A cover device formed of a plastic or similar composition is structured for removable attachment over a bracket of an orthodontic appliance and includes a main plate with an outer front face, and top and bottom claws integrally formed with the main plate, curling behind the main plate, and each terminating at distal ends in spaced, opposing relation to each other behind the main plate. The main plate is bowed outwardly from top to bottom to allow the claws to flex away from each other and snap over the bracket upon application of inward pressure on the front face while the claws are pressed against the bracket, to thereby attach the cover to the bracket, with the bracket concealed from view behind the cover device. The front face may include an ornamental design. In another embodiment, the cover device includes a bottom tab for cooperating engagement with a removal tool.

The invention relates to a process of producing a dental zirconia restoration, the dental zirconia restoration having an outer and an inner surface, the process comprising the step of firing a porous dental zirconia restoration and a glass until the porous dental zirconia restoration is sintered, the glass being located during the firing step on at least a portion of the outer surface of the porous dental zirconia restoration, wherein the zirconia material of the porous dental zirconia restoration and the glass are selected such that during the firing step the glass infiltrates the pores of the porous dental zirconia restoration to an extent of not more than 5 ?m in depth. The invention also relates to a sintered dental zirconia restoration obtainable by such a process and a kit of parts comprising a porous dental zirconia mill blank and a surface treating agent containing a glass for use in such a process.

[Object] Provided is a method of previously confirming an appearance color of a crown after mounted on an abutment tooth of a patient, the crown being manufactured by CAD/CAM using a milling block made of a non-metal material and having a specific surface color pattern.

[Solving Means] Using an instrument kit or demonstration instrument including a crown sample and an abutment tooth sample, the crown sample being manufactured by CAD/CAM using a milling block substantially identical to a milling block to be used for manufacturing the crown and including an open cavity, the abutment tooth sample including an abutment tooth portion having a shape and a size with which the abutment tooth portion can be freely inserted into the open cavity, and having a surface color pattern substantially identical to a color of an abutment tooth of a patient, an appearance color of the crown sample is confirmed before and after the abutment tooth portion is inserted into the open cavity.

[Object] Provided is a method of previously confirming an appearance color of a crown after mounted on an abutment tooth of a patient, the crown being manufactured by CAD/CAM using a milling block made of a non-metal material and having a specific surface color pattern.

[Solving Means] Using an instrument kit or demonstration instrument including a crown sample and an abutment tooth sample, the crown sample being manufactured by CAD/CAM using a milling block substantially identical to a milling block to be used for manufacturing the crown and including an open cavity, the abutment tooth sample including an abutment tooth portion having a shape and a size with which the abutment tooth portion can be freely inserted into the open cavity, and having a surface color pattern substantially identical to a color of an abutment tooth of a patient, an appearance color of the crown sample is confirmed before and after the abutment tooth portion is inserted into the open cavity.

The present invention relates to a cleaning/sterilization and storage device for a plurality of dentures, which is capable of simultaneously cleaning a plurality of dentures and, more particularly, to a cleaning/sterilization and storage device for a plurality of dentures, which is capable of simultaneously cleaning a large number of dentures collected from facilities where there are many denture users such as a nursing home or a geriatric hospital to supply the same to the user again, and killing germs as well as separating foreign substances to supply the dentures to the user.

A method for monitoring the shape of teeth including: producing a three-dimensional digital model of at least one portion of an arch of the patient or initial reference model; acquiring at least one two-dimensional image of the arches, referred to as updated image, under actual acquisition conditions; analysing each updated image and producing an updated map relating to a piece of discriminating information; optionally determining rough virtual acquisition conditions that approximate the actual acquisition conditions; searching each updated image for a final reference model corresponding to the shape of the teeth, and optionally to the positioning of the teeth, during the acquisition of the updated image; and comparing the shapes of the initial reference model and of the reference model obtained at the end of the preceding steps, referred to as final reference model, in order to determine the deformation and/or the movement of teeth between steps a) and b).

A system for the color matching of dental restorations with teeth using a high degree of color correction followed by a display of maps showing the distribution of shades and values over the face of a tooth. The system can further utilize filters to output shade maps consisting of a predetermined number of shades and allow a technician to perform a virtual try in of the restoration in the patient's mouth.

A support system for the manufacture of dental restorations is provided that includes a measurement device for determining the tooth data, such as the tooth color and color coordinates, and a data processing device including a camera for capturing a tooth image. The data processing device includes a reception module and the measurement device has a transmission module, for direct transmission of measured tooth data from the measurement device to the data processing device. The support system further includes an allocation module integrated into the data processing device for allocating the received tooth data to the tooth image, and a transmission module integrated into the data processing device for transmission of the tooth image inclusive of allocated tooth data to a data processing device of a dental laboratory.

A positioning feedback tool for a dental appliance takes the form of a flexible appearance strip for simulating the appearance of an installed dental appliance on a patient wearer. Dental appliances, such as dentures, rest on the gums of a wearer as functional replacements of teeth. The flexible appearance strip has visual images of dental elements (teeth) for replacing the natural teeth, and depict the size, spacing and color of the dental elements in the finished appliance. Dental elements are affixed onto a foundation mold for resembling a natural row of teeth. The foundation mold receives an imprint of the gums of the wearer, and also receives the dental elements to define the placement of the dental elements. Prior to tooth placement in the foundation mold, the flexible appearance strip is disposed against the installed foundation mold so that the patient may visualize the appearance of the finished appliance.

Aspects of the present invention relate to a storage tray for storing dental components. The storage tray comprises a plurality of compartments arranged along an arc representative of a dental arch, each compartment corresponding to the position of a respective tooth on the dental arch.