Dental systems and methods related to impressionless dental modeling. A dental modeling system includes a dental model base and a mounting plate. The dental model base includes a plate support surface and a plurality of pin receiving apertures formed in the support surface. The mounting plate includes a plate portion positioned on the plate support surface and a plurality of pins extending into the pin receiving apertures to provide removable attachment of the mounting plate to the dental model base. The plate portion includes a model support surface configured to support a model of a person's teeth. The model may be formed directly on the model support surface using an impressionless technique. The model may be formed separately using an impressionless technique and then bonded to the model support surface.

The present invention is concerned with an apparatus for simulating the chewing process for the purpose of testing dental materials and implants and for the purpose of analyzing food samples. The apparatus comprises a frame, a stationary platform connected compliantly to the said frame and a moving platform corresponding to the maxillae and mandible of humans or animals, to which dentures or teeth are affixed. The moving platform is guided and driven in mandibular motion using six rods fitted with spherical joints at both ends. Said ball-jointed rods are attached with one end to the moving platform, and with the other end either to the frame of the apparatus, or to rotary cranks driven synchronously by a motor via a transmission. The rotary cranks together with their motor and transmission are mounted on a carrier which is adjustably attached to the frame of the apparatus. To closely reproduce a desired mandibular motion, the locations of the spherical joints to the frame, the position and orientation of the carrier relative to the frame, and the lengths of the rotary cranks and of the ball-jointed rods are suitably adjusted.

An animal dentistry apparatus is provided and comprises a jaw assembly. The jaw assembly comprises a lower jaw and an upper jaw, and is configured such that the lower jaw and the upper jaw can move apart and together in a mastication action. The upper and lower jaw comprise at least one tooth. The apparatus further comprises a means, such as a motor, to effect the mastication action. The animal dentistry apparatus may be used to assess a chewable product, and such methods are also provided.

The invention provides a method for creating a physical teeth model. The method comprises the following steps: providing a virtual three dimensional (3D) representation of a patient's dentition that comprises at least a region of the teeth that includes a tooth stump on which a crown is to be fitted or a region on to which a bridge is to be fitted; and preparing a physical model of the jaws of a subject from a blank, based on information from said virtual 3D image.

This invention is directed to a positioning jig for preparing a two or more of adjacent teeth for a dental prosthesis comprising a member with (i) three or more parallel bores in the member and (ii) one or more means to attach the member to a dental articulator. The invention is also directed to methods of use of the position jig such as to prepare a series of aligned holes in teeth or aligned holes mockup of a dental bridge for a prosthesis.

This invention is directed to a positioning jig for preparing a two or more of adjacent teeth for a dental prosthesis comprising a member with (i) three or more parallel bores in the member and (ii) one or more means to attach the member to a dental articulator. The invention is also directed to methods of use of the position jig such as to prepare a series of aligned holes in teeth or aligned holes mockup of a dental bridge for a prosthesis.

The invention relates to a method for producing a dental model for removable insertion in a recess of a holder, which dental model has a referencing, comprising at least one tooth part having a base to be inserted into the recess, wherein the at least one tooth part is produced using digitized data of a jaw in that the digitized data are saved in a computer beforehand and supplied to a processing machine to produce the at least one tooth part. In order to ensure simple handling of the dental model and in particular to prevent faulty insertion of the dental model or segment, according to the invention the referencing is saved in the computer and, in consideration of the referencing, the at least one tooth part is produced as having the base as a unit.

The invention relates to a method for producing a dental model for removable insertion in a recess of a holder, which dental model has a referencing, comprising at least one tooth part having a base to be inserted into the recess, wherein the at least one tooth part is produced using digitized data of a jaw in that the digitized data are saved in a computer beforehand and supplied to a processing machine to produce the at least one tooth part. In order to ensure simple handling of the dental model and in particular to prevent faulty insertion of the dental model or segment, according to the invention the referencing is saved in the computer and, in consideration of the referencing, the at least one tooth part is produced as having the base as a unit.

For producing dentures, a new method and device render it possible to evaluate and shape movements generated by the individual jaw joints of the patient such that work with appropriate articulators becomes possible, which employ the individual jaw joints as articulation joints and thus carry out the identical movements. The known articulators are equipped with joint-space duplicates such that they can be employed with optimal equipment for the respective patient. The support pin is moved back as fixing pin in the retral space of the articulator such that it does not constitute an impediment when working on and when inspecting the jaw models arranged on the frame upper part and the frame base part. Moreover, setting different biting positions is made significantly easier, because the frame upper part is fixed to a swivel arch of the frame base part by an adjustable position stabilizer but can also be detached.

For producing dentures, a new method and device render it possible to evaluate and shape movements generated by the individual jaw joints of the patient such that work with appropriate articulators becomes possible, which employ the individual jaw joints as articulation joints and thus carry out the identical movements. The known articulators are equipped with joint-space duplicates such that they can be employed with optimal equipment for the respective patient. The support pin is moved back as fixing pin in the retral space of the articulator such that it does not constitute an impediment when working on and when inspecting the jaw models arranged on the frame upper part and the frame base part. Moreover, setting different biting positions is made significantly easier, because the frame upper part is fixed to a swivel arch of the frame base part by an adjustable position stabilizer but can also be detached.