Abstract: The present disclosure provides an aqueous dispersion. The aqueous dispersion includes a) water; b) a surfactant having at least one ethylenically unsaturated group; and c) polyester particles dispersed in the water. The polyester particles include a water-insoluble polyester having a weight average molecular weight of 20 kiloDaltons or greater, and the polyester particles have an average diameter that is submicron in size. Further, the present disclosure provides a method of making the aqueous dispersion. The method includes a) dissolving a water-insoluble polyester in a water-immiscible solvent to form a polyester solution; b) combining the polyester solution with an aqueous solution including water and a surfactant; and c) removing at least a portion of the water-immiscible solvent to form the aqueous dispersion including polyester particles dispersed in the water.

Abstract: Orthodontic articles and polymerizable resin compositions are described. The orthodontic article comprises a cured composition comprising the reaction product of free-radically polymerizable resin comprising 30 to 70 wt. %, inclusive, of at least one urethane component, and 25 to 70 wt. %, inclusive, of reactive diluent(s) comprising at least one monofunctional (meth)acrylate monomer. The polymerizable resin comprises no greater than 35 wt. % of reactive diluent(s) having a high affinity for water. Reactive diluent(s) such as monofunctional (meth)acrylate monomers having a high affinity for water have low log P values. In one embodiment, the polymerizable resin comprises at least one acidic monomer.

Abstract: An orthodontic article is described comprising the reaction product of a free-radically polymerizable resin; a first free-radical photoinitiator having sufficient absorbance at a first wavelength range; and a second free-radical initiator selected from a second photoinitiator having sufficient absorbance at a second wavelength range, wherein the second wavelength range is different than the first wavelength range, or a thermal free-radical initiator. In some embodiments, a 1 g/liter acetonitrile solution, at a pathlength of 1 cm, has an absorbance of greater than 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, or 0.10 at a wavelength of the first wavelength range when measured with a spectrophotometer. In some embodiments, the first free-radical photoinitiator exhibits a maximum absorbance at a wavelength of the range of 370-380 nm or 320-330 nm and/or comprises photoinitiator groups selected from acyl phosphine oxide or alkyl amine acetophenone.

Abstract: A dental article such as a dental tray aligner or a dental crown that includes a substrate including a polymeric material having a modulus of elasticity that reduces upon exposure to water and a water-resistant coating on the substrate, where the water-resistant coating comprises parylene. In some examples, the water-resistant coating may include one or more layers that include parylene.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an aqueous dispersion. The aqueous dispersion includes a) water; b) a surfactant having at least one ethylenically unsaturated group; and c) polyester particles dispersed in the water. The polyester particles include a water-insoluble polyester having a weight average molecular weight of 20 kiloDaltons or greater, and the polyester particles have an average diameter that is submicron in size. Further, the present disclosure provides a method of making the aqueous dispersion. The method includes a) dissolving a water-insoluble polyester in a water-immiscible solvent to form a polyester solution; b) combining the polyester solution with an aqueous solution including water and a surfactant; and c) removing at least a portion of the water-immiscible solvent to form the aqueous dispersion including polyester particles dispersed in the water.

Abstract: A removable dental appliance may include an appliance body configured to at least partially surround a plurality of teeth of a patient. The appliance body defines a shell configured to receive a tooth of the plurality of teeth in an initial position and a bendable flap integrally formed with the appliance body to extend from a hinge axis of the shell. The bendable flap may be configured to apply a force to the tooth to cause movement of the tooth toward a desired position when the removable dental appliance is worn by the patient.

Abstract: A removable dental appliance may include an appliance body configured to at least partially surround a plurality of teeth. The appliance body may include a unitary material defining a shell shaped to receive at least one tooth of the patient; a spring member integrally formed with the shell; and a positioning member integrally formed with the shell. The spring member may be configured to receive an attachment affixed to the at least one tooth. The spring member may be configured to apply a spring force to the attachment to cause movement of the at least one tooth toward a desired position when the removable dental appliance is worn by the patient. The positioning member may be configured to facilitate engagement of the spring member with the attachment in response to a positioning force being applied to the positioning member.

Abstract: A custom tool for forming a dental restoration in a mouth of a patient includes a mold body providing for a customized fit with at least one tooth of the patient. The mold body includes a facial portion forming a facial surface corresponding with a facial surface of the tooth, and a separate lingual portion forming a lingual surface corresponding with a lingual surface of the tooth. The mold body is configured to combine with the tooth of the patient to form a mold cavity encompassing missing tooth structure of the tooth.

Abstract: A removable dental appliance may include an appliance body configured to at least partially surround a plurality of teeth of a dental arch of a patient. The appliance body may include a unitary material defining a shell shaped to receive at least one tooth of the patient and a spring member integrally formed with the shell. The spring member may be configured to receive an attachment. The attachment may be configured to affix to the at least one tooth. The spring member may be configured to apply a spring force to the attachment to cause at least one of a rotation, a translation, a tipping, a torqueing, an extrusion, or an intrusion of the at least one tooth toward a desired position of the tooth when the removable dental appliance is worn by the patient.

Abstract: A custom tool for forming a dental restoration in a mouth of a patient includes a mold body providing for a customized fit with at least one tooth of the patient. The mold body includes a facial portion forming a facial surface corresponding with a facial surface of the tooth, and a separate lingual portion forming a lingual surface corresponding with a lingual surface of the tooth. The mold body is configured to combine with the tooth of the patient to form a mold cavity encompassing missing tooth structure of the tooth.

Abstract: A radiation curable composition including at least one radiation hardenable component, a photo-initiator, and a filler material having a population of particulates in an amount greater than or equal to 50% by weight of the printable composition. The population of particulates exhibits a median diameter (D50) of greater than or equal to 0.3 micrometer on a volume-average basis as determined using the Particle Size Test Method, and the radiation curable composition exhibits a viscosity of less than or equal to 150 Pa s when measured using the Viscosity Test Method. A method, apparatus, and systems for producing composite articles by selectively exposing a portion of the radiation curable composition to a source of actinic radiation to at least partially cure the exposed portion of the radiation curable composition, thereby forming a hardened layer, preferably by an additive manufacturing process such as stereophotolithography, are also described. The composite articles may include composite dental restorations.

Abstract: Various embodiments of an orthodontic appliance and method of forming such appliance are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the orthodontic appliance can include an arch member including an arch member body and an arch member coupling connected to the body. The orthodontic appliance can also include an anchor including an anchor coupling and a base adapted to connect the anchor to a surface of a tooth. The arch member coupling can be releasably connectable to the anchor coupling, and the anchor can be adapted for displacement relative to the arch member body when the anchor is connected to the surface of the tooth and the arch member coupling is connected to the anchor coupling.

Abstract: An additively manufactured dental crown with a wall having a bottom edge and an occlusal portion joined with the wall opposite the bottom edge. The wall and occlusal portion form an interior surface and an opposing exterior surface. By using additive manufacturing and materials for such, the dental crown can have thin walls with a thickness of less than 300 microns at the thinnest portion of it and can include fine printed features such as identifiers, internal ribs, slots, porous meshes, and retention elements.

Abstract: A tool for forming a dental restoration includes a mold body configured to combine with a tooth of a patient to define a mold cavity encompassing at least a portion of desired tooth structure of the tooth. In some examples, the portion of desired tooth structure defines an interproximal surface of the tooth. The mold body may include, in some examples, a base member configured to provide a customized fit with at least one tooth of the patient to attach the mold body to the at least one tooth, and an interproximal member extending from the base member and configured to be disposed between adjacent teeth of the patient when the base member is fit over the at least one tooth. The interproximal member defines a surface of the mold cavity.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are aqueous dental coating compositions and methods for enhancing contrast of intraoral surfaces for 3-dimensional digital scanning. The compositions include: an aqueous solvent system; a water soluble polymer present at no greater than 5 wt. %, based on the total weight of the aqueous dental coating composition; hydrophilic particles; and hydrophobic particles, wherein the aqueous dental coating composition is a dispersion or a dispersion of the hydrophilic particles and hydrophobic particles in the aqueous solvent system can be formed by shaking the composition for 30 seconds.

Abstract: In some examples, a tool for forming a dental restoration comprises a preformed mold body configured to provide a patient-specific, customized fit with at least one tooth to be restored of a patient. The mold body is configured to align with a portion of a surface of the at least one tooth, and is configured to combine with the at least one tooth to define a mold cavity encompassing at least a portion of desired tooth structure of the at least one tooth to be restored of the patient. The portion of desired tooth structure defines a transition from a supragingival surface of the at least one tooth to a subgingival surface of the at least one tooth.

Abstract: A custom tool for forming a dental restoration in a mouth of a patient includes a first mold body providing for a customized fit with at least one tooth of the patient. The first mold body includes a portion corresponding with at least a first surface of the tooth and an interproximal portion corresponding with an interproximal surface of the tooth, the interproximal portion being of unitary construction. The first mold body is configured to combine with the tooth of the patient to form a mold cavity encompassing a first portion of missing tooth structure of the tooth.

Abstract: A custom tool for forming a dental restoration in a mouth of a patient includes a one-piece mold body providing for a customized fit with at least one tooth of the patient, the one-piece mold body including an occlusal portion forming an occlusal surface corresponding with an occlusal surface of the tooth, a mesial proximal portion forming a mesial proximal surface corresponding with a mesial proximal surface of the tooth, and a distal proximal portion forming a distal proximal surface corresponding with a distal proximal surface of the tooth. The mold body is configured to combine with the tooth of the patient to form a mold cavity encompassing missing tooth structure of the tooth.

Abstract: An additively manufactured dental crown with a wall having a bottom edge and an occlusal portion joined with the wall opposite the bottom edge. The wall and occlusal portion form an interior surface and an opposing exterior surface. By using additive manufacturing and materials for such, the dental crown can have thin walls with a thickness of less than 300 microns at the thinnest portion of it and can include fine printed features such as identifiers, internal ribs, slots, porous meshes, and retention elements.

Abstract: A custom tool for forming a dental restoration in a mouth of a patient includes a mold body providing for a customized fit with at least one tooth of the patient. The mold body includes a facial portion forming a facial surface corresponding with a facial surface of the tooth, and a separate lingual portion forming a lingual surface corresponding with a lingual surface of the tooth. The mold body is configured to combine with the tooth of the patient to form a mold cavity encompassing missing tooth structure of the tooth.