System and method for planning and/or producing a dental prosthesis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9358082-B2
Application number	US-201013509472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2010
Priority date	Nov 16, 2009
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A method, system and computer program of planning a dental prosthesis in a patient are disclosed, including steps, units or code segments for virtually planning a dental prosthesis. Envelope data is provided of an envelope guide, including data corresponding to a support surface for facial tissue, which is desired to result when the dental prosthesis is installed in the oral cavity of the patient. An outer envelope of a desired dental prosthesis in the oral cavity is simulated based on the envelope data. A desired dental restoration is provided and adjusted in a virtual environment relative to the simulated outer envelope, and dental prosthesis data is generated based on the adjusted desired dental restoration usable for producing the dental prosthesis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of planning a dental prosthesis, said method comprising;
providing scan data of an anatomical situation of an oral cavity of a patient;
providing envelope data of an envelope guide, said envelope guide comprising an envelope portion having a support surface arranged to support facial tissue of the patient in a desired position when the envelope guide is positioned in said oral cavity of said patient, wherein the facial tissue includes lip and/or cheek tissue, and not dental soft tissue surrounding bone and dentition;
virtually simulating, via a computing environment, a dental prosthesis for supporting facial tissue in said oral cavity based on said scan data;
from the envelope data, virtually simulating, via the computing environment, the support surface of the envelope portion with respect to said scan data of said oral cavity;
virtually adjusting, via the computing environment, said simulated dental prosthesis so that a surface of the simulated dental prosthesis corresponds to the simulated support surface of the envelope portion; and
generating dental prosthesis data based on said virtually adjusted dental prosthesis, wherein said dental prosthesis data is usable for producing said dental prosthesis,
wherein said dental prosthesis comprises a virtual tooth, and wherein said virtually adjusting said simulated dental prosthesis comprises virtually adjusting an inclination of a longitudinal axis of a virtual tooth in relation to said simulated support surface of the envelope portion and virtually adjusting a distance of a coronal end of said virtual tooth in relation to said simulated support surface of the envelope portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising providing at least one tooth design parameter obtained from said envelope guide, wherein said envelope data comprises tooth design data for said planning of said dental prosthesis.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said tooth design parameter comprises a desired smile line based on a marking in said envelope guide, and said method comprises providing smile line data for said desired smile line, wherein said smile line data is comprised in said tooth design data obtained from said envelope guide, and adjusting said simulated dental prosthesis relative to said desired smile line.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said virtually adjusting of said simulated dental prosthesis comprises virtually adjusting a size, shape, inclination, and/or length of a virtual tooth in relation to said tooth design parameter.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein said tooth design parameter comprises a desired tooth position of a virtual tooth of said simulated dental prosthesis, and said method comprises providing tooth position data for said tooth position, including an incisal line position between central incisor teeth and/or a desired position of canines, based on at least one marking in said envelope guide, wherein said tooth position data is comprised in said tooth design data obtained from said envelope guide.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising performing said virtually adjusting said simulated dental prosthesis prior to virtually positioning, which is based on said simulated dental prosthesis, at least one dental implant for anchoring said dental prosthesis.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising identifying anatomically fixed skull reference points, and initially positioning said virtual tooth along a dental arch based on said anatomically fixed skull reference points prior to said adjusting said prosthesis comprising said virtual tooth relative to said simulated support surface of the envelope portion.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising verifying a position of said simulated dental prosthesis and re-adjusting said position of said simulated dental prosthesis relative to said simulated support surface of the envelope portion.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said envelope data of said envelope guide has a fixed spatial relation to said scan data based on interfacing complementary surfaces of said envelope guide and said oral cavity.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said virtually adjusting said simulated dental prosthesis relative to said simulated support surface of the envelope portion comprises virtually adjusting at least a portion of said simulated dental prosthesis to be located within a virtual space defined by said simulated support surface of the envelope portion.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising combining at least a portion of said scan data with at least a portion of said simulated dental prosthesis.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising designing a framework for the envelope guide based on at least a portion of said scan data, and optionally including said framework with at least one anchoring element extending in a first direction for anchoring said envelope portion.

13. A method of providing production data for a component related to a dental prosthesis, comprising said method of planning said dental prosthesis of claim 1 , and providing dental prosthesis data as production data based on said planning for producing at least a portion of said dental prosthesis or components related thereto.

14. A system for planning a dental prosthesis in a patient, said system comprising a processing unit adapted to
process scan data of an anatomical situation of an oral cavity of a patient;
process envelope data of an envelope guide, said envelope guide comprising an envelope portion having a support surface arranged to support facial tissue of the patient in a desired position when the envelope guide is positioned in said oral cavity of said patient, wherein the facial tissue includes lip and/or cheek tissue, and not dental soft tissue surrounding bone and dentition;
virtually simulate a dental prosthesis for supporting facial tissue in said oral cavity based on said scan data;
from the envelope data, virtually simulate the support surface of the envelope portion with respect to said scan data of said oral cavity;
virtually adjust said simulated dental prosthesis so that a surface of the simulated dental prosthesis corresponds to the simulated support surface of the envelope portion with respect to said oral cavity; and
generate dental prosthesis data based on said virtually adjusted dental prosthesis, wherein said dental prosthesis data is usable for producing said dental prosthesis,
wherein said dental prosthesis comprises at least one of a virtual tooth or a simulated soft tissue surface,
wherein said virtually adjust of said simulated dental prosthesis comprises
virtually adjust a distance of a coronal end of said virtual tooth in relation to said simulated support surface of the envelope portion.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions for planning a dental prosthesis in a patient, wherein execution of the program instructions by a computer environment carries out a method, comprising:
processing scan data of an anatomical situation of an oral cavity of a patient;
processing envelope data of an envelope guide, said envelope guide comprising an envelope portion having a support surface arranged to support facial tissue of the patient in a desired position when the envelope guide is positioned in said oral cavity of said patient, wherein the facial tissue includes lip and/or cheek tissue, and not dental soft tissue surrounding bone and dentition;
virtually simulating a dental prosthesis for supporting facial tissue in said oral cavity based on said scan data;
from the envelope data, virtually simulating the support surface of the envelope portion with re

Assignees

• Nilsson Urban
• Nobel Biocare Services Ag

Inventors

• Nilsson Urban

Classifications

• A61C8/0095

  Total denture implant · CPC title

• A61C13/08 Primary

  Artificial teeth; Making same (kilns for artificial teeth F27B) · CPC title

• A61C13/0004 Primary

  Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses · CPC title