Solid free-form fabrication methods for the production of dental restorations
First Claim
1. A process for manufacturing a dental restoration comprising:
- forming a die for a coping or a framework;
forming the coping or the framework from a ceramic material;
wherein the ceramic material is in its green state or in a partially sintered state;
placing the coping or framework on the die; and
fully sintering the coping or framework.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Solid free form fabrication techniques such as fused deposition modeling and three-dimensional printing are used to create a shell or die used in the manufacture of a dental restoration. Three-dimensional printing comprises ink-jet printing a binder into selected areas of sequentially deposited layers of powder. Each layer is created by spreading a thin layer of powder over the surface of a powder bed. Instructions for each layer may be derived directly from a CAD representation of the restoration. The area to be printed is obtained by computing the area of intersection between the desired plane and the CAD representation of the object. All the layers required for an aesthetically sound shell can be deposited concurrently slice after slice and sintered/cured simultaneously. While the layers become hardened or at least partially hardened as each of the layers is laid down, once the desired final shaped configuration is achieved and the layering process is complete, in some applications it may be desirable that the form and its contents be heated, cooled or cured at a suitably selected temperature to further promote the integrity of solid free-form structures.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A process for manufacturing a dental restoration comprising:
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forming a die for a coping or a framework;
forming the coping or the framework from a ceramic material;
wherein the ceramic material is in its green state or in a partially sintered state;
placing the coping or framework on the die; and
fully sintering the coping or framework. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13)
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10. A process for manufacturing a dental restoration comprising:
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manufacturing a shell by rapid prototyping, wherein the shell is a replica of a coping;
covering the shell with refractory material;
burning out the shell to provide a space in the refractory material;
filling the space with ceramic, metal or composite material to form the dental restoration. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 14)
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Specification