The invention discloses a process for producing dental shaped parts which consists entirely of porous glass without crystalline portions. The density of the blank is between 50% and 95% of its theoretical density. It has a discoidal shape with a diameter of at least 20 mm.

The blank is produced by a process in which glass powder is first pressed at a pressure of between 10 MPa and 300 MPa and this green body is (pre-)sintered at a temperature of between 580° C. and 750° C. to form a blank of porous glass without crystalline portions.

From the obtained blank, monolithic dental shaped parts can be obtained by mechanical processing followed by sintering, wherein a process according to the invention for stabilizing the shape of the shaped parts is used.

Lithium silicate-diopside glass ceramics are described which are characterized by a controllable translucence and can be satisfactorily processed mechanically and therefore can be used in particular as restoration material in dentistry.

The present invention relates to a 3D printer printhead, a 3D printer using the same, a method for manufacturing a molded product by using the 3D printer, a method for manufacturing an artificial tooth by using the 3D printer, and a method for manufacturing a machinable glass ceramic molded product by using the 3D printer, the 3D printer printhead comprising: an inlet through which glass wire, which is a raw material, is introduced; a heating means for heating the glass wire introduced through the inlet; a melting furnace for providing a space in which the glass wire is fused; and a nozzle connected to the lower part of the melting furnace so as to temporarily store the fused glass or discharge a targeted amount of the fused glass, wherein the melting furnace includes an exterior frame made from a heat resistant material and an interior frame having a crucible shape, and the interior frame is made from platinum (Pt), a Pt alloy or graphite, which have a low contact angle, or a material having a surface coated with Pt or a diamond-like carbon (DLC) so as to prevent the fused glass from sticking thereto. According to the present invention, the molded product, the artificial tooth, and the machinable glass ceramic molded product can be manufactured with excellent mechanical properties, thermal durability, chemical durability and oxidation resistance and outstanding texture by using the glass wire as a raw material.

A silicate-based composition includes: 40-80 mol % SiO.sub.2, >0-25 mol % MO, 15-40 mol % R.sub.2O, >0-10 mol % Al.sub.2O.sub.3, >0-10 mol % P.sub.2O.sub.5, and >0-5 mol % ZrO.sub.2, such that MO is a sum of BeO, MgO, CaO, SrO, and BaO; and R.sub.2O is a sum of Li.sub.2O, Na.sub.2O, K.sub.2O, Rb.sub.2O, Cs.sub.2O.

A process for the preparation of multi-coloured dental restorations is described, in which glasses and glass ceramics with various compositions are given the shapes of dental restorations and colour changes are effected in the glasses and glass ceramics by irradiating them with artificial electromagnetic radiation and subjecting them to a heat treatment.

The present invention relates to a glass ceramic for veneering a dental frame structure, wherein said glass ceramic is characterized by a high content of B.sub.2O.sub.3, to a process for the preparation thereof, and to the use thereof in the production of dental restorations.

Provided is a dental bulk block comprising a crystalline phase includes lithium disilicate as a main crystalline phase and eucryptite as a sub-crystalline phase in an amorphous glass matrix that is a functionally graded material having a main crystalline size gradient with respect to the depth thereof, and having no interface at the point of change in the main crystalline size gradient value, and is useful for manufacturing artificial teeth having structural characteristics similar to those of natural teeth, is facile to machine into an artificial tooth prosthesis due to the inclusion of eucryptite as the sub-crystalline phase compared to when only lithium disilicate exists, and can not only shorten the manufacturing time, but also increase the structural stability in terms of force distribution through functional grading of mechanical properties.

A dental bulk block for a CAD/CAM machining process. The dental bulk block is a glass-ceramic block having a crystalline phase embedded in an amorphous glass matrix. The crystalline phase includes lithium disilicate as a main crystalline phase, no sub-crystalline phase exists, and the crystalline phase has a mean grain size of 0.01 to 1.0 μm and a crystallinity degree of 25 to 45%. The dental bulk block can improve machinability during cutting such as CAD/CAM machining in the state of a high-strength workpiece with high flexural strength, thereby reducing a tool resistance and a wear rate, increasing a tool life span, and reducing edge chipping during a machining process. In addition, a dental restoration with desired translucency variations can be manufactured through a simple process of machining a block and altering post-heat treatment conditions, and thus can be realized with various shades.

The invention relates to a dental opaquer composition which can be used to increase the opacity of zirconium oxide ceramics. In addition, the invention relates to a process for producing a dental restoration, in which the opacity of the zirconium oxide ceramic is increased by using the opaquer composition.

ZrO.sub.2-toughened glass ceramics having high molar fractions of tetragonal ZrO.sub.2 and fracture toughness value of greater than 1.8 MPa.Math.m.sup.1/2. The glass ceramic may also include also contain other secondary phases, including lithium silicates, that may be beneficial for toughening or for strengthening through an ion exchange process. Additional second phases may also decrease the coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass ceramic. A method of making such glass ceramics is also provided.