Method for manufacturing dental restorations

• US 6,648,645 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ardent, Inc. (Ivoclar Vivadent AG)
• Original Assignee: Jeneric/Pentron Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Jia, Weitao, Brodkin, Dmitri, Panzera, Carlino, Alpert, Bruce, Schulman, Martin L., Panzera, Paul, MacDougald, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Ralph A.
• Application Number:
  US09/653,377
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 433/218, 433/219, 433/223, 433/212.1, 264/19
• US Class Current: 433/223
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0003 Making bridge-work, inlays, implants or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0004 Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0019 using three dimensional printing
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0022 Blanks or green, unfinished dental restoration parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/083 Porcelain or ceramic teeth A61C13/081 takes precedence; preparations A61K6/80
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/20 Repairing attrition damage, e.g. facets
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/77 Methods or devices for making crowns
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 6/17 Particle size
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 6/816 comprising titanium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 6/818 comprising zirconium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 6/827 Leucite
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 6/833 Glass-ceramic composites
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 6/887 Compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 6/891 Compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 18/00 Layered products essentially comprising ceramics, e.g. refractory products
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/10 Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3203 Lithium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/483 Si-containing organic compounds, e.g. silicone resins, (poly)silanes, (poly)siloxanes or (poly)silazanes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/6562 : Heating rate
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/6567 : Treatment time
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2237/341 : Silica or silicates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 33/24 : Manufacture of porcelain or white ware
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/10 : based on aluminium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/16 : based on silicates other than clay zircon C04B35/48
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/185 : Mullite 3Al2O3-2SiO2
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/19 : Alkali metal aluminosilicates, e.g. spodumene
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/443 : Magnesium aluminate spinel
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/447 : based on phosphates , e.g. hydroxyapatite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/46 : based on titanium oxides or titanates containing also zirconium or hafnium oxides, zirconates or hafnates C04B35/49
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/48 : based on zirconium or hafnium oxides, zirconates, zircon or hafnates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/62218 : obtaining ceramic films, e.g. by using temporary supports

Abstract

A ceramic tape is provided in its green state so that it is malleable and formable to a mold for forming a dental restoration, but will not break or crack as it is applied to the mold. Pressure may be applied to further form or adapt the ceramic tape to the shape of the mold. Heat is applied simultaneously with pressure or in a separate step to achieve high density and strength in the ceramic material. A vacuum atmosphere may be used with the application of pressure and/or heat. One or more layers of surface material such as porcelain or composite resin may be applied to the ceramic to form the dental restoration. The process is useful in the manufacture of dental materials or restorations including but not limited to orthodontic appliances, bridges, space maintainers, tooth replacement appliances, splints, crowns, partial crowns, dentures, posts, teeth, jackets, inlays, onlays, facing, veneers, facets, implants, abutments, cylinders, and connectors.

Also provided is a ceramic powder in combination with one or more media materials to form a homogeneous mixture. The mixture may then be used to form a dental restoration as is or may be used to form feedstock such as filaments or wires which are then used to fabricate a dental restoration. The filaments or wires may be used in a fused deposition-modeling machine to build dental restorative materials by computer aided design software.

Claims

1. A process for fabricating a dental material comprising:

mixing ceramic powder and one or more media together to achieve homogeneity throughout the mixture and to form a putty;

applying the putty to a model to conform to the shape of the model and to form a ceramic core material; and

sintering the model with the putty thereon for a time of less than about three hours to provide a dental ceramic core material.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the dental ceramic core material is highly dense.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the dental ceramic core material comprises mechanical properties having a low standard deviation.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the ceramic powder comprises a glass-ceramic, a glass powder, a ceramic powder or mixtures thereof.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the ceramic powder comprises a material selected from alumina, zirconia, mullite, spinel, porcelain, titania, lithium disilicate, leucite, amorphous glass, lithium phosphate, and mixtures thereof.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the dental ceramic core material is an orthodontic appliance, bridge, space maintainer, tooth replacement appliance, splint, crown, partial crown, denture, post, tooth, jacket, inlay, onlay, facing, veneer, facet, implant, abutment, cylinder, or connector.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the sintering time is in the range of ten minutes to one hour.

7. A process for fabricating a dental material comprising:

applying a putty to a model to conform to the shape of the model and to form a ceramic core material, whereby the putty comprises ceramic powder and one or more media having homogeneity throughout the putty; and

sintering the model with the putty thereon for a time of less than about three hours to provide a dental ceramic core material.

8. The process of claim 7 further comprising applying a layer of material selected from the group consisting of glass, ceramic, and glass-ceramic on the sintered dental ceramic core material and sintering the layer of material to the dental ceramic core material.

9. The process of claim 7 further comprising applying a layer of composite resin material on the sintered dental ceramic core material and curing the layer of composite resin material to the dental material.

10. A process for fabricating a dental material comprising:

mixing ceramic powder and one or more media together to achieve homogeneity throughout the mixture and to form a putty;

applying the putty to a model to conform to the shape of the model and to form a ceramic core material; and

sintering the model with the putty thereon for a time in the range of about one minute to about five hours to provide a dental material.