Nanophase dental prosthetics

• US 20020028424A1
• Filed: 10/25/2001
• Published: 03/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Michael Prestipino, Vincent Joseph Prestipino
• Original Assignee: David Michael Prestipino, Vincent Joseph Prestipino
• Inventors: Prestipino, Vincent Joseph, Prestipino, David Michael
• Granted Patent: US 6,669,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/201.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0003 Making bridge-work, inlays, implants or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/00 Means to be fixed to the jaw-bone for consolidating natural teeth or for fixing dental prostheses thereon; Dental implants; Implanting tools fastening of peg-teeth in the mouth A61C13/30

Abstract

Dental prosthetics, including implants, crowns and bridges, made from nanophase materials. The nanophase materials are generally manufactured by evaporating a metal or other solid substrate by heating it to a temperature at or above its boiling point in a vacuum to form a vapor. The vapor is then condensed back to a solid state through contact with a cold gas. In a first method, the nanophase material is heated until it is in a fluid state, then it is poured into a mold and cooled to form all or part of a dental prosthetic. In a second method, the nanophase material is placed into the mold in a powdered form, then heated so that the grains form a solid mass. Nanophase crowns and bridges should generally be formed in one piece, but the upper surface of a nanophase prosthetic will usually be covered with porcelain or another non-nanophase material.

Claims

1. A method of making a nanophase dental prosthetic, comprising the steps of:

heating a precursor material to form a vapor;

condensing the vapor by contact with a cold gas to form a nanophase material;

placing the nanophase material in a mold to form a nanophase portion of a dental prosthetic, said dental prosthetic being suitably dimensioned and configured to replace at least part of at least one natural tooth.

2. A method of making a nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 1, wherein at least one nanophase portion is combined with at least one non-nanophase portion made of a material that is not a nanophase material, to form the dental prosthetic.

3. A method of making a nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 1, wherein the nanophase material is heated to a liquid state before being placed in the mold, and then is cooled to a solid state in the mold.

4. A method of making a nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 1, wherein the nanophase material is placed in the mold in a powdered form, and then sintered.

5. A nanophase dental prosthetic, comprising:

a first part made of a metallic nanophase material, and

a second part made of a ceramic nanophase material,

wherein the metallic and ceramic nanophase materials have grains with a mean diameter of no more than one hundred nanometers.

6. A nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 5, wherein the nanophase materials have been formed using precursor materials that have been heated to form vapors, and the vapors have been condensed to form said nanophase material.

7. A nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 6, wherein the vapors have been condensed by contact with cold gas.

8. A nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 5, wherein the first part and the second part form a replacement for all of at least one natural tooth.

9. A nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 5, wherein the first part and the second part form a replacement for a portion of at least one natural tooth.

10. A nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the nanophase materials has been heated to a liquid state, and then cooled to a solid state in a mold.

11. A nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the nanophase materials has been placed in a mold in powdered form, and then sintered.

13. A nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 12, wherein in at least one part of the nanophase material is metallic.

14. A nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 12, wherein in at least one part of the nanophase material is ceramic.

15. A nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 12, wherein the nanophase material has been formed using a precursor material that has been heated to form a vapor, and the vapor has been condensed to form said nanophase material.

16. A nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 15, wherein the vapor has been condensed by contact with a cold gas.

17. A nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 12, wherein the nanophase material forms a replacement for all of at least one natural tooth.

18. A nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 12, wherein the nanophase material forms a replacement for a portion of at least one natural tooth.

19. A nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 12, wherein the nanophase material has been heated to a liquid state, and then cooled to a solid state in a mold.

20. A nanophase dental prosthetic according to claim 12, wherein the nanophase material has been placed in a mold in powdered form, and then sintered.

12. A nanophase dental prosthetic, comprising:

at least one part made of a biologically inert nanophase material having grains with a mean diameter of no more than one hundred nanometers.