METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR FORMING A DENTAL BRIDGE

• US 20100291509A1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nobel Biocare Services AG (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nobel Biocare Services AG (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Vogel, Olof, Jörneus, Lars, Berggren, Carina, Johansson, Ulf, Brännvall, Petrus
• Granted Patent: US 10,449,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/199.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0003 Making bridge-work, inlays, implants or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0022 Blanks or green, unfinished dental restoration parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/12 Tools for fastening artificial teeth; Holders, clamps, or stands for artificial teeth A61C8/0089 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49567 Dental appliance making

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the invention relate to a method of manufacturing a dental bridge. In certain embodiments of the method, a pre-sintered blank made from a green body of ceramic material is subjected to a machining operation that transforms the blank into an intermediate product with a bridge structure and a support body linked to the bridge structure by one or several retaining sections that extend from the support body to the bridge structure. In certain embodiments, a sintering operation is then performed on the intermediate product while the retaining section(s) still link(s) the support body to the bridge structure.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a dental bridge, the method comprising:

providing a blank made from a green body of ceramic material;

performing a machining operation on the blank that transforms it into an intermediate product comprising a bridge structure and a support body linked to the bridge structure by at least one retaining section that extends from the support body to the bridge structure; and

performing a sintering operation on the intermediate product while the at least one retaining section still links the support body to the bridge structure.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which, during the sintering operation performed on the intermediate product, the intermediate product is provided with the at least one retaining section extending at least partially in a vertical direction.

3. A method according to claim 1, in which the at least one retaining section is removed from the bridge structure after the sintering operation.

4. A method according to claim 1, in which the bridge structure is supported only by the at least one retaining section during the sintering operation.

5. A method according to claim 1, in which the bridge structure forms an arch and the intermediate product comprises a plurality of retaining sections that connect the support body to the bridge structure.

6. A method according to claim 1, in which a plurality of retaining sections are shaped as spokes that extend from the bridge structure towards a common hub in the support body.

7. A method according to claim 1, in which a part of the support body of the intermediate product has an exterior surface that forms a circular arc.

8. A method according to claim 7, in which, during the sintering operation, the support body is resting on a V-block in such a way that an exterior surface of the support body abuts the V-block at two places along the circular arc.

9. A method according to claim 1, in which, during the sintering operation, the intermediate product is resting against a surface that is slanted relative to the horizontal plane.

10. A method according to claim 1, in which the intermediate product has several retaining sections and wherein, during the sintering operation, the intermediate product is placed such that at least one retaining section extends in an essentially vertical direction.

11. A method according to claim 1, in which, during the sintering operation, the intermediate product is resting on elements shaped as solids of revolution.

12. A method according to claim 1, in which the method includes machining the blank to such a shape that, in the intermediate product, the bridge structure will have at least one part shaped to define a dental interface.

13. A method according to claim 12, in which the at least one retaining section extends from the support body to the bridge structure such that the at least one retaining section is associated with the at least one part that is shaped to define a dental interface.

14. A method according to claim 12, in which the bridge structure comprises a plurality of parts shaped to define dental interfaces and each part shaped to define a dental interface has at least one associated retaining section.

15. A method according to claim 1, in which there are a plurality of retaining sections and at least one of the retaining sections has a reduced cross section where it meets at least one of the support body and the bridge structure.

16. A method according to claim 1, in which the blank comprises Zirconia.

17. A method according to claim 1, in which the blank comprises Aluminium Oxide.

18. A method according to claim 1, in which the machining operation is performed on a pre-sintered blank.

25. A method according to claim 12, in which the dental interface is for a dental implant, an implant supported abutment, or a dental preparation.

19. A sintered product suitable for making a dental bridge, and which has been created by machining a pre-sintered blank to a desired shape and subsequently sintering the machined blank, the sintered product having a density in the range of about 6.0-6.1 g/cm³, the sintered product comprising a bridge structure and a support body linked to the bridge structure by at least one retaining section that extends from the support body to the bridge structure.

20. An arrangement for manufacturing a dental bridge, the arrangement comprising at least one heating furnace in which a ceramic material may undergo a sintering operation, the arrangement further comprising a sintering support on which a previously formed intermediate product may rest during the sintering operation.

22. An arrangement according to claim 20, wherein the sintering support which, when placed in the at least one heating furnace, may present at least one surface that is inclined relative to the horizontal plane.

23. An arrangement according to claim 22, wherein the sintering support is a V-block.

24. An arrangement according to claim 20, wherein the sintering support comprises a plurality of elements shaped as bodies of revolution.

21. (canceled)