Abstract: A multi-unit dental implant system including a dental implant, a straight abutment, an angled abutment, and a plurality of copings or other components configured to universally fit on the cone-section of the straight abutment and the cone-section of the angled abutment.

Abstract: Dental retention systems which facilitate the adjustment or removal of an oral appliance, e.g., a crown or bridge, from a reconfigurable abutment assembly are described. The adjustable abutment assembly may be secured to an anchoring implant bored into the bones within the mouth. The abutment assembly has a projecting abutment portion with one or more shape memory alloy compression plates or elements extending along the projecting abutment portion. Each of the plates has a length with one or more straightened portions and with at least one curved or arcuate portion. Energy may be applied to the elements such that the arcuate portion self-flattens to allow for the oral appliance to be placed thereupon while removal of the energy allows the elements to reconfigure into its curved configuration thereby locking the oral appliance to the abutment. Removal of the oral appliance may be effected by reapplication of energy to the elements.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for finding virtual tooth features on virtual three-dimensional models of the teeth of patients. The tooth features comprise marginal ridges, cusp tips, contact points, central groove and buccal groove. Tooth axes system plays a key role in identifying the tooth features. An iterative method is disclosed for improving the accuracy of the tooth axes system. A virtual three-dimension model preferably obtained by scanning the dentition of a patient forms the basis for determining the tooth features. Tooth features are derived for all categories of teeth including molars, premolars, canines and front teeth. Tooth features are very helpful and used in planning orthodontic treatment. The tooth features are determined automatically using the computerized techniques; and can be manually adjusted when necessary.

Abstract: A universal transitional abutment for immediate placement during the first and/or second stages of the dental implant surgery is presented. The transitional dental abutment can approximate the natural appearance of a patient's own tooth. The transitional dental abutment can bypass the traditional anti-rotational component common to most dental implant systems by directly screwing the transitional dental abutment onto a dental implant. In another embodiment, the abutment can be a universal anterior transitional abutment. The anterior transitional dental abutment can include a ball and a crown. The ball can be affixed to the dental implant and the crown snaps onto the ball. The transitional dental abutment can be universally used on most dental implants regardless of manufacturer by simply changing the fastener of the transitional dental abutment. The universal transitional abutments can be permanent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a functionally graded glass/ceramic/glass sandwich system especially useful in damage resistant, ceramic dental and orthopedic prosthesis. The functionally graded glass/substrate/glass composite structure comprises an outer (aesthetic) residual glass layer, a graded glass-ceramic layer, and a dense interior ceramic. The functionally graded glass/substrate/glass composite structure may further comprise a veneer on an exterior surface. The present invention also provides a method for preparing a functionally graded glass/ceramic/glass sandwich system. A powdered glass-ceramic composition or a glass tape is applied to the accessible surfaces of a dense alumina substrate to thereby substantially cover the substrate surfaces. The glass of the composition has a CTE similar to that of the substrate material. The glass-ceramic composition is infiltrated into the dense substrate by heating the assembly to temperatures 50-700° C. below the sintering temperature of the substrate.

Abstract: A method of making a dental restoration is provided. The dental restoration comprises a frame and a veneer. An inner veneer surface and an outer frame surface are adapted to be mated with one another to form the dental restoration. The method in particular comprises steps of (a) providing an outer veneer surface; (b) determining an outer frame surface, based on the outer veneer surface; (c) determining an inner veneer surface, based on the outer frame surface; and (d) providing an inner frame surface, based on a natural tooth surface. The method may be advantageous for rapid, precise and inexpensive manufacturing of a dental restoration.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recording medium a method and an apparatus for generating virtual teeth and recording media storing a program performing the method. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for generating virtual teeth includes (a) acquiring a tooth image having three-dimensional information from teeth including a damaged tooth; (b) determining an image of a virtual tooth to be inserted into a position of the damaged tooth in a tooth image library having predetermined three-dimensional information and inserting the determined virtual tooth image into the acquired tooth image; and (c) modifying the virtual tooth image by considering tooth images positioned at upper and lower sides or right and left sides of the virtual tooth image. According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to produce a prosthesis most suitable for the state of patient's teeth only once and an operator can minimize post-processing of the produced prosthesis.

Abstract: A dental filling material comprising a polybutylene polymer having a molecular weight of about 10,000 to about 100,000 and being viscoelastic at about 20° C. The composition may include other polymeric resins, fillers, plasticizers and other additives typically used in dental materials. The filling material is used for the filing of root canals.

Abstract: A dental restoration is provided which includes a base structure and a pre-fabricated over structure which at least partially covers the base structure. An interconnecting material interconnects hardened bite elements of the over structure with the base structure. In accordance with the method of producing a dental restoration, the interconnecting material applied onto the base structure is hardened fully after the over structure has first been applied onto the still malleable interconnecting material.

Abstract: A dental restorative composition comprises a resin composition comprising a low shrinkage, polymerizable oligomer contains units of the structure: AB??(I) wherein A is an organic radical having 1 to about 6 (meth)acrylate groups and 0 to about 5 hydroxy groups; B is an organic radical having 1 to about 5 epoxide groups, and wherein A and B are linked through the reaction of an epoxide and a hydroxy group; and a filler composition comprising a polyhedral silsequioxane and a sol-derived filler. These polymerizable dental composites may be used for a variety of dental materials, treatments, and restorative functions, including crown and bridge materials, fillings, adhesives, sealants, luting agents or cements, denture base materials, orthodontic materials and sealants, and other dental restorative materials.

Abstract: The invention relates to an anterior tooth such as an incisor tooth or canine tooth built up in layers, with a cutting-edge material (30) at least partially covering a dentine material (28). At its occlusal end (38), the dentine material has projections (42) and/or irregularities (42, 46 and 48), which extend in the occlusal direction and correspond to 0.05 to 0.4 times the total length of a tooth.

Abstract: A method of creating a provisional dental prosthesis on an implant placed in bone retains a conical abutment to the implant. A first intermediate component secures to the conical abutment. A second intermediate component attaches to the first intermediate component. The second intermediate component comprises a polymeric material. A prosthetic template is placed over the second intermediate component. The prosthetic template is filled with a hardenable material. After the prosthetic template is filled, the process removes the prosthetic template with the second intermediate component within the hardenable material. A provisional prosthesis forms from the hardenable material, the provisional prosthesis contains the second intermediate component. The provisional prosthesis connect to the first intermediate component by affixing the second intermediate component to the first intermediate component.

Abstract: A dental composite material that comprises a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane is disclosed. The dental composite material is useful for a variety of dental materials, treatments, and restorative functions including crown and bridge materials, fillings, adhesives, sealants, luting agents or cements, denture base materials, orthodontic materials and sealants, and other dental restorative materials.

Abstract: Tooth tissues include the pulp mesenchyme that forms the dentin and an epithelium that is responsible for enamel formation. Cells from these tissues were obtained from porcine third molars and were seeded onto a biodegradable scaffold composed of a polyglycolic acid—polylactic acid copolymer. Cell polymer constructs were then surgically implanted into the omentum of athymic nude rats so that the constructs would have a blood supply and these tissues were allowed to develop inside the rats. Infrequently, columnar epithelial cells were observed as a single layer on the outside of the dentin-like matrix similar to the actual arrangement of ameloblasts over dentin during early tooth development. Developing tooth tissues derived from such cell polymer constructs could eventually be surgically implanted into the gum of an edentulous recipient where the construct would receive a blood supply and develop to maturity, providing the recipient with a biological tooth replacement.

Abstract: Tooth tissues include the pulp mesenchyme that forms the dentin and an epithelium that is responsible for enamel formation. Cells from these tissues were obtained from porcine third molars and were seeded onto a biodegradable scaffold composed of a polyglycolic acid-polylactic acid copolymer. Cell polymer constructs were then surgically implanted into the omentum of athymic nude rats so that the constructs would have a blood supply and these tissues were allowed to develop inside the rats. Histological analysis of 7.5 week-old implants revealed a dentin-like collagenous matrix containing hydroxyapatite mineral surrounding a core of mesenchymal cells that appeared analogous to pulp tissue. Infrequently, columnar epithelial cells were observed as a single layer on the outside of the dentin-like matrix similar to the actual arrangement of ameloblasts over dentin during early tooth development.

Abstract: A dental composite material that comprises a polymerizable resin composition; a filler system comprising polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane fillers; and a curing system. The dental composite material is useful for a variety of dental materials, treatments, and restorative functions including crown and bridge materials, fillings, adhesives, sealants, luting agents or cements, denture base materials, orthodontic materials and sealants, and other dental restorative materials.

Abstract: Shaping cap made of ceramic, metal or plastic material, which is suitable as a solid constituent of dental pin structures.

Abstract: An artificial tooth for molars is of a double structure comprising an occlusal region replaceable by a material which is more durable than a synthetic resin and is selected from the group consisting of a metal, a ceramic, a composite resin and an amalgam, and a bottom region. The present artificial tooth may further include a junction region having a maximum thickness of 0.05 to 3.0 mm, which serves to make a bond between the occlusal and bottom regions of the artificial tooth.

Abstract: Am inprovment in prosthetic dentistry which allows a porcelain veneer facing to be permanently affixed directly to a natural or virgin tooth without significant grinding or reduction of the tooth surface. The improvement consists in a method, and the product produced thereby, of chemically etching a selected portion of a porcelain veneer facing, which is thereafter directly affixed to an acid-etched natural or virgin tooth surface by a suitable bonding composition. A selected portion of the porcelain veneer is covered by a layer of a waxy protective material and the facing is thereafter contacted with a hydrofluoric acid solution of controlled concentration under controlled time and temperature conditions so as to partially dissolve or etch the unprotected portion of the facing. The porcelain veneer facing is thereafter capable of being bonded directly to an acid-etched natural or virgin tooth with great strength and durability.

Abstract: The surface characteristics of an organ that needs restoration, for example, a tooth which has been prepared for an inlay insertion, are read by means of a noncontact scan-head. The three-dimensional shape parameters of the implant required to restore the tooth in function and appearance are computed on the basis of the recorded contour data. These parameters are then used in a program sequence which controls a milling, cutting or erosive process in order to manufacture the restorative inlay while the patient waits.

Abstract: An anterior tooth prosthesis has a one-piece metal framework with laterally extending wings, a central saddle with a concave surface and a peg integral with the surface, and a plastic pontic having a peg-receiving mortise in which the peg is seated and secured.