Abstract: The invention provides a method of making a removable partial dental prosthesis by molding a removable partial dental prosthesis having a base, an artificial tooth and a clasp. The artificial tooth is supported by said base. The base is integrally connected to the clasp. The base includes pigment and is substantially opaque. The clasp is effectively free of pigment and is substantially transparent. The base is formed to mate with oral mucosa for support of the prosthesis thereon.

Abstract: The invention provides an ultrasonic scaler, comprising: a scaler tip, actuator material, a coil, a hand-piece housing, and an air driven electrical current generator. The actuator material, the coil and the air driven electrical current generator are enclosed by the hand-piece housing. The scaler tip is connected to the actuator material. Preferably the actuator material is [Tb0.30Dy0.70Fe1.92]. The invention provides an ultrasonic scaler including a scaler tip, actuator material, a coil, a hand-piece housing, and a frequency control circuit. The actuator material, the coil and the frequency control circuit are enclosed by the hand-piece housing. The scaler tip is connected to the actuator material.

Abstract: The invention provides high strength dental polymeric dental products made from wax-like polymerizable dental material. These dental products have superior strength compared to products formed from prior wax-like polymerizable materials. Prior wax-like polymerizable materials do not form strong enough polymeric material for making dentures. High strength dentures are made by positioning artificial teeth in wax-like polymerizable dental material of the invention. This material is then shaped and polymerized to the form a denture base of high strength dental polymeric material. These dentures are completed without forming wax and without applying inorganic plaster to the artificial teeth.

Abstract: Improved very high viscosity (putty) two component polymerizable polyorganosiloxane composition for use in making non-sweating, low liquid mass loss dental impressions, having improved tear strength, handling and wettability. Improved tear strength results from inclusion of a quadri-functional polysiloxane having a vinyl content of 0.16 to 0.24 m-mole/g. Working time is maintained by including sufficient amounts of a retarder composition that delays onset of the vinyl polymerization. Handling is improved by the addition of a very high viscosity linear vinyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane which reduces tackiness and improves the shelf stability. Wettability is improved by including a surfactant resulting in a surface contact angle with water at three minutes of less than 50°.

Abstract: A method of venting during sealing the cartridge. The cartridge body has an external wall, a generally cylindrical internal chamber wall having an internal chamber wall diameter and enclosing a cartridge chamber, and at least one channel wall forming a channel (or groove) in the chamber wall. The piston has a generally cylindrical plug wall positioned adjacent to the generally cylindrical internal chamber wall. The cylindrical plug wall has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the cylindrical internal chamber wall. Dental material is conveyed into the cartridge chamber. The piston is pressed into the cartridge chamber while venting gas from the cartridge chamber through the channel prior to forming a hermetic seal around the dental material in the cartridge chamber.

Abstract: The invention provides dental cement compositions and methods of using them for binding hard tooth material, metal and ceramic. The cement compositions include shelf stable complexes of ethylenically unsaturated monomers reacted with cations. The cements have superior adhesion to tooth without separately acid etching dentin or enamel. Compositions of are useful as dental luting cements, liners, pit and fissure seal bases and restoratives.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of making a transducer activated tool tip, comprising, providing a substantially linear tip body having a fluid inlet end and a fluid outlet end. The tip body has an inlet end and a subgingival outlet end. The tip body is bent in a first direction. In the tip body is formed a fluid passageway internal to the tip. The tip body is bent in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction.

Abstract: A process for producing an artificial tooth comprising: injection molding polymerizable material into a mold to form an outer external polymeric layer. Then injection molding polymerizable material into the mold to form an inner polymeric layer applied on the first external layer. Then injection molding polymerizable material into the mold to form a solid core applied on the inner external layer.

Abstract: The invention provides a dental porcelain product, comprising a core layer of core material and a repair layer of repair material. The core layer has a higher melting temperature than the repair layer. The core material comprising a portion of crystalline core material and a portion of glass core material. The repair material comprises a portion of crystalline repair material and a portion of glass repair material. The portion of crystalline core material is greater than the portion of the crystalline repair material. The core material and the repair material each are formed from powder materials and each comprising silicon dioxide, aluminum oxide, sodium oxide, potassium oxide, calcium oxide, cerium oxide and boron trioxide. Preferably, the core material comprises a component selected from the group consisting of barium oxide and titanium oxide. Preferably, the repair material comprises a component selected from a group consisting of lithium oxide, magnesium oxide and terbium oxide.

Abstract: The method of dental scaling of the invention uses a scaler and reservoir system, comprising: a scaler handpiece having a scaling tip, a scaler housing enclosing a scaler valve, a compressor housing enclosing a reservoir valve and a compressor, a reservoir housing having an inner chamber, the scaler housing is supported by the reservoir housing, and the compressor housing is supported by and connected to the scaler housing and the reservoir housing, the scaler handpiece is connected to the scaler housing, vibrates the tip, and scales a tooth in a patient'smooth by positioning the scaling tip adjacent to the tooth. Preferably the dental scaler and reservoir system, comprising: a scaler housing, a scaler valve, a compressor housing, a reservoir valve, a compressor, a reservoir housing having an inner chamber, a handpiece housing having a handpiece valve and a vibrational member. The scaler housing is supported by the reservoir housing. The compressor is connected to compressor conduit.

Abstract: A preferred embodiment of the invention provides a composition and method of treating dental metal. The composition includes a polymerizable aryl compound having at least one carboxylic acid group and at least one polymerizable group, and a polymerizable compound having at least one polymerizable group and at least one phosphorous containing group. A preferred composition includes at least 50 percent by weight of a volatile organic solvent, at least 15 percent by weight of one or more polymerizable acrylate compounds and an effective amount of a photoinitiator. At least a portion of the polymerizable compounds are multifunctional polymerizable compounds having at least three acrylate moieties. The polymerizable compounds are substantially soluble in the solvent. The composition is adapted to form a polymeric material which is adapted to adhere to metal and ceramics and to dentin. Compositions of the invention have superior adhesion to dental metals and tooth without separately acid etching dentin or enamel.

Abstract: A method of lighting a scaling tip including providing a light source electrically connected to a secondary coil, and providing a scaling tip having an arm extending into a primary coil and adapted to be ultrasonically vibrated by the primary coil.

Abstract: The invention provides dental composition system having curable liquid which is useful alone as a light curable composition and which is useful by mixing with a powder in preselected proportions to form dual cure compositions. The composition system is useful as bonding agent, cement, liner, base, restorative, pit and fissure sealants, and/or core build-up material, having improved adhesion to dentin. After storing the powder and the liquid in separate containers for at least two weeks and then mixing a portion of the powder and a portion of the liquid to form a mixture, the polymerizable compound polymerizes within 20 minutes of the mixing to form a first polymeric material having a flexural strength of at least 50 MPa, and an expansion in water at 37° C. after 90 days of less than 1 percent by volume.

Abstract: The invention provides a self etching adhesive dental primer composition, a method of use of the primer composition and a product formed from the primer. The dental product is formed from the primer composition which includes water, surfactant and polymerizable material in suspension in the water. The polymerizable material includes monomers which are water immiscible. Preferably the monomers have an average molecular weight less than 1000. The primer composition is used by applying the composition to unetched dental tooth enamel and the polymerizable material is polymerized to form a dental product having adhesion to the enamel of more than 13 MPa. Improved surfactants which contain at least one ethenically unsaturated polymerizable group are provided in accordance with the invention. Surfactants of the present invention copolymerize with and become an integral part of any polymerizable resin matrix in which they are incorporated.

Abstract: Dental composition, product and process using a silicon containing abrasion resistant material. The dental products formed are abrasion resistant and self-lubricating across their entire cross sections. Dental compositions useful for forming dental products in accordance with the invention preferably includes an ethylenically unsaturated silane. The composition is formed into a dental prosthesis, such as an artificial tooth, inlay, onlay, facing, crown or bridge.

Abstract: The invention provides a storage stable dental composition comprising a volatile organic solvent and a polymerizable material enclosed by a package, which includes a closure, such as a cover or plug and a container made of a copolymer of a cycloolefin and an open chain olefin. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention is provided a stored packaged dental product by the process including: enclosing a dental composition in a package with at least a substantial portion of an injection molded thermoplastic copolymer of a cycloolefin and an open chain olefin, and storing the dental composition in the package for at least 1 week.

Abstract: An esterified macromonomer within the scope of the general formula: wherein Z is an organic moiety, R1 is hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, oxyalkyl having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, alkenyl having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having from 5 to 12 carbon atoms, aryl having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms or aralkyl having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms, each E independently is a hydroxyl group, an organic ester moiety or an inorganic ester containing moiety and at least one E is an ester containing moiety, n and m each independently is an integer from 2 to 12.

Abstract: A &agr;,&ohgr;-methacrylate terminated epoxide-carboxylic acid macromonomer compound formed by reaction of at least one diepoxide, at least one dicarboxylic acid and at least one unsaturated mono-carboxylic acid and having the general formula 1: wherein R is an aromatic moiety formed from a diepoxide R′ is a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic, araliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic moiety formed from a dicarboxylic acid, R″ is hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic, araliphatic, aromatic or cycloaliphatic moiety formed from a mono-carboxylic acid, and n is an integer from 1 to 20.

Abstract: Liquid crystalline (meth)acrylates of the invention include at least three rigid rod-like moieties. One of these moieties is comprised between the (meth)acrylate rests and further two moieties are bonded as side chains. The liquid crystalline (meth)acrylates polymerizable using redox initiators and/or photo initiators. The (meth)acrylates of the invention polymerize quantitative and with very low volume shrinkage of less than 2.5 percent.

Abstract: The invention provides a curable system and method of making a dental prosthesis. The method of making a dental prosthesis includes providing a one component denture base resin composition which is polymerizable by microwave energy. The one component denture base resin composition is injected into a mold enclosed by a flask having a body wall which is substantially transparent to the microwave energy. The curable system includes microwave energy sensitive initiators and polymerizables (meth)acrylate Monomers having molecular weights preferably between 400 and 20,000. The initiators are adapted to initiate polymerization of the polymerizable Monomers by application of microwave energy to the flask. The initiators are adapted to remain stable and not initiate polymerization of the Monomers for at least one year at 23° C. in the absence of microwave energy.