CUSTOMIZED COLORATION OF DENTAL RESTORATIONS

Abstract

A method for color customization of dental restorations is presented with the steps of providing tooth measurement data, wherein the tooth measurement data comprise at least one insertion area in which the dental restoration is to be inserted, providing restoration data, providing information about staining or glazing colors, generating a color characteristic from the tooth measurement data taking into account the restoration data, and calculating a multicolor target coloration from the color characteristic taking into account the information on staining or glazing colors, as well as output of the multicolor target coloration for color customization of the dental restoration.

Claims

1. A method for color customization of one or more dental restorations, comprising the steps of: providing tooth measurement data, wherein the tooth measurement data includes at least one insertion area in which a dental restoration is to be inserted; providing restoration data; providing information about staining or glazing colors; generating a color characteristic from the tooth measurement data or other information taking into account the restoration data, and calculating a multicolor target coloration from the color characteristic taking into account information about staining or glazing colors, outputting of the multicolor target coloration for color customization of the dental restoration.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tooth measurement data are prepared in the form of a color image and/or wherein the tooth measurement data further includes a comparison area, wherein the comparison area is arranged adjacent to and/or opposite to the insertion area; and wherein the target coloration is determined from the insertion area and the comparison area.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing tooth measurement data comprises providing first tooth measurement data of an unprepared tooth and providing second tooth measurement data of a prepared tooth, wherein the prepared tooth is prepared for a later treatment.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein prior to the step of providing tooth measurement data, the step of creation of a tooth measurement is included.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein areas of the tooth measurement data are identified from the tooth measurement and wherein a subdivision of the areas is carried out and/or wherein the tooth measurement data comprise pixels or lattice points and each pixel or lattice point comprises an image color value, the image color values being associated with a respective area of the tooth measurement data.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of calculating a target coloration comprises applying an algorithm for determining a target color characteristic of the dental restoration, wherein the algorithm can take into account the restoration data and the information on staining or glazing colors, and/or creating, using the target color characteristic of colors to be used, color gradients and/or color line widths.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating a target coloration comprises providing comparative data, applying an algorithm which performs a comparison of the comparative data with the color characteristic and wherein the algorithm performs a transfer step in which the target coloration is generated from the data of the color characteristic and/or determining color gradients that can be generated from the color characteristic and generating the target color characteristic using the color gradients.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein the comparative data are obtained from tooth measurement data and target colorations of previous dental one or more dental restorations and/or wherein the comparative data is obtained from data obtained in laboratory experiments.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the algorithm is adapted to calculate color gradients from the color characteristic, wherein interpolation means are used to calculate the color gradients, and/or wherein the algorithm comprises an artificial intelligence for evaluating the color situation of the tooth measurement data and therefrom for calculating the color characteristic.

10. Method according to one of the claim 1, wherein the step of outputting the target coloration includes at least one of the following steps: display of the target coloration on a display device, display of the colors, color gradients and/or color line widths to be used on the display device, output of the target coloration on a printer, or output of the target coloration to a data carrier.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the restoration data includes at least one of the following information: a blank material a blank base color information about the color response of the color when certain coloring means comprising staining or glazing colors which could be but are not limited to coloring liquids are applied and/or, wherein the step of providing restoration data includes scanning the restoration material.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dental restoration is adapted to close a tooth gap or is prepared to close a plurality of tooth gaps.

13. Method according to claim 1, wherein the step output of the target coloration comprises color customization of the dental restoration with different staining or glazing colors in such a way that the dental restoration receives the target coloration.

14. Method according to claim 1, wherein after the step of output of the target coloration, the step of finalizing of the dental restoration takes place.

15. Method for producing one or more color customized dental restorations, comprising the steps creating tooth measurement data, wherein the tooth measurement data comprise at least one insertion area into which a dental restoration is to be inserted, providing restoration data for determining at least the blank material and the blank base color, providing information about staining or glazing colors, generating a color characteristic from the tooth measurement data taking into account the restoration data, calculating a multicolor target coloration from the color characteristic taking into account the information about staining or glazing colors, output of the target coloration for applying the target coloration on the dental restoration, producing the dental restoration from a blank material, and applying the target coloration on the dental restoration and optional sintering or crystallization of the dental restoration.

16. Dental restoration manufactured by the method of claim 1.

17. Device for the color customization of one or more dental restorations, comprising a computing unit, with a memory for depositing tooth measurement data, wherein the tooth measurement data comprise at least one insertion area in which a dental restoration is to be inserted, furthermore for storing restoration data and information about staining or glazing colors, with a processor for generating a color characteristic from the tooth measurement data taking into account the restoration data, and for calculating a multicolor target coloration from the color characteristic taking into account the information on staining or glazing colors, an output device for outputting the multicolor target coloration for color customization of the dental restoration.

18. Device for color customization of one or more dental restorations according to claim 17, wherein the device further comprises: a display device for displaying the target coloration, and/or a printer for outputting the target coloration, and/or a writing device for outputting the target coloration on a data carrier.

19. The device for color customization of one or more dental restorations according to claim 17, wherein the device further comprises: a coloring device adapted to apply the multicolor target coloration to the dental restoration.

20. Device according to claim 19, wherein the coloring device provides a plurality of different coloring solutions and automatically applies the colors to the dental restoration.

21. Device according to claim 20, wherein the coloring device provides a plurality of 4 to 30 coloring solutions, wherein the coloring device is adapted to provide the coloring solutions in different line widths, and/or wherein the coloring device has a color carrier.

22. Device according to claim 17, further comprising an optical recorder for checking the application of stain to the dental restoration.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] It is shown in:

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of the color customization procedure,

[0049] FIG. 2 shows an example of an output generated by the method,

[0050] FIG. 3 shows a first example of a coloration device,

[0051] FIG. 4 shows another example of a coloration device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0052] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a flow chart for the color customization method according to the invention, with preferred intermediate steps. In a tooth measurement step 110, tooth measurement data are created. For example, the basis of a tooth measurement can be a 3D image of a patient's oral situation created e.g. with an Omnicam® camera.

[0053] Optionally, a first dental measurement 112 and a second dental measurement 114 can be made. This may be the case if first the initial insertion area with the original oral situation with a defective tooth is recorded for a first tooth measurement 112, then, for example for a second tooth measurement 114, the already prepared insertion area is recorded in which the preparations for the reception of the dental reconstruction are completed.

[0054] In the tooth measurement data providing step 120 the created tooth measurement data are imported. The import can be performed by a program structure 100. The program structure 100 may perform, for example, all the steps 120, 130, 140, 150, 160 associated with the computer-based computation of the data until outputting a target coloration. It may also be provided that the tooth measurement data creation step 110 is performed by the same program structure 100. Then, if necessary, the tooth measurement data providing step 120 can be dispensed with or, as the case may be, it may then be the passing on the data of the tooth measurement within the program structure 100. If two tooth measurement data 112, 114 have been created, the importing of the tooth measurement data can also take place in the steps 122, 124.

[0055] In a restoration data providing step 130, data about the restoration, for example the restoration material and the restoration base color, are loaded into the program structure 100. The import of the restoration data 130 may optionally be performed manually by a user, or it may be carried out in time prior to the tooth measurement 110. In any case, by means of the restoration data providing step 130 the program structure 100 has access to the restoration data and they can be taken into account for further calculations.

[0056] In an importing step 140 of information on staining or glazing colors, data on color types are imported like staining or glazing colors, color shades, color values and/or color intensities, the color effect on different materials, but also color availability, manufacturer codes, etc. can be stored.

[0057] In a color characteristic generation step 150, the imported data 120, 130, 140 are merged and a color characteristic is generated for the restoration. For example, from the tooth measurement data 120 surface structures are recognized and assigned to areas or regions. By way of example, such a region may be the insertion area or the comparison area.

[0058] The surface structure may be present as a grid, as a mesh, as a 3d grid, etc. The measured surface can also be represented as a triangle mesh. To each triangle, or to each node in the network, a color information of the associated surface portion of the tooth surface or the surface of the reconstruction can be assigned. The color values of the grid points can be extracted and assigned to areas or regions. The restoration data can then be assigned to the individual areas, such as the restoration base color.

[0059] From the merged information, in a target coloration calculation step 160 finally a multicolor target coloration is calculated. Color preferences can already be assigned by means of the region or structure information. For example, rather areal customization are preferred on buccal surfaces or side surfaces of teeth; in the vicinity of fissures or edges, such as the incisal edge of the incisors, fine structures are preferred. On medium-sized structures such as e.g. in distal dimples or on cusps of molar teeth, in turn, average customization are preferred. This has an influence on the choice of coloring suggestions, for example with regard to the stroke widths to be used. In this case, a suggestion color distribution map can be stored in the program structure 100 for different types of teeth, which are successively approximated to the individual oral situation of the insertion area on the basis of the color information of the insertion area and advantageously also of a comparison area such as a neighboring tooth or other teeth.

[0060] The selected restoration material has an influence on the colors to be used, since there may be interactions between the colors and the material, which results in a different effect of the color. In the target coloration calculation step 160, color gradients may be obtained from the data of the color characteristic 150, and color unevennesses such as color hue or local color deviation may be detected.

[0061] The target color gradients for the restoration can now be determined from this by means of a mathematical model. By way of example, this can be done separately for each determined region of the restoration, wherein the region separating lines are assigned to known structure separation lines such as a fissure. An example of a mathematical model is a multidimensional linear regression over the color values assigned to a region.

[0062] Another example for calculating the target color gradients is the use of an artificial intelligence programmed and set up for this purpose, which, for example, is designed to independently learn on the basis of a test data set to adapt color distributions to reconstructions. It may use color gradient data from other teeth, which is, for example, from comparison areas comprising adjacent teeth and/or teeth in the opposite quadrant. The artificial intelligence can be trained with example color gradients of laboratory-generated reconstructions and this information can be used in the creation of new color gradients of reconstructions to be manufactured.

[0063] In addition to the determined color information for the color gradients to be achieved on the dental restoration, it is determined which region or area is to be colored with a specific color type and a specific color intensity in order to calculate the target coloration 160. In other words, it is determined, which of the available colors is to be applied in which available line width and possible intensity to which areas of the restoration, see also FIG. 2.

[0064] For determining the target coloration 160 to be achieved, the color difference between the base color of the restoration material and the target color can first be determined at each grid point or triangle point. Thereafter, in the calculation of the target coloration 160, it can be identified which of the available color and/or pen types optimally reduces this color difference. A possible output 170 is in which region of the restoration a particular color type and/or pen type is to be applied. Advantageously, a threshold value for color differences can also be provided, so that with little deviation from a base color or a type of color or type of pen to be used no change of color type or pen type is performed, but e.g. a surface is stained uniformly.

[0065] Finally, in an output step 170, the calculated target coloration 160 is output. For example, the output 170 is output on a display device 172, such as a computer screen. In this case, it is possible to provide a user with instructions for the colors to be applied on the restoration, by displaying, for example, colors, pens and stroke widths on the display 172. In another example, the output may be on a data carrier 174 for storing the calculated target coloration 160, for example, for delivery to a dental laboratory. In yet another example, the output may be performed on a printer 176, for example a foil printer. Such a foil printer can print on a tooth foil, which is advantageously applied to the surface of the restoration for a subsequent sintering step or glaze firing, so that coloring of the restoration takes place during the re-sintering or the glaze firing. Said foil is preferably made of organic material which burns residue-free during the sintering process.

[0066] FIG. 2 shows a sketch of a possible output of a target coloration 160 on a dental restoration 210. In this example a restoration of an incisor tooth, having for simplicity of illustration only one buccal side as a structural region, is shown. A first color type “A” is applied 220 at the top of the structure area in a first density. The application density of the color is illustrated by the spacing of the lines 220. The same color type “A” is continued with a lower application density 222 towards the center of the structure area. In the middlemost region of the structure, in the example of FIG. 2 shown here, no customized color application is required, since the basic color of the restoration material matches already sufficiently well the target tooth color.

[0067] In a right side portion of the dental restoration 210 in FIG. 2, representing a multicolor target coloration 160, a second color type “B” is applied. The direction and density 224, 226 of the color application of color type “B” are included in the output of the target coloration 160. Thus, initially a nearly horizontal first lining 224 with a first line density is applied, followed by a second lining 226 with a second line density to be applied at a displayed angle.

[0068] In a left side portion of the dental restoration 210 in FIG. 2, another color application 228 of the color type “B” is applied. The target coloration 160 shows in the output 170 the color application 228 with a pre-calculated line density. For example, tooth customization colors can be applied by a user directly to the restoration 210. In doing so, he can use the computation of the target coloration 160 because the output 170 directs the user to which colors and line widths to apply on the restauration. In the same left side portion of the dental restoration 210, a stain job 230 with the color type “C” is applied on top of the previous stain job 228. This can result in a mixed color. The stain job 230 with the color type “C” is also specified with regard to the line density. Further, the stroke width of the job 230 is, for example, wider than the stroke width of the stain job 220. This may indicate the application of a wider pen, a wider brush or a wider region spray of the stain with a spray head or similar stain application.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 3, an embodiment of a device 300 for color customization of dental restorations is shown. A computing unit 310 accommodates a memory 312 in which the program structure 100 is stored, and a processor 314 for processing the processing steps of the program structure 100. Tooth measurement data 110, 112, 114 can be stored in the memory 312, wherein the tooth measurement data comprise at least one insertion area into which the dental restoration is to be inserted. Furthermore, restoration data 130 and the corresponding information about staining or glazing colors 140 may be stored in the memory 312. By means of the processor 314 and by considering the aforementioned data, the color characteristic 150 and herefrom the multicolor target coloration 160 can be calculated, which can be output, for example, as a target template display 305 or as a color application foil 307.

[0070] The device 300 shown in FIG. 3 has in its embodiment three output devices 320, 322, 324. First, a printer 320 is illustrated by means of which the film or foil 307 can be dispensed. The color application foil 307, which is printed with the printer 320 with the colors to be applied, can be applied to the dental restoration and sintered again with the dental restoration. The foil is designed in such a way that the coloring elements are transferred to the restoration during the sintering process and that the transport foil carrying the coloring elements burns without residue.

[0071] A display device 322 is connected to the computing unit 310. The display device 322 shows a coloring template 305, by means of which a user can stain a dental restoration in a particularly simple and intuitive manner.

[0072] A writing unit 324 is set up to write a data carrier with the target coloration 160 calculated by the computing unit 310.

[0073] The output devices 320, 322, 324 can be operated independently. Thus, in a similar example, the computing unit 310 may also be merely connected to the display device 322, or may comprise only the printer 320 etc.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 4a further device 400 for assisting dental experts during the color customization of dental restorations 405 is illustrated. A computing unit 410 comprises a memory 412, for storing the program structure 100, and further a processor 414 for performing the computations with the program structure 100. The computing unit 410 further comprises a write unit 424 for writing the target coloration 160 on a data carrier.

[0075] In the embodiment of FIG. 4, an automated stain device 430 is provided. The automated stain device 430, in the illustrated embodiment, comprises multiple (for example 9) different colors 432 that can be set and used individually by the stain device 430 in response to the instruction of the computing unit 410 according to the target coloration 160. Depending on the application, they may be staining colors 432, or they may be glazing colors 432.

[0076] It has been shown in various experiments that a storage with nine colors allow sufficient customization types for dental restorations required by dental professionals. However, it is not excluded that a stain device 430—or a user—uses more or less than nine colors 432, for example 8 colors, 7 or 6 colors, or else 10, 11 or more colors, in order to obtain the best possible customization result of the dental restoration. More preferably, more than 6 colors 432 can be used.

[0077] For example, the stain device 430 may have a color receptacle 436 that accommodates 4 to 30 different color types, preferably 7 to 30, particularly preferably 9 to 30 or 9 to 20 color types. Cumulatively or alternatively, the stain device 430 may include various spray heads 434 that stain wider or narrower areas and, if necessary, apply stronger or weaker intensities.

[0078] In an analogous manner, the output of the target coloration 160 on the display device 322 may represent a distinction of 4 to 30 different color types and/or output different line widths. Preferably, it may be 7 to 30, more preferably 9 to 30 or 9 to 20 different color types, which are displayed differently on the display device 322, so as to guide the user to use the appropriate color type and/or the corresponding stroke width.

[0079] The automated stain device 430 has a spray unit 434, by means of which the dental restoration 405 can be sprayed in accordance with the target coloration 160 with the different colors and possibly different line densities.

[0080] The staining or glaze dyes 432 have a staining solution which comprises, for example, metal salts based on chlorides, for example MnCl.sub.2, TbCl.sub.3, ErCl.sub.3, PrCl.sub.3 NdCl.sub.3 or CrCl.sub.3. It is also possible to use for example staining solutions that comprise metal salts based on acetates. The color solution is tested for the various, for example, ceramic materials of the restoration material to determine mixing effects with the material and resulting color changes.

[0081] The device 400 further may comprise an optical recorder 440 for recording the staining process on the dental restoration 405. Should there be deviations from the target coloration 160 in the stain application by the spray head 434, for example, triggered by a clogged nozzle of the spray head 434 or other influences, the computing unit 410 may respond to the deviation and counteract either with a changed color application, undo the inking or cancel the stain job. In other words, the device 400 may comprise a feedback system in which a camera 440 monitors the stain application by the automated stain device 430 and reports deviations to the computing unit 410. Optionally, the computing unit can recalculate the target coloration 160 and take into account the changed behavior of the stain device 430 upon detection of a different color application. The recorder 440 may also be used, for example, when the output 170 of the target coloration 160 is given out on a display 322 and a user manually applies the colors to a dental restoration 405, in which case the color application is controlled by the user, in that for example the dental restoration is recorded and the optically detected colors are reported back to the computing unit 310, 410.

[0082] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above-described embodiments are to be read by way of example, and that the invention is not limited to them, but that they can be varied in many ways without departing from the scope of the claims. It will also be clear that the features, whether disclosed in the specification, claims, figures, or otherwise, may each individually define essential components of the invention, even if described together with other features. In all figures, same reference numerals represent same objects, so that descriptions of objects, which may be mentioned only in one or at least not all of the figures, can be applied to these figures, with respect to which the subject matter is not explicitly described in the description.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0083] 110 creation of a tooth measurement [0084] 112 creation of a first tooth measurement [0085] 114 creation of a second tooth measurement [0086] 120 providing tooth measurement data [0087] 122 providing first tooth measurement data [0088] 124 providing second tooth measurement data [0089] 130 providing restoration data [0090] 140 providing information about staining or glazing colors [0091] 150 generating a color characteristic [0092] 160 calculating a multicolor target coloration [0093] 170 issue of a multicolor target coloration [0094] 172 visualization on a display device [0095] 210 dental restoration [0096] 220 color application preset color type “A” [0097] 222 color application specification color type “A”, changed application density [0098] 224 color application preset color type “B” [0099] 226 color application specification color type “B”, changed application density [0100] 228 color application preset color type “B” [0101] 230 color application preset color type “C” [0102] 300 device [0103] 305 displayed target color application for a dental restoration [0104] 307 printed color application for a dental restoration [0105] 310 computer unit [0106] 312 memory [0107] 314 processor [0108] 320 printer [0109] 322 display [0110] 324 write unit [0111] 400 device [0112] 405 dental restoration [0113] 410 computer unit [0114] 412 memory [0115] 414 processor [0116] 424 write unit [0117] 430 automated staining device [0118] 432 color or color type [0119] 434 spray head [0120] 436 color image [0121] 440 optical recorder (feedback unit)