Claims
- 1. A method for manufacturing a dental restoration, or dental restorations, comprising:
(a) acquiring a digital image of a three-dimensional topography of a dental restoration site using an intra-oral camera; (b) creating a data file of the three-dimensional shape of the desired restoration based on the acquired digital image; (c) depositing a layer comprising photocurable material and ceramic material; (d) selectively exposing the layer to actinic radiation in a pattern based on the data file effective to define at least a partly hardened pattern therein corresponding to a cross-section of the shape of the restoration at a given thickness level thereof; (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) a plurality of times to produce a plurality of layers of ceramic composite material stacked on one another and integrally bonded together effective form the three-dimensional shape of the desired restoration; and (f) hardening the three-dimensional shape to form the dental restoration.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data file is a CAD file.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the photocurable material comprises photopolymerizable precursors of one of polyacrylates, polyurethanes, polyesters, vinyl esters, polyamides, epoxies, polycarbonates, and mixtures thereof.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the photocurable material comprises acrylate-based polymer precursors.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the ceramic material is selected from the group consisting of alumina, aluminosilicate, apatite, fluoroapatite, hydroxyapatite, mullite, zirconia, silica, spinel, tricalcium phosphate, and mixtures thereof.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ceramic material is selected from the group consisting of sinterable powders of alumina, aluminosilicate, zirconia, hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate, and mixtures thereof.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer further comprises a fibrous material selected from the group consisting of carbon fibers, graphite fibers, silica fibers, alumina fibers, zirconia fibers, polyaramid fibers, polyacrylonitrile fibers, and mixtures thereof.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the dental restoration is selected from the group consisting of crowns, onlays, inlays, bridges, fillings, denture teeth, and replacement bone.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the photocurable material contains an initiator selected from the group consisting of a UV sensitive initiator, a visible light sensitive initiator, and a microwave sensitive initiator.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the actinic radiation source emits actinic radiation within the U.V. light spectrum.
- 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the actinic radiation source emits photoinitiating light within the visible light spectrum.
- 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardening comprises exposure of the three-dimensional shape to heat effective to sinter the ceramic material.
- 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardening comprises exposure of the three-dimensional shape to microwave energy.
- 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional shape is separated from non-exposed portions of the layers after either step (e) or step (f) to provide a discrete shaped part.
- 15. The restoration product of the method of claim 1.
- 16. The restoration product of the method of claim 14.
- 17. A dental restoration product made by acquiring a digital image of a three-dimensional topography of a dental restoration site using an intra-oral camera; creating a data file of the three-dimensional shape of the desired restoration based on the acquired digital image; depositing a layer comprising ceramic material and photocurable material containing an initiator selected from the group consisting of a UV sensitive initiator, a visible light sensitive initiator, and a microwave sensitive initiator; selectively exposing the layer to actinic radiation in a pattern based on the data file effective to define at least a partly hardened pattern therein corresponding to a cross-section of the shape of the restoration at a given thickness level thereof; repeating the depositing and selectively exposing steps a plurality of times to produce a plurality of layers of ceramic composite material stacked on one another and integrally bonded together effective form the three-dimensional shape of the desired restoration; and hardening the three-dimensional shape to form a dental restoration product.
- 18. A method for manufacturing dental restorations, comprising:
(a) acquiring a first digital image of a first three-dimensional topography of a first dental restoration site using an intra-oral camera at a first location; (b) sending the first digital image electronically to a second location; (c) creating a first data file of the first three-dimensional shape of the first desired restoration based on the acquired first digital image at the second location; (d) depositing a layer comprising photocurable material and ceramic filler, at the second location; (e) selectively exposing the layer to actinic radiation in a pattern based on the data file effective to define at least a partly hardened pattern therein corresponding to a cross-section of the first three-dimensional shape of the first desired restoration at a given thickness level thereof, at the second location; (f) repeating steps (d) and (e) a plurality of times to produce a plurality of layers of ceramic composite material stacked on one another and integrally bonded together effective form the first three-dimensional shape of the first desired restoration, at the second location; (g) hardening of the first three-dimensional shape to form the first dental restoration, at the second location; (h) sending the first dental restoration from the second location to the first location for installation; (i) acquiring, at a third location different from the first and second locations, a second digital image of a second three-dimensional topography of a second dental restoration site using an intra-oral camera; (j) sending the second digital image electronically to the second location; and (k) repeating steps (c) through (h) except for the second digital image instead of the first digital image.
- 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the sending of the data image comprises transmitting the data image over the internet.
- 20. The dental restoration product of the method of claim 18.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional application serial No. 60/341,789, filed Dec. 21, 2001, the entire disclosure and contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60341789 |
Dec 2001 |
US |