Passive dental appliances of fiber-reinforced composites
First Claim
1. In a passive dental appliance system wherein said system is selected from the group consisting of orthodontic retainers, bridges, space maintainers, tooth replacement appliances and splints, the improvement wherein a structural component thereof is fabricated as a preformed shape of high stiffness, strength, and stability, which exhibits ease of processing for subsequent application to a patient from an effective fiber-reinforced composite material comprising a polymeric matrix and a reinforcing fiber component embedded within the matrix, the reinforcing fiber component comprising at least about 30% by weight of the composite material and being substantially fully wetted by the polymer matrix, the composite material being substantially free of voids and having a modulus of elasticity greater than 0.5×
- 106 psi.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a dental appliance system having use as an orthodontic retainer, bridge, space maintainer, splint and the like, the improvement wherein a structural component thereof is formed from an effective fiber-reinforced composite material comprising a polymeric matrix and a reinforcing fiber component embedded within the matrix, the reinforcing fiber component comprising at least 20% by weight of the composite material and being substantially fully wetted by the polymer matrix, the composite material being substantially free of voids and having a modulus of elasticity greater than 0.5 x 106 psi.
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Citations
14 Claims
- 1. In a passive dental appliance system wherein said system is selected from the group consisting of orthodontic retainers, bridges, space maintainers, tooth replacement appliances and splints, the improvement wherein a structural component thereof is fabricated as a preformed shape of high stiffness, strength, and stability, which exhibits ease of processing for subsequent application to a patient from an effective fiber-reinforced composite material comprising a polymeric matrix and a reinforcing fiber component embedded within the matrix, the reinforcing fiber component comprising at least about 30% by weight of the composite material and being substantially fully wetted by the polymer matrix, the composite material being substantially free of voids and having a modulus of elasticity greater than 0.5×
Specification