A method for designing a dental component, specifically a restoration, a bite guard or an impression tray, comprising the steps of measuring a dental situation; generating a 3D model of the dental situation; applying an artificial neural network for machine learning (convolutional neural network; CNN) to the 3D model of the dental situation and/or an initial 3D model of the dental component, and automatically generating a fully designed 3D model of the dental component, specifically the restoration, the bite guard or the impression tray.

A system having an auxiliary color selection body and a method for determining the colors of a dental object, i.e. the colors of tooth, residual limb or gingiva, is provided, wherein the auxiliary color selection body (10) has a substantially U-shaped or L-shaped or ring-shaped structure, on which at least one, preferably 4, reference features (18), for recognition of the auxiliary color selection body (10) is/are attached, and wherein, with respect to the reference features (18), a plurality of tooth, stump or gingiva color fields (30) are arranged on the color selection auxiliary body (10). It is provided for an image of a tooth (16) to be taken with the auxiliary color selection body (10) being adjacent thereto on at least two sides and the tooth color is determined based on this image (FIG. 1).

A system having an auxiliary color selection body and a method for determining the colors of a dental object, i.e. the colors of tooth, residual limb or gingiva, is provided, wherein the auxiliary color selection body (10) has a substantially U-shaped or L-shaped or ring-shaped structure, on which at least one, preferably 4, reference features (18), for recognition of the auxiliary color selection body (10) is/are attached, and wherein, with respect to the reference features (18), a plurality of tooth, stump or gingiva color fields (30) are arranged on the color selection auxiliary body (10). It is provided for an image of a tooth (16) to be taken with the auxiliary color selection body (10) being adjacent thereto on at least two sides and the tooth color is determined based on this image (FIG. 1).

There are challenges in the prior art of matching new dental work with the color, chroma, translucency and other optical characteristics of existing teeth. The disclosed embodiments overcome shortfalls in the prior art by using an artful combination of stump replicas in convex and/or magnetic attachment to crown or veneer replicas. The disclosed layering and attachment techniques using separate stump and veneer replicas avoid the use of subjective and speculative evaluations by dental professionals in matching proposed dental work to existing dental conditions.

There are challenges in the prior art of matching new dental work with the color, chroma, translucency and other optical characteristics of existing teeth. The disclosed embodiments overcome shortfalls in the prior art by using an artful combination of stump replicas in convex and/or magnetic attachment to crown or veneer replicas. The disclosed layering and attachment techniques using separate stump and veneer replicas avoid the use of subjective and speculative evaluations by dental professionals in matching proposed dental work to existing dental conditions.

An oral appliance hanging device of embodiments of the disclosed technology has a horizontal base supporting vertical walls on top of which are concave indentations opening upwards. Some of the vertical walls can form the upward-facing receptacles and some of the vertical walls can attach to a support base, such as a horizontally-disposed support base. The vertical walls can be spaced apart from each other forming a vertical portal and can include some which are connected only to other vertically disposed walls and some which are connected to the support base. In this manner, liquid can drip on either side or between two vertical walls and on to the support base. Side flanges extending upwards from the horizontal support base and, in some embodiments, forming a unitary structure therewith hold liquid, such as that which drips downwards there-on, until the support base is tilted allowing the liquid to exit or wiped clean.

An oral appliance hanging device of embodiments of the disclosed technology has a horizontal base supporting vertical walls on top of which are concave indentations opening upwards. Some of the vertical walls can form the upward-facing receptacles and some of the vertical walls can attach to a support base, such as a horizontally-disposed support base. The vertical walls can be spaced apart from each other forming a vertical portal and can include some which are connected only to other vertically disposed walls and some which are connected to the support base. In this manner, liquid can drip on either side or between two vertical walls and on to the support base. Side flanges extending upwards from the horizontal support base and, in some embodiments, forming a unitary structure therewith hold liquid, such as that which drips downwards there-on, until the support base is tilted allowing the liquid to exit or wiped clean.

The invention concerns a process for the approach to an oriented relative position between a camera or scanning device and a dental assistance element (10), in particular via an app on a smartphone, for recording the dental assistance element (10), such as a miniature shade guide (10). A mark (4) is attached to the dental assistance element (10), and/or at least one part of the dental assistance element (10) is used as a mark (4). A stencil (6) which is congruent with or mathematically similar to the mark (4) is displayed on a display device of the camera or scanning device. For the approach to the oriented relative position between the camera or scanning device and the dental assistance element, a modification of the degree of coverage of the stencil (6) with the mark (4) or the one part of the dental assistance element (10) is detected.

A dental material container includes a cylindrical body that stores a dental material including a pair of opposing primary surfaces, and a rotatable cap covering the body. The cap includes an internal space capable of housing the dental material. The body includes a pair of first holders that are formed on an inner surface of the body to movably hold the primary surfaces of the dental material; the cap includes a pair of second holders formed inside of the cap to movably hold the primary surfaces of the dental material. When the cap is rotated in the circumferential direction relative to the body, a continuous space where the dental material is movable is formed by the first and second holders, the dental material located closest to the opening in the body moves into the cap, and the dental material moved into the cap is housed in the cap.

A dental material container includes a cylindrical body that stores a dental material including a pair of opposing primary surfaces, and a rotatable cap covering the body. The cap includes an internal space capable of housing the dental material. The body includes a pair of first holders that are formed on an inner surface of the body to movably hold the primary surfaces of the dental material; the cap includes a pair of second holders formed inside of the cap to movably hold the primary surfaces of the dental material. When the cap is rotated in the circumferential direction relative to the body, a continuous space where the dental material is movable is formed by the first and second holders, the dental material located closest to the opening in the body moves into the cap, and the dental material moved into the cap is housed in the cap.