DENTURE AND METHOD AND APPARATUS OF MAKING SAME

• US 20130101962A1
• Filed: 08/10/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Dental Science LLC
• Original Assignee: Devon O. Howe
• Inventors: HOWE, Devon O.
• Granted Patent: US 8,641,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/191
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0006 Production methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0022 Blanks or green, unfinished dental restoration parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/01 Palates or other bases or supports for the artificial teeth; Making same
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/04 made by casting
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/081 Making teeth by casting or moulding
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/087 Artificial resin teeth A61C13/081 takes precedence; preparations A61K6/80
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/09 Composite teeth, e.g. front and back section A61C13/0835, A61C13/1023 take precedence; Multilayer teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/10 Fastening of artificial teeth to denture palates or the like A61C8/0048 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/1003 by embedding in base material
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/34 Making or working of models, e.g. preliminary castings, trial dentures; Dowel pins [4]
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/003 Apparatus for curing resins by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 9/0053 Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing

Abstract

A method for making a denture comprising a base and a plurality of teeth joined thereto. The method comprises forming a first cavity in a block of a denture base material, the first cavity being formed to match the contour of natural teeth as arranged on maxillae or on a mandible; filling the first cavity with a first fluid synthetic tooth material and solidifying the first fluid synthetic tooth material into a first solid synthetic tooth material; removing a portion of the first solid synthetic tooth material to form the plurality of teeth; and removing a portion of the block of denture base material to form the denture base. The steps of the method may be implemented by a computer. An apparatus for making the denture according to certain embodiments of the method, and a denture comprised of a base and artificial teeth are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of making a denture comprised of a base and a plurality of teeth joined to the base, the method comprising:

a) forming a first cavity in a block of a denture base material, the first cavity formed to match the contour of natural teeth as arranged on maxillae or on a mandible;

b) filling the first cavity with a first fluid synthetic tooth material and solidifying the first fluid synthetic tooth material into a first solid synthetic tooth material;

c) forming a second cavity by removing a portion of the first solid synthetic tooth material, the second cavity formed to match the contour of natural teeth as arranged for the contour of the first cavity;

d) filling the second cavity with a second fluid synthetic tooth material and solidifying the second fluid synthetic tooth material into a second solid synthetic tooth material;

e) removing a portion of the second solid synthetic tooth material to form the plurality of teeth; and

f) removing a portion of the block of denture base material to form the denture base.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising heat treating the denture base and plurality of teeth.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein solidifying the first fluid synthetic tooth material is performed by heating the first fluid synthetic tooth material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein solidifying the first fluid synthetic tooth material is performed by irradiating the first fluid synthetic tooth material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein solidifying the first fluid synthetic tooth material is performed by self-curing first fluid synthetic tooth material.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the denture is defined by a digital three-dimensional model, and wherein the forming the first cavity and the forming the second cavity are performed based upon data from the three-dimensional model.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the removing a portion of the second solid synthetic tooth material to form the plurality of teeth and the removing a portion of the block of denture base material to form the denture base are performed to produce the denture having the dimensions defined in the three-dimensional model.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising making a trial denture, fitting the trial denture to a patient, scanning the fitted trial denture to obtain scanned denture data, and using the scanned denture data to produce the digital three-dimensional model.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising filling the second cavity with a third fluid synthetic tooth material, solidifying the third fluid synthetic tooth material into a third solid synthetic tooth material, and removing a portion of the third solid synthetic tooth material to re-form the second cavity, prior to filling the second cavity with the second fluid synthetic tooth material.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second solid synthetic tooth material differs from the first solid synthetic tooth material.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second solid synthetic tooth material is synthetic translucent tooth enamel material.

12. A method of making a denture comprised of a base and a plurality of teeth joined to the base, the method comprising:

a) forming a first cavity in a block of a denture base material, the first cavity formed to match the contour of natural teeth as arranged on maxillae or on a mandible;

b) filling the first cavity with a first fluid synthetic tooth material and solidifying the first fluid synthetic tooth material into a first solid synthetic tooth material;

c) removing a portion of the first solid synthetic tooth material to form the plurality of teeth; and

d) removing a portion of the block of denture base material to form the denture base.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first solid synthetic tooth material is a wax.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein solidifying the first fluid synthetic tooth material is performed by heating the first fluid synthetic tooth material.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein solidifying the first fluid synthetic tooth material is performed by irradiating the first fluid synthetic tooth material.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein solidifying the first fluid synthetic tooth material is performed by initiating self-curing of the first fluid synthetic tooth material.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising heat treating the denture base and/or plurality of teeth.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the denture is defined by a digital three-dimensional model, and wherein the forming the first cavity is performed based upon data from the three-dimensional model.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the denture is defined by a digital three-dimensional model, and wherein the removing a portion of the first solid synthetic tooth material to form the plurality of teeth and the removing a portion of the block of denture base material to form the denture base are performed to produce the denture having the dimensions defined in the three-dimensional model.

20. An apparatus for making a denture comprised of a base and a plurality of teeth joined to the base, the apparatus comprising:

a) a material holding fixture;

b) a material removal device; and

c) a first fluid synthetic tooth material delivery device;

wherein the material removal device is contactable with a block of denture base material held by the fixture so as to remove denture base material and form a first mold cavity in the block for receiving first fluid synthetic tooth material;

wherein the first fluid synthetic tooth material delivery device is configured to deliver the first fluid synthetic tooth material into the first mold cavity; and

wherein the material holding fixture and material removal device are movable with respect to each other so as to enable the material removal device to remove denture base material from the block and first solid tooth material in the first mold cavity so as to form the denture base and at least a portion of the plurality of teeth.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a fluid-to-solid tooth material curing device configured to cure the first fluid synthetic tooth material in the first mold cavity into first solid tooth material.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a second fluid synthetic tooth material delivery device configured to deliver the second fluid synthetic tooth material into a second mold cavity formed by the material removal device removing a portion of the first solid tooth material.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a fluid-to-solid tooth material curing device configured to cure the second fluid synthetic tooth material in the second mold cavity into second solid tooth material.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the material holding fixture and material removal device are movable with respect to each other so as to enable the material removal device to remove second solid tooth material in the second mold cavity so as to form at least a portion of the plurality of teeth.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a third fluid synthetic tooth material delivery device configured to deliver the third fluid synthetic tooth material into a third mold cavity formed by the material removal device removing a portion of at least one of the first solid tooth material and the second solid tooth material.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a fluid-to-solid tooth material curing device configured to cure the third fluid synthetic tooth material in the third mold cavity into third solid tooth material.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the material holding fixture and material removal device are movable with respect to each other so as to enable the material removal device to remove third solid tooth material in the third mold cavity so as to form at least a portion of the plurality of teeth.

28. A denture comprising a base and a plurality of teeth joined to the base, the teeth comprised of a posterior region of a first solid synthetic tooth material and an anterior region of a second solid synthetic tooth material.

29. The denture of claim 28, wherein the second solid synthetic tooth material has the appearance of natural teeth to an observer.

30. The denture of claim 28, wherein the teeth are further comprised of a third solid synthetic tooth material in an interior region between the first solid synthetic tooth material and the second solid synthetic tooth material.