Molds for the manufacture of a dental restoration and methods of making dental restorations

• US 20020017021A1
• Filed: 07/13/2001
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ivoclar Vivadent AG
• Original Assignee: Jeneric/Pentron Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Panzera, Carlino
• Granted Patent: US 6,689,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/896.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 6/20 Protective coatings for natural or artificial teeth, e.g. sealings, dye coatings or varnish
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 6/818 comprising zirconium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 6/82 comprising hafnium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 6/827 Leucite
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49567 Dental appliance making

Abstract

Blocks of material are prepared in a variety of shapes and sizes to be used in the fabrication of models for dental restorations. The material comprises a partially sintered ceramic material. The blocks are used to manufacture molds using CAD/CAM methods and equipment. The molds are useful in the manufacture of dental restorations using ceramics, metals, alloys, or powders thereof, and composite materials. The models milled from the blanks may be used to manufacture a variety of dental restorations including, but not limited to, crowns, bridges, space maintainers, tooth replacement appliances, orthodontic retainers, dentures, posts, jackets, inlays, onlays, facings, veneers, facets, implants, abutments, splints, partial crowns, teeth, cylinders, pins, and connectors.

Claims

1. A blank for the manufacture of a dental model fabricated from a partially sintered ceramic material.

2. The blank of claim 1 wherein the partially sintered material comprises alumina, zirconia, magnesia, zircon, aluminosilicate, cordierite, mica, quartz, cristobolite, silica, leucite, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, silica-alumina-nitrides, mullite, garnet, or mixtures thereof.

3. The blank of claim 1 wherein the partially sintered ceramic material is derived from a mixture comprising a refractory ceramic material and a binder.

4. The blank of claim 3 wherein the refractory ceramic material comprises alumina, zirconia, magnesia, zircon, aluminosilicate, cordierite, mica, quartz, cristobolite, silica, leucite, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, silica-alumina-nitrides, mullite, garnet, or mixtures thereof.

5. The blank of claim 3 wherein the binder comprises an inorganic material, an organic material, or mixtures thereof.

6. The blank of claim 5 wherein the organic material comprises polyvinyl pyrrolidine, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl butryal and polystyrene, or mixtures thereof.

7. The blank of claim 5 wherein the inorganic material comprises magnesium oxide, ammonium phosphate, colloidal silica, calcium sulfate, magnesium phosphate, alkaline silicates, silica hydrosol, colloidal clays, or mixtures thereof.

8. The blank of claim 1 wherein the partially sintered ceramic material is sintered to less than about 92% of theoretical full density.

9. The blank of claim 1 wherein the partially sintered ceramic material is sintered to less than about 80% of theoretical full density.

10. The blank of claim 1 wherein the partially sintered ceramic material is sintered to less than about 75% of theoretical full density.

11. The blank of claim 1 having a flexural strength in the range from about 1 to about 75 MPa.

12. The blank of claim 1 having a flexural strength in the range from about 3 to about 20 MPa.

13. The blank of claim 1 wherein the partially sintered ceramic material comprises a refractory investment material.

14. The blank of claim 1 wherein the partially sintered ceramic material comprises a castable investment material.

15. The blank of claim 1 wherein the dental model it is used for the manufacture of a dental restoration.

16. The blank of claim 15 wherein the dental restoration is selected from the group consisting of crowns, bridges, space maintainers, tooth replacement appliances, orthodontic retainers, dentures, posts, jackets, inlays, onlays, facings, veneers, facets, implants, abutments, splints, partial crowns, teeth, cylinders, pins, and connectors.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the curing process comprises sintering, light curing, or heat curing.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the dental material comprises a metal material, a ceramic material, a composite material or mixtures thereof.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the metal material comprises a single metal or an alloy of two or more metals.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the metal material comprises metal powder in combination with a binder.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the metal powder in combination with the binder is in the form a sheet.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the metal material is in the form of a foil.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the ceramic material comprises porcelain.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the ceramic comprises a high-strength material.

26. The method of claim 19 wherein the composite material comprises a material selected from a particulate-reinforced polymeric material, a fiber-reinforced polymeric material and mixtures thereof.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein one or more layers of material are applied on the dental restoration.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the one or more layers of material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a porcelain or composite material.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the data obtained from the patient'"'"'s tooth is acquired by photographing the patient'"'"'s tooth.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the data obtained from the patient'"'"'s tooth is acquired by scanning the patient'"'"'s tooth.

32. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

applying dental material onto the model; and

heating the model and dental material thereon to obtain a dental restoration.

17. A method for making a dental restoration comprising:

milling a dental model from a partially sintered ceramic material;

applying dental material thereon; and

curing the dental material on the model to obtain a dental restoration.

29. A method for making a dental restoration comprising:

obtaining data of a patient'"'"'s tooth;

milling a dental model from a partially sintered ceramic material based on the data obtained from the patient'"'"'s tooth.

33. A method of making a blank for the manufacture of dental model comprising:

forming a mixture comprising a refractory material and a binder into a shape; and

partially sintering the formed shape.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the refractory material comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of alumina, zirconia, magnesia, zircon, aluminosilicate, cordierite, mica, quartz, cristobolite, silica, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, leucite, silica-alumina-nitrides, mullite, garnet, or mixtures thereof.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the binder comprises an inorganic material, an organic material, or mixtures thereof.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein the organic material comprises polyvinyl pyrrolidine, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl butryal and polystyrene, or mixtures thereof.

37. The method of claim 33 wherein the inorganic material comprises magnesium oxide, ammonium phosphate, colloidal silica, calcium sulfate, magnesium phosphate, alkaline silicates, silica hydrosol, colloidal clays, and mixtures thereof.

38. The method of claim 33 wherein the partially sintering step is conducted at a temperature to provide a partially sintered ceramic material having a density less than about 92% theoretical full density.

39. The method of claim 33 wherein the partially sintering step is conducted for a time to provide a partially sintered ceramic material having a density less than about 92% theoretical full density.

40. The method of claim 33 wherein the partially sintering step is conducted at a temperature to provide a partially sintered ceramic material having a density less than about 80% theoretical full density.

41. The method of claim 33 wherein the partially sintering step is conducted for a time to provide a partially sintered ceramic material having a density less than about 80% theoretical full density.

42. The method of claim 33 wherein the partially sintering step is conducted at a temperature to provide a partially sintered ceramic material having a density less than about 75% theoretical full density.

43. The method of claim 33 wherein the partially sintering step is conducted for a time to provide a partially sintered ceramic material having a density less than about 75% theoretical full density.