Method And Apparatus For Preparing A Zirconia Dental Restoration In One Appointment

• US 20130316306A1
• Filed: 05/26/2012
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James R Glidewell Dental Ceramics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: James R Glidewell Dental Ceramics Incorporated
• Inventors: Carden, Robin A., Selberis, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US13/481,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20130316306A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/203.1
• 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: A61K 6/818 comprising zirconium oxide

Abstract

A method and apparatus that permits a dentist to provide a patient with a monolithic zirconia restoration (i.e., crown) in one office visit. The dentist is provided with a kit of various near net shape (NNS) components of various shapes and shades, chair-side software, and a chair-side milling machine to convert a selected kit component into a finished, fully contoured restoration in about one hour or less. Each such kit component may be, for example, a fully sintered zirconia NNS component having an integral mandrel at a precise location and orientation to minimize the amount of milling time.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a zirconia restoration comprising the steps of:

a) fabricating a plurality of near net shape fully sintered zirconia restoration components in selected shades and shapes at least one of which would be suitable for conversion into a fully formed zirconia restoration for a respective selected tooth of any particular dental patient;

b) generating electronic data representing a selected tooth to be restored from said particular dental patient;

c) providing a chair-side milling machine to remove zirconia material from a selected near net shape component to produce a completed restoration; and

d) using the electronic data of step b) to provide software instructions to the chair-side milling machine of step c) to convert the near net shape component to a restoration

2. The method recited in claim 1 wherein step b) is performed using a digital scanner.

3. The method recited in claim 1 wherein step a) is performed by employing at least seventy of said components representing seven distinct shades and ten distinct shapes.

4. The method recited in claim 1 wherein step c) is performed by selecting a near net shape component having the least amount of zirconia material that need be removed to produce said completed restoration.

5. The method recited in claim 1 wherein step a) further comprises the step of furnishing each said near net shape zirconia component with an integral zirconia mandrel at a precise location and angle to hold the component in said chair-side milling machine during step d).

6. The method recited in claim 5 further comprising the step of e) removing said milled restoration from said chair-side milling machine and f) separating said integral zirconia mandrel from said restoration.

7. The method recited in claim 6 further comprising the steps of g) polishing said restoration and h) installing said restoration onto said selected tooth of said particular dental patient.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein step a) comprises the steps of generating a composite shape of each kind of tooth to be restored and employing a smoothing operation to produce a near net shape component from said composite shape.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said composite shape is based on a plurality of data derived from a plurality of each kind of tooth of different patients.

10. The method recited in claim 9 wherein said each kind of tooth comprises at least an upper molar, a lower molar, an upper incisor, a lower incisor, an upper bicuspid, a lower bicuspid, upper anterior teeth and lower anterior teeth.

11. An apparatus for preparing a zirconia restoration for a dental patient;

the apparatus comprising;

a scanner for generating a digital representation of the dental patient'"'"'s mouth adjacent a tooth to be restored;

a chair-side milling machine for milling a near net shape zirconia component into a full contour zirconia restoration;

a software application for designing a restoration and selecting appropriate near net shape component from kit, and

a plurality of fully sintered near net shape zirconia components in selected shades and shapes, at least one of which would be suitable for conversion into a fully formed zirconia restoration for said dental patient by milling away a minimal amount of excess zirconia material to restore said selected tooth.

12. The apparatus recited in claim 11 wherein each said near net shape component comprises an integral zirconia mandrel extending from said component at a selected location and at a selected angle.