ceramics Incorporated
• Inventors: Carden, Robin A., Selberis, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Proctor, Cachet I
• Application Number:
  US15/423,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20170143456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0001 In-situ dentures; Trial or temporary dentures
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0004 Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0022 Blanks or green, unfinished dental restoration parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/083 Porcelain or ceramic teeth A61C13/081 takes precedence; preparations A61K6/80
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/77 Methods or devices for making crowns
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0053 Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 6/76 comprising silicon-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 6/818 comprising zirconium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 3/00 Milling particular work; Special milling operations; Machines therefor milling gear-teeth B23F, heat assisted machining B23P25/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3244 Zirconium oxides, zirconates, hafnium oxides, hafnates, or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/612 Machining
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/48 based on zirconium or hafnium oxides, zirconates, zircon or hafnates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6261 Milling

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to provide a patient with a monolithic ceramic dental restoration in one office visit. In some embodiments, a dentist is provided with a kit containing one or more machinable blocks, a chair-side milling machine to convert a selected machinable block into a finished dental restoration, and optionally, a scanner. Machinable blocks may have a fully sintered zirconia material solid body and a sintered zirconia mandrel. A plurality of machinable blocks may be provided in multiple shape, size, or shade selections.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a dental restoration for a patient from a machinable block comprising the steps of:

a. obtaining a machinable block comprising a machinable, fully sintered zirconia ceramic material solid body comprising

an external surface defining an occlusal surface, a margin area that optionally, comprises a flat surface opposite the occlusal surface, and side surfaces between the occlusal surface and the margin area;

wherein the side surfaces consist essentially of non-planar surfaces; and

wherein the fully sintered zirconia ceramic material solid body comprises a cubic volume fraction between about 0.35 and about 0.95;

b. obtaining a milling strategy to control the conversion of the fully sintered zirconia ceramic material solid body into a dental restoration by a chair-side milling machine; and

c. milling the fully sintered zirconia ceramic material solid body into the dental restoration with the chair-side milling machine.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining a machinable block comprises selecting a shaded machinable, fully sintered zirconia ceramic material solid body from a plurality of shade selections.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining a machinable block comprises selecting a machinable block that comprises a cubic volume fraction between about 0.45 and 0.90.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining a machinable block comprises selecting a machinable block that comprises a cubic volume fraction between about 0.50 and 0.85.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cubic volume fraction of the machinable block for fabricating a molar or premolar is between 0.50 and 0.80.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining an impression of the patient'"'"'s mouth prior to obtaining a milling strategy.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining a scan of the patient'"'"'s mouth, or a scan of an impression taken of a patient'"'"'s mouth, and generating scan data.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising designing the dental restoration based on the scan data using designing software.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the machinable block comprises an internal void having an internal void volume.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the machinable block comprises an internal void defined by an internal void surface and the method comprises machining the internal void surface to accommodate a tooth preparation of a patient'"'"'s tooth to be restored.

11. An apparatus for preparing a zirconia dental restoration for a patient, the apparatus comprising

a. a chair-side milling machine for milling a fully sintered zirconia ceramic material into a dental restoration;

and

b. a plurality of machinable blocks that each comprise a fully sintered zirconia ceramic solid body comprising

an external surface defining an occlusal surface, a margin area that optionally, comprises a flat surface opposite the occlusal surface, and side surfaces between the occlusal surface and the margin area;

wherein the side surfaces consist essentially of non-planar surfaces; and

wherein the fully sintered zirconia ceramic material solid body comprises a cubic volume fraction between about 0.35 and about 0.95.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the plurality of machinable blocks comprise fully sintered zirconia ceramic material in a plurality of shade selections that encompass multiple human tooth colors.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of machinable blocks comprise from 4 to 16 different shade selections for fully sintered zirconia ceramic material.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the plurality of machinable blocks comprise a plurality of sizes to encompass multiple restoration tooth sizes.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the plurality of machinable blocks comprise a plurality of shapes to encompass multiple restoration tooth shapes.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a scanner for generating a digital representation of the patient'"'"'s mouth.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a scanner that directly scans a patient'"'"'s mouth for generating a digital representation of the patient'"'"'s mouth.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a scanner that scans an impression of a patient'"'"'s mouth for generating a digital representation of the patient'"'"'s mouth.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the machinable blocks each comprise a fully sintered zirconia mandrel attached to the ceramic material solid body.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein at least a portion of the plurality of machinable blocks comprises a fully sintered zirconia ceramic solid body having a volume fraction in a range of 662 mm³ to 1466 mm³.