Abstract: A dental appliance includes a dental prop member and a saliva ejector member. The dental prop member has a first surface for engaging one or more maxillary teeth, a second surface for engaging one or more mandibular teeth, a posterior side, an anterior side, and a passageway extending between the posterior and anterior sides. The saliva ejector member can be received in the passageway of the dental prop member to facilitate removal of saliva and other fluids from the oral cavity.

Abstract: A dental crown shell is disclosed, as well as a method of preparing the crown by in-situ polymerization of resin within a thin shell that undergoes an exothermic reaction that releases sufficient heat to bond the resin to the shell and form a durable crown for placement in the mouth of a patient.

Abstract: A temporary or long-term provisional crown includes a shell having a top wall defining an occlusal surface, a buccal sidewall, a lingual sidewall, and opposite mesio-distal sidewalls, connected to the top wall and buccal and lingual sidewalls and spaced apart to define a central cavity to fit over a prepared tooth. A quantity of resin is disposed in the central cavity of the shell and is preferably shaped to conform to a prepared tooth. A partial opening is preferably arranged in one or more of the mesio-distal sidewalls to permit resin to protrude mesio-distally from the cavity to contact an adjacent tooth.

Abstract: A temporary or long-term provisional crown includes a shell having a top wall defining an occlusal surface, a buccal sidewall, a lingual sidewall, and opposite mesio-distal sidewalls, connected to the top wall and buccal and lingual sidewalls and spaced apart to define a central cavity to fit over a prepared tooth. A quantity of resin is disposed in the central cavity of the shell and is preferably shaped to conform to a prepared tooth. A partial opening is preferably arranged in one or more of the mesio-distal sidewalls to permit resin to protrude mesio-distally from the cavity to contact an adjacent tooth.

Abstract: A quadrant and/or anterior shell for making a bridge or multi-tooth crown includes a plurality of integrally formed shell segments. Each shell segment corresponds to a different tooth in the respective quadrant and/or anterior region. Each shell has an occlusal surface, formed on a top wall, that replicates the occlusal surface of a natural tooth. A method of forming bridges or crowns using such shells includes selecting or sectioning off an appropriate section of the shell. The selected shell section is filled with resin. The shell section is positioned over prepared teeth, and, in the case of a bridge, also over a gap in the patient's dentition. Resin extrudes from mesio-distal sides and gingival margins of the shell section to form good proximal and gingival contacts. Once the resin has set, the resin and shell section are shaped to form the final crown or bridge.

Abstract: A quadrant and/or anterior shell for making a bridge or multi-tooth crown includes a plurality of integrally formed shell segments. Each shell segment corresponds to a different tooth in the respective quadrant and/or anterior region. Each shell has an occlusal surface, formed on a top wall, that replicates the occlusal surface of a natural tooth. A method of forming bridges or crowns using such shells includes selecting or sectioning off an appropriate section of the shell. The selected shell section is filled with resin. The shell section is positioned over prepared teeth, and, in the case of a bridge, also over a gap in the patient's dentition. Resin extrudes from mesio-distal sides and gingival margins of the shell section to form good proximal and gingival contacts. Once the resin has set, the resin and shell section are shaped to form the final crown or bridge.

Abstract: A set of fiber-polycarbonate shells for making bicuspid and molar crowns are formed with hourglass shaped occlusal profiles. Mesio-distal sidewalls of the shells have a concave shape matching the concavity of the occlusal profile. The shells are sized to fit loosely between adjacent teeth and relative to opposed teeth. The concavity of the mesio-distal sides and the occlusal surface of each shell allows a good fit between the shell and the convex sides of adjacent teeth. A good fit provides a substantially uniform-width proximal gap between mesio-distal sidewalls of the shell and the adjacent teeth. Each shell further has small mesio-distal windows in the mesio-distal sidewalls. The uniform-width gap and the mesio-distal windows control mesio-distal resin flow to adjacent teeth.

Abstract: A set of fiber-polycarbonate shells for making bicuspid and molar crowns is formed with lingual sidewalls shorter than the facial or buccal sidewalls to facilitate easy fit both gingivally and occlusally. The shells are sized to fit loosely between adjacent teeth and relative to opposed teeth. The shells have windows in the mesio-distal sidewalls and can have a window in the occlusal wall. A new method of forming crowns using such shells provides a good fit to a prepared tooth and relative to adjacent and opposed teeth by filling the shell with a glass-filled acrylic resin filler, biting down on the filled shell to position the shell gingivally and occlusally. Resin filler extrudes through the window to form good proximal contacts and to shape the occlusion, with the shell rocking about the facial gingival margin to a comfortable fit with an opposed tooth. The excess resin filler and shell are easily shaped to form the final crown.