The present invention relates to orthodontic positioning appliances that represent teeth in desired positions and related systems and methods. An appliance can include teeth receiving cavities shaped to receive and apply a resilient positioning force to a patient's teeth. An appliance can include an outer component having a surface representing teeth in desired positions. An outer component can be integral with an appliance. An outer component can be separate and configured to couple with an appliance main body.

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.

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.

A thermoplastic film kit for cosmetic dental repairs includes a plurality of sheets. Each sheet has a respective color so that the plurality of sheets comprises a plurality of colors. The sheets comprise thermoplastic and are configured to be thermoformed. A respective sheet that has an associated color, which substantially matches teeth that are positioned adjacent to a portion of a bite of a patient, is configured to be thermoformed to a cast that is prepared from a mold of the portion of the bite. The thermoforming of the respective sheet generates a covering that is configured to be bonded to the teeth within the portion of the bite to cover abnormal teeth. The associated color of the covering matches the teeth that are positioned adjacent to the portion of the bite.

The invention relates to a method for the preparation of a glass ceramic or a glass, which comprise cerium ions and are suitable in particular for the preparation of dental restorations, the fluorescence properties of which largely correspond to those of natural teeth. The invention also relates to a glass ceramic and a glass which can be obtained using the method according to the invention, the use thereof as dental material and in particular for the preparation of dental restorations, as well as a glass-forming composition which is suitable for use in the method according to the invention.

The invention relates to a method for the preparation of a glass ceramic or a glass, which comprise cerium ions and are suitable in particular for the preparation of dental restorations, the fluorescence properties of which largely correspond to those of natural teeth. The invention also relates to a glass ceramic and a glass which can be obtained using the method according to the invention, the use thereof as dental material and in particular for the preparation of dental restorations, as well as a glass-forming composition which is suitable for use in the method according to the invention.

A dental prosthetic device design method according to an aspect of the present invention is a method for designing a dental prosthetic device by a computer, the method including: acquiring scan data of maxillary and mandibular dentitions; determining a restoration site of a tooth, based on the scan data; reading out plural pieces of attrition shape data of a tooth related to the restoration site, from maxillary and mandibular tooth shape data sets having plural pieces of attrition shape data with different degrees of attrition for each tooth of the maxillary and mandibular dentitions; selecting attrition shape data from among the plural pieces of attrition shape data, in accordance with the degrees of attrition of the maxillary and mandibular dentitions; placing the selected attrition shape data at the restoration site; and creating shape data of a dental prosthetic device from the attrition shape data placed at the restoration site.

A dental prosthetic device design method according to an aspect of the present invention is a method for designing a dental prosthetic device by a computer, the method including: acquiring scan data of maxillary and mandibular dentitions; determining a restoration site of a tooth, based on the scan data; reading out plural pieces of attrition shape data of a tooth related to the restoration site, from maxillary and mandibular tooth shape data sets having plural pieces of attrition shape data with different degrees of attrition for each tooth of the maxillary and mandibular dentitions; selecting attrition shape data from among the plural pieces of attrition shape data, in accordance with the degrees of attrition of the maxillary and mandibular dentitions; placing the selected attrition shape data at the restoration site; and creating shape data of a dental prosthetic device from the attrition shape data placed at the restoration site.

A method that includes the step of using a person's fingers to push a dental composition into engagement with a damaged tooth surface of a damaged tooth thereby adhering the dental composition to the damaged tooth surface and covering at least a portion of the damaged tooth surface. The dental composition includes a base material comprising at least one of the following compounds chosen from the group consisting of: a product consisting of one or more hydrocarbon-based waxes that may also include inorganic fillers and/or organic fillers; an uncured, uncrosslinked silicone high consistency rubber base; and a hydrophobic water insoluble solid material. The base material has a coating composition on one or more surface of the base material wherein the coating composition comprises: one or more desensitization ingredient and at least one dry, powdered hydrophilic polymeric substance.

A method that includes the step of using a person's fingers to push a dental composition into engagement with a damaged tooth surface of a damaged tooth thereby adhering the dental composition to the damaged tooth surface and covering at least a portion of the damaged tooth surface. The dental composition includes a base material comprising at least one of the following compounds chosen from the group consisting of: a product consisting of one or more hydrocarbon-based waxes that may also include inorganic fillers and/or organic fillers; an uncured, uncrosslinked silicone high consistency rubber base; and a hydrophobic water insoluble solid material. The base material has a coating composition on one or more surface of the base material wherein the coating composition comprises: one or more desensitization ingredient and at least one dry, powdered hydrophilic polymeric substance.