Method of making a tooth mold

• US 5,452,219 A
• Filed: 03/29/1994
• Issued: 09/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dentsply Research & Development Corporation (Astrazeneca PLC)
• Original Assignee: Dentsply Research & Development Corporation (Astrazeneca PLC)
• Inventors: Dehoff, Barry D., McGraw, Jeffrey E., Liu, Andrew T. C., Grim, Carlton L.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUGGIERO, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US08/219,804
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 364/474.05, 364/474.04, 364/476, 364/413.28, 364/474.24, 433/214, 433/202.1, 433/206, 433/212.1, 433/215, 433/223, 433/229, 433/34, 433/213, 433/25, 433/40, 433/48, 425/2, 425/DIG. 11, 264/16-20, 264/DIG. 30, 264/219-227
• US Class Current: 700/163
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0004 Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35062 Derive mating, complementary, mirror part from computer model data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35098 Automatic coarse, rough and finish cutting path generation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35216 Program, generate nc program, code from cad data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35217 Cagd computer aided geometric design, sbgd scanning based geometric design
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37047 After digitizing, edit graphically data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37275 Laser, interferometer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45167 Dentist, dental manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method for the making of a tooth mold which includes the steps of scanning the surface of a model of a tooth to obtain data on the three-dimensional surface locations of the model, processing the data in a CAD/CAM computer, and using the processed data to fabricate a tooth mold. The scanning step involves subjecting a rotating tooth model to radiant energy from a laser beam, receiving and translating reflections of the radiant energy into electronic signals, and digitizing the signals into data of the three-dimensional surface locations of the tooth model. The processing step involves translating the data, editing the data, creating a three-dimensional surface pattern of the tooth model, evaluating the surface pattern by visual analysis and comparison to known geometric values of the tooth model, and creating a tooth path program. Finally, the fabricating step involves using the tooth path program to direct a machine to mill a tooth mold and using the same program to direct a machine to finish-polish the mold.

Claims

1. A method of repeatedly molding high definition artificial dental teeth each having a molded coating, comprising:

scanning a model of a dental tooth, and

milling to make at least three mold parts each said part being milled with a first mill by executing a first pass along a first tool path to remove material to form multiple cavities in a first metal block to make a multiple cavity mold part adapted to form multiple dental prosthetic teeth, said milling being directed by a milling program which uses edited data, said edited data being obtained by editing reflection data using a design program, said reflection data being representative of the surface of said tooth model, said edited data being representative of the surface of said dental artificial teeth, said edited data being adapted by said milling program to direct said milling along said tool path and

repeatedly molding in said mold high definition artificial dental teeth each having a molded coating.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each said cavity is the negative of a portion of said model of a dental tooth to be molded in the mold;

and the program is produced by the steps of imaging the surface contours of the dental model and producing data readings in response to the imaging of the surface contours of the model.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising directing polishing of at least one of said mold parts by a finish tool path program.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said polishing comprises finish-polishing using a finish tool path and a finish-polish tool.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said tool is used with a paste.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said paste is diamond paste.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said tool comprises wood.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said milling further comprises making a second pass along said tool path with a second mill having a second mill end, said second mill end being smaller in size than said first mill end.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said milling further comprises a making third pass along said tool path with a third mill having a third mill end, said third mill end being smaller in size than said second mill end.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said milling further comprises making a third pass with a third mill having a third mill end, said third mill end being smaller in size than said second mill end.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said milling further comprises making a fourth pass with a fourth mill having a fourth mill end, said fourth mill end being smaller in size than said third mill end.

12. The mold of claim 1 wherein said mold part is a face mold part.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said mold part is a shader mold part.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein a point of contact with a second part is provided using a surface pattern of said mold.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising

milling with said first mill by executing a first pass along a second tool path to remove material to form multiple cavities in a second block to make a multiple cavity second mold part.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said mold part is a back mold part.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising milling with a second mill by making a second pass along said second tool path to remove material from said second block.

18. A method of making artificial dental teeth each having a molded coating and high definition labial striations comprising the steps of:

providing a dental tooth model,

scanning said tooth model,

receiving reflections from said tooth model,

translating said reflections into electronic signals,

converting said electronic signals into reflection data, editing said reflection data to add high definition labial striations using a design program to provide edited data and

fabricating a metal tooth mold part, said fabricating step comprising using said edited data to direct machine milling of said tooth mold part, said milling comprising making a first pass with a first mill and making a second pass with a second mill, said first mill having a first mill end, said second mill having a second mill end, said second mill end being smaller in size than said first mill end, and

repeatedly molding in said mold part, high definition artificial teeth each having a molded coating and high definition labial striations.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said scanning comprises directing a laser beam onto said dental tooth model.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said scanning step further comprises rotating said dental tooth model during said subjecting and receiving steps.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein said tooth model is a three-dimensional replica of a tooth, said model comprising metal.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein said dental tooth model is a natural tooth.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein said dental tooth model is a wax model of a tooth.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein said processing step comprises,

creating an edited three-dimensional surface pattern of said tooth model from said edited data, evaluating said surface pattern of said dental tooth model, and creating a tool path program from said edited data.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said evaluating step further comprises visual analysis of said surface pattern of said dental tooth model and comparison to known geometric values for said tooth model.

26. The method of claim 18 wherein said fabricating step further comprises using said tool path program to finish-polish said dental tooth mold part.

27. A method of molding a artificial dental teeth each having a molded coating and labial striations comprising the steps of:

scanning a three-dimensional replica of a tooth having three-dimensional surface locations while rotating said replica, receiving reflections from said replica while rotating said replica,

translating said reflections into electronic signals, and

digitizing said electronic signals into reflection data editing said reflection data to add high definition labial striations to provide edited data in a computer using a CAD/CAM program, and

creating a tool path program using said edited data, and fabricating said tooth mold, said fabricating step comprising, using said tool path program to direct machine milling of a first, second and third metal artificial dental teeth mold parts,

said milling of said first metal mold part from a first metal part comprising making a first pass with a first mill and making a second pass with a second mill to mill said first metal part, said first mill having a first mill end, said second mill having a second mill end, said second mill end being smaller in size than said first mill end,

said milling of said second metal mold part from a second metal part comprising making a first pass with said first mill and making a second pass with said second mill to mill said second mold part,

said milling of said third metal mold part from a third metal part comprising making a first pass with said first mill and making a second pass with said second mill to mill said third mold part.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said replica of a tooth comprises metal.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said replica of a tooth comprise a glarefree coating.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein said tooth mold comprises a metal substrate.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein said fabricating step further comprises using said tool path program to direct machine finishing-polishing said mold part.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein said milling further comprises making a third pass with a third mill having a third mill end, said third mill end being smaller in size than said second mill end.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said milling further comprises making a fourth pass with a fourth mill having a fourth mill end, said fourth mill end being smaller in size than said third mill end.

43. The method of claim 32 wherein said milling further comprises making a fourth pass with a fourth mill having a fourth mill end, said fourth mill end being smaller in size than said third mill end.

34. A method of molding artificial dental teeth each having a molded coating and labial striations, comprising:

milling multiple patterns of artificial teeth in first and second portions of mold making material to make first and second mold parts, said milling being directed by a milling program which uses edited data, said edited data being provided by editing reflection data using a design program, said reflection data being representative of the surface of a tooth model, said edited data being representative of the surface of said artificial tooth, said edited data being adapted by said milling program to direct said milling of said first and second mold parts,

said milling of said first mold part comprising executing a first pass with a first mill and executing a second pass with a second mill, said first mill having a first mill end, said second mill having a second mill end, said second mill end being smaller in size than said first mill end;

said milling of said second mold part comprising executing a first pass with a third mill and executing a second pass with a fourth mill, said third mill having a third mill end, said fourth mill having a fourth mill end, said third mill end being smaller in size than said fourth mill end;

repeatedly molding in said mold high definition artificial dental teeth each having a molded coating and labial striations.

35. The method of preparing a dental mold of claim 34 wherein said mold making material is readily machinable and polishable.

36. The method of preparing a dental mold of claim 34 wherein said mold making material is steel, nickel, aluminum, ceramic or plastic.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein said milling further comprises making a third pass with a third mill having a third mill end, said third mill end being smaller in size than said second mill end.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein said milling further comprises making a fourth pass with a fourth mill having a fourth mill end, said fourth mill end being smaller in size than said third mill end.

37. A method of molding artificial teeth each having a molded coating and high definition labial striations, comprising:

milling multiple patterns of artificial teeth in a mold making material to make first, second and third mold parts, said milling being directed by a milling program which uses edited data, said edited data being provided by editing reflection data using a design program, said reflection data being representative of the surface of a tooth model, said edited data being representative of the surface of said artificial tooth, said edited data being adapted by said milling program to direct said milling, said milling of each of said parts comprising executing a first pass with a first mill and executing a second pass with a second mill, said first mill having a first mill end, said second mill having a second mill end, said second mill end being smaller in size than said first mill end,

repeatedly manufacturing high definition artificial teeth having labial striations in said mold.

40. The method of preparing a dental mold of claim 37 wherein said mold making material is readily machinable and polishable.

41. The method of preparing a dental mold of claim 37 wherein said mold making material is steel, nickel, aluminum, ceramic or plastic.

42. The method of claim 37 wherein said milling further comprises making a third pass with a third mill having a third mill end, said third mill end being smaller in size than said second mill end.