Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system of virtual dental restoration design automation includes: receiving a 3D virtual dental model of at least a portion of a patient's dentition, the 3D virtual dental model comprising at least one virtual preparation tooth, the virtual preparation tooth comprising a digital representation of a physical preparation tooth prepared by a dentist; performing an automated virtual restoration design using the 3D virtual dental model; displaying virtually to the dentist one or more physical preparation tooth issues detected while performing the automated virtual restoration design; and displaying virtually to the dentist a generated virtual restoration for one or more adjustments where no physical preparation tooth issues are detected while performing the automated virtual restoration design.

Abstract: A method that includes applying a liquid pre-coloring solution to a gum section of a zirconia dental prosthesis, wherein the liquid pre-coloring solution comprises erbium in an amount of at least 10 wt %, based on the total weight of the composition.

Abstract: A method is provided for shaping a custom dental restoration from a preform, wherein the preform comprises a preform body and a preform stem. A method is further disclosed for generating one or more nesting positions for the restoration design within the geometry of the preform body relative to the position of the preform stem. A method is further disclosed for generating machining instructions based on the selected nesting position to optimize machining for chair-side applications.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system compresses CT reconstruction images and can include: receiving a volumetric density file including one or more voxels; replacing one or more voxel density values below an air density value with the air density value; replacing one or more voxel density values above a material density value with the material density value; determining one or more voxels of interest; replacing one or more non-interesting voxel density values below a material surface density with the air density value; replacing one or more non-interesting voxel density values above the material surface density with the material density value; quantizing all voxels to provide a reduced volume image; and compressing the reduced volume image to provide a compressed volume image.

Abstract: A method is provided for shaping a custom anterior dental restoration from a preform, wherein the preform comprises a preform body and a preform stem. A method is further disclosed for generating one or more nesting positions for the restoration design within the geometry of the preform body relative to the position of the preform stem. A method is further disclosed for generating machining instructions based on the selected nesting position to optimize machining for chair-side applications.

Abstract: A method for coloring a porous ceramic dental body that includes: applying at least one coating of a liquid coloring composition to at least a portion of a surface area of the porous ceramic dental body, the liquid coloring composition comprising: (a) at least one opaquing agent comprising a material comprising Zn, Al, Si, or a combination thereof; (b) at least one coloring agent comprising a material comprising Fe, Ni, Cu, Mn, Co, Cr, Mo, Pr, Nd, Er, Ce, Tb, or a combination thereof, (c) at least one wetting agent; and (d) at least one solvent; and sintering the coated porous ceramic dental body to obtain a fully sintered ceramic body having a density that is at least 98% of the theoretical density.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system of CT reconstruction can include receiving one or more CT projection images; performing smooth filtering on the one or more CT projection images to generate one or more smooth boundary filtered images; and back-projecting the one or more smooth boundary filtered images.

Abstract: A zirconia ceramic material for use in dental applications is provided comprising an yttria-stabilized zirconia material comprising from 4.5 mol % to 5.1 mol % yttria. Optionally, the zirconia ceramic has a coloring agent that may comprise one or more metals selected from terbium (Tb), chromium (Cr), erbium (Er), and cobalt (Co), and further, may, optionally, comprise alumina, which if present may be in an amount from 0 wt % to 0.25 wt %. The zirconia ceramic materials exhibit both enhanced translucency and a flexural strength of at least 800 MPa when fully sintered.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system of digitally segmenting teeth in a digital model comprises generating a panoramic image from a 3D digital model of a patient's dentition, labeling, using a first trained neural network, the panoramic image to provide a labeled panoramic image, mapping the labeled panoramic image to corresponding coarse digital surface triangle labels in the 3D digital model to provide a labeled 3D digital model, and segmenting the labeled 3D digital model to provide a segmented 3D digital model. A computer-implemented method and system of generating a panoramic image comprises determining, using a trained neural network, digital tooth bounding region(s) corresponding to digital teeth from a 2D depth map of a patient's dentition, connecting digital tooth bounding region(s) by a spline, determining sampled digital surface points from the sampled spline points; and determining associated digital surface points corresponding to each sampled digital surface point.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system, and instructions can include receiving a reconstructed volume of an object; determining an air density and a material density from the reconstructed volume of the object; subdividing the reconstructed volume into one or more blocks, each block comprising one or more voxels; determining one or more contrast blocks within the reconstructed volume; and determining a reconstruction quality based on the number of contrast blocks in the reconstructed volume.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of processing a digital dental impression includes determining one or more first digital surface regions visible from a first side of the digital dental impression along an occlusion axis and one or more second digital surface regions visible from a second side of the digital dental impression along the occlusion axis, segmenting the digital dental impression into one or more digital segments and determining the one or more digital segments as a first digital segment or a second digital segment based on the majority of digital surface regions in the one or more digital segments.

Abstract: Disclosed are example embodiments of a milling bur specifically designed to mill a dental prosthesis from a full-sintered zirconia blank. The milling bur comprises a milling tip configured to have a factor of safety of at least 2 by having a first coverage-percentage of grinding particles covering a surface area of the tip of the milling bur. The factor of safety is a number of times the milling bur can fully mill a dental prosthesis from a fully-sintered zirconia blank.

Abstract: Taking a digital implant or abutment level digital impression by means of intra-oral, computed tomography or other imaging method provides the restorative doctor and laboratory accurate and effective data for determining the implant position, angulation and locking feature orientation without a physical impression. Such data is correlated with a digital library to produce an output which enables design and fabrication of an accurate restorative device such as a prosthetic tooth or crown. In this way the time-consuming, costly and error prone mechanical replication of the relevant dental anatomy is obviated.

Abstract: Antimicrobial polymer composite materials are disclosed that are suitable for making oral devices used in dental applications, such as denture bases. Acrylic resin composite materials comprising antimicrobial polymers and antimicrobial fillers provide reduction in common oral microorganisms after long-term aging, with reduced release rate of antimicrobial agents from the composite material. Antimicrobial polymers are prepared from compositions comprising acrylate and/or methacrylate monomers and polymerizable quaternary ammonium silicon-containing compounds.

Abstract: A method for making a ceramic body comprised of a ceramic material having an inhibitory effect on bacterial growth is provided. A dental prosthesis may be made of a ceramic material that comprises a molybdenum-containing component on a portion of the prosthesis that contacts the gingival surface of a patient. In one method, a porous zirconia ceramic structure is shaped in the form of a dental prosthesis, and then infiltrated with a molybdenum-containing composition, before sintering to densify the ceramic structure.

Abstract: A ceramic body is provided that is suitable for use in dental applications to provide a natural aesthetic appearance. A colorized ceramic body is formed that has at least one color region and a color gradient region. A ceramic body is formed having at least two color regions and a color gradient that forms a transition region between two color regions. A method for making the colorized ceramic body includes unidirectional infiltration of a coloring composition into the ceramic body.

Abstract: The present application describes an implant-supported denture device and a method for designing and manufacturing an implant-supported denture device for a patient. A method is described for designing a virtual denture and manufacturing an implant-supported functional fitting replica denture from the virtual denture. An apparatus comprising a functional fitting replica denture is prepared having denture teeth having a fit substantially similar to the final denture. The methods and apparatus described herein reduce the number of visits required to manufacture the final denture.

Abstract: A pre-shaded ZrO2 block (e.g., a monochromatic block or polychromatic block) is sequentially infiltrated with a yttrium-containing solution at one porous surface and with water at a second porous surface to make a polychromatic/polytranslucent ZrO2 block.

Abstract: A dental resin composite comprising a thermally cured composition of polymeric resin monomers and inorganic fillers that comprise at least 80 wt % total filler loading is provided. Mill blocks made from the dental resin composite and produced via free radical polymerization under high-temperature (approximately 160° C. to 220° C.) and high-pressure process (approximately 300 MPa to 560 MPa) exhibited enhanced mechanical strength and good esthetics suitable for use in CAD/CAM indirect restorations such as, inlays, onlays, crowns and bridges.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system compresses CT reconstruction images and can include: receiving a volumetric density file including one or more voxels; replacing one or more voxel density values below an air density value with the air density value; replacing one or more voxel density values above a material density value with the material density value; determining one or more voxels of interest; replacing one or more non-interesting voxel density values below a material surface density with the air density value; replacing one or more non-interesting voxel density values above the material surface density with the material density value; quantizing all voxels to provide a reduced volume image; and compressing the reduced volume image to provide a compressed volume image.