Methods, apparatuses, computer programs, and systems for creating a custom dental prosthesis using a CAD/CAM system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9801701-B2
Application number	US-201514701968-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2015
Priority date	May 1, 2015
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

Digital design and/or fabrication of a dental prosthesis that includes a gingiva part having retention pockets and corresponding injection channels that extend from the retention pockets to an exterior of the gingiva part. The positioning of a matrix mated to a ball attachment of a dental implant is fixed in the retention pocket by injection of a curable adhesive through the injection channels and into the retention pockets. The location of the retention pockets and the injection channels may be automatically generated by a computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system. The gingiva part including the retention pockets and injection channels can further be designed and fabricated by the CAD/CAM system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for preparing a dental prosthesis, the method comprising:
digitally designing a gingiva part of the dental prosthesis, wherein the gingiva part is designed to include at least one retention pocket and at least one injection channel that extends from the retention pocket to an exterior of the gingiva part; and
fabricating the gingiva part of the dental prosthesis out of a final strength, gingiva colored material to create a fabricated gingiva part, the fabricated gingiva part including the retention pocket and the injection channel,
wherein a position of the retention pocket and the injection channel is automatically generated by a processor that performs the digital designing of the gingiva part.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the retention pocket is formed to be larger than a matrix that corresponds to a ball attachment of a dental implant.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising placing a matrix into the retention pocket, the matrix having a loose fit with respect to the retention pocket.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
placing the gingiva part over the ball attachment of the dental implant with the matrix being mated to the ball attachment;
injecting a curable adhesive into the retention pocket by injecting the curable adhesive through the injection channel; and
curing the adhesive to attach the matrix to the retention pocket.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising painting the cured adhesive to match the gingiva colored material of the fabricated gingiva part.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the digitally designing the gingiva part is performed by a computer-aided design (CAD) system, and the fabricating of the gingiva part of the dental prosthesis is performed using a computer-assisted manufacturing (CAM) milling system.

7. A system for producing a dental prosthesis, the system comprising at least one processor operable to digitally design a gingiva part of the dental prosthesis, wherein the gingiva part is designed to include at least one retention pocket and at least one injection channel that extends from the retention pocket to an exterior of the gingiva part, the positioning of the retention pocket and the injection channel being automatically generated by the at least one processor.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is included in a dental computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) device.

9. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the system further comprises a milling system configured to fabricate the gingiva part out of a final strength, gingiva colored material based on the digital design, the gingiva part including the retention pocket and the injection channel.

10. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to automatically propose locations of the retention pocket and the injection channel based on stored information, the stored information including at least one of (i) measurements that are above given thresholds related to a minimal thickness of the gingiva part, (ii) measurements that are below given thresholds related to the minimal thickness of the gingiva part, (iii) measurements related to the positioning of the channel, and (iv) measurements related to the angulation of the channel.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to issue a warning if the minimal thickness of the gingiva part is critical for the proposed location of at least one of the retention pocket and the injection channel.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the proposed location of at least one of the retention pocket and the injection channel based on the stored information.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing sequences of instructions, the sequences of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:
digitally design a gingiva part of a dental prosthesis, wherein the gingiva part is designed to include at least one retention pocket and at least one injection channel that extends from the retention pocket to an exterior of the gingiva part, the positioning of the retention pocket and the injection channel being automatically generated by the computer system.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer system, further cause the computer system to fabricate the gingiva part of the dental prosthesis based on the digital design, the gingiva part including the retention pocket and the injection channel.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer system, further cause the computer system to automatically propose locations of the retention pocket and the injection channel based on stored information, the stored information including at least one of (i) measurements that are above given thresholds related to a minimal thickness of the gingiva part, (ii) measurements that are below given thresholds related to the minimal thickness of the gingiva part, (iii) measurements related to the positioning of the channel, and (iv) measurements related to the angulation of the channel.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer system, further cause the computer system to issue a warning if the minimal thickness of the gingiva part is critical for the proposed location of at least one of the retention pocket and the injection channel.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer system, further cause the computer system to adjust the proposed location of at least one of the retention pocket and the injection channel based on the stored information.

Assignees

• Sirona Dental Systems Gmbh

Inventors

• Schnitzspan Paul
• Jordan Thorsten

Classifications

• A61C8/0048

  Connecting the upper structure to the implant, e.g. bridging bars (A61C8/0028 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61C13/082

  Cosmetic aspects, e.g. inlays; Determination of the colour (A61C19/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G16H20/40

  relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture · CPC title

• A61C13/1003 Primary

  by embedding in base material · CPC title

• A61C8/0095

  Total denture implant · CPC title