Dental wedge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9883922-B2
Application number	US-201414556092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2014
Priority date	Nov 29, 2013
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

A dental wedge for inserting into the interproximal space between adjacent teeth comprises a first and second sidewall comprised of a shape memory material, including a nickel-titanium alloy, wherein the dental wedge is in a first, resting state when outside of the interproximal space and transforms to a second, operational state when the dental wedge is interested into the interproximal space between adjacent teeth and exposed to a first transformation stimulus, namely exposure to the higher temperature in the interproximal space. The expansion force generated by the dental wedge when in the second, operational stage is sufficient to secure a dental matrix against the tooth being restored and to separate the tooth being restored and adjacent tooth to expand the interproximal space.

First claim

I claim:

1. A dental wedge to insert into the interproximal space between a first tooth being restored and a second, adjacent tooth, the dental wedge comprising:
a first sidewall comprising an internal portion and configured to engage the first tooth;
a second sidewall comprising an internal portion and configured to engage the second tooth;
a bridge comprising a substantially planar member, said bridge being disposed between and connecting an upper edge of the first sidewall and an upper edge of the second sidewall to form an inverted V-shaped cross section throughout the internal portions of the first sidewall and second sidewall, wherein said upper edges of first and second sidewalls essentially lie in a plane of the top surfaces of said teeth;
the first sidewall and second sidewall consisting essentially of a shape memory material enabling the first sidewall and second sidewall to transform from a first, resting state wherein the dental wedge is readily deformable to a second, operational state wherein the dental wedge returns to the inverted V-shaped cross section throughout the length of the internal portions of the first and second sidewalls and exerts an expansion force on the first tooth being restored and the second, adjacent tooth and
wherein the first sidewall has a first length and the second sidewall has a second length and the bridge has a third length and wherein the third length is substantially less than the first length and the third length is also substantially less than the second length, and
wherein the first length, the second length, and the third length are along a longitudinal axis of the wedge, wherein said longitudinal axis passes through the lingual and buccal sides of said teeth.

2. The dental wedge of claim 1 wherein the shape memory material comprises a shape memory alloy.

3. The dental wedge of claim 2 wherein the shape member alloy is a nickel-titanium alloy.

4. The dental wedge of claim 3 wherein the nickel-titanium alloy is in a Martensite phase when the dental wedge is in its first, resting state and wherein the nickel-titanium alloy is in an Austenite phase when the dental wedge is in the second, operational state.

5. The dental wedge of claim 4 wherein the transformation from the Martensite phase to the Austenite state occurs in response to the first transformation stimulus and the first transformation stimulus comprises a first ambient temperature less than a first interproximal space temperature present in the interproximal space between the first and the second tooth.

6. The dental wedge of claim 4 wherein the transformation from the Austenite state to the Martensite state occurs in response to a second transformation stimulus comprising a second ambient temperature less than a first interproximal space temperature present in the interproximal space between the first and the second tooth.

7. The dental wedge of claim 1 wherein the dental wedge is formed from a single piece of shape memory material and the first sidewall, second sidewall, and bridge are integrally formed.

8. The dental wedge of claim 1 wherein the expansion force is sufficient to separate the first tooth being restored and the second, adjacent tooth.

9. The dental wedge of claim 8 wherein the expansion force is sufficient to separate the first and second tooth by at least 30 microns and up to 100 microns.

10. The dental wedge of claim 8 wherein the expansion force is sufficient to separate the first and second tooth by 50-100 microns.

11. The dental wedge of claim 1 wherein the expansion force is sufficient to secure the dental matrix against the first tooth.

12. The dental wedge of claim 1 wherein the dental wedge in the second, operational stage exerts the expansion force at a consistent rate over a first time period of 5-10 minutes.

13. The dental wedge of claim 1 wherein the first and second sidewalls in the V-shape configuration are space apart approximately 30 degrees in the second, operational state.

14. The dental wedge of claim 1 wherein the first and second sidewalls in the V-shape configuration can be deformed to be spaced apart by approximately 10-15 degrees.

15. The dental wedge of claim 4 wherein the Austenite phase has a start temperature A S and a finish temperature A F and the A F temperature is less than a first interproximal space temperature present in the interproximal space between the first and the second tooth.

16. The dental wedge of claim 4 wherein the Martensite phase has a start temperature M S and a finish temperature M F and the M S temperature is less than a first interproximal space temperature present in the interproximal space between the first and the second tooth.

17. The dental wedge of claim 1 wherein the first and second sidewalls each further comprise a first and second wing extending from the interior portion of the first and second sidewalls, the first wings of each of the first and second sidewalls and the second wings of each of the first and second sidewalls curving away from each other when the dental wedge is in the second, operational state.

18. The dental wedge of claim 1 wherein the shape memory material comprises a shape memory polymer.

19. A dental wedge to insert into the interproximal space between a first tooth being restored and a second, adjacent tooth, the dental wedge comprising:
a first sidewall comprising an internal portion with a length and a first and second wing extending from the internal portion, the first sidewall configured to engage the first tooth;
a second sidewall comprising an internal portion with a length and a first and second wing extending from the internal portion, the second sidewall configured to engage the second tooth;
a bridge comprising a substantially planar member, said bridge being disposed between and connecting an upper edge of the first sidewall and an upper edge of the second sidewall to form an inverted V-shaped cross section throughout the length of the internal portions of the first sidewall and second sidewall and the first wings of each of the first and second sidewalls and the second wings of each of the first and second sidewalls curve away from each other, wherein said upper edges of first and second sidewalls essentially lie in a plane of the top surfaces of said teeth;
the first sidewall and second sidewall consisting essentially of a shape memory material enabling the first sidewall and second sidewall to transform from a first, resting state wherein the dental wedge is readily deformable to a second, operational state wherein the dental wedge returns to the inverted V-shaped cross section throughout the length of the internal portions of the first and second sidewalls and exerts an expansion force on the first tooth being restored and the second, adjacent tooth and
wherein the first sidewall has a first length and the second sidewall has a second length and the bridge has a third length and wherein the third length is substantially less than the first length and the third length is also substantially less than the second length, and
wherein the first length, the second length, and the third length are along a longitudinal axis of the wedge, wherein said longitudinal axis passes through the lingual and buccal sides of said teeth.

20. The dental wedge of claim 19 wherein the shape memory material comprises a shape memory alloy.

21. The dental wedge of claim 20 wherein the shape member alloy is a nickel-titanium alloy.

22. The dental wedge of cla

Assignees

• Mcdonald Simon Paul
• Dentsply Sirona Inc

Inventors

• Mcdonald Simon Paul

Classifications

• A61C2201/007

  using shape memory effect · CPC title

• A61C5/88 Primary

  Wedges · CPC title

• A61C5/85

  Filling bands, e.g. matrix bands; Manipulating tools therefor · CPC title

• A61C5/127 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic