Dental prosthesis forming block and method for producing a dental prosthesis from the dental prosthesis forming block

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dental prosthesis forming block (10) for producing a dental prosthesis (50). The forming block having a pin (20) with a self-tapping outer thread, which is arranged on a first surface (11) of the dental prosthesis forming block (10). The invention further relates to a method for producing a dental prosthesis (50). In this method the dental prosthesis block (10) is provided and the dental prosthesis (50) is produced by removing material from the dental prosthesis forming block (10) by a CAD/CAM method, such that the pin (20) forms part of the finished dental prosthesis (50).

Claims

1. A dental prosthesis forming block for producing a dental prosthesis, the dental prosthesis forming block comprising: a cuboid shaped material comprising an inner material and an outer material that is different from the inner material, the cuboid shaped material further comprises a first surface at a first end that is proximal to a pin and a second surface at a second end opposite the first end, and the pin having a self-tapping external thread, the pin being disposed at the first surface of the dental prosthesis forming block, wherein the first surface comprises a portion of the inner material and another portion of the outer material, wherein the inner material comprises said portion that is part of the first surface and remaining portions that are not part of the first surface, wherein the inner material is completely surrounded on the remaining portions by the outer material such that all outer surfaces of the cuboid shaped material external to the first surface are part of the outer material, and wherein the inner material has a lower Vickers hardness relative to the outer material.

2. The dental prosthesis forming block according to claim 1, wherein the inner material is a metal and the outer material is a ceramic.

3. The prosthesis forming block according to claim 1, wherein the inner material and the outer material are metals.

4. The prosthesis block according to claim 1, wherein the pin is formed in one piece with the inner material.

5. The prosthesis forming block according to claim 1, wherein the pin has an osseointegration coating.

6. The prosthesis forming block according to claim 1, further comprising an internal thread which extends from a second surface opposite the first surface through the dental prosthesis forming block to the pin.

7. A method of making a dental prosthesis comprising the steps of: providing a dental prosthesis forming block according to claim 1, and producing the dental prosthesis by material removal from the dental prosthesis forming block by means of a CAD/CAM process, so that the pin forms part of the dental prosthesis.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the pin is covered by a cover during the removal of material.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the CAD/CAM method provides a virtual protective volume around the pin into which no material removal tools may be introduced.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the dental prosthesis forming block further includes an internal thread which extends from the second surface opposite the first surface through the dental prosthesis forming block to the pin and the dental prosthesis is manufactured such that a dental prosthetic care element is screwable into the internal thread of the dental prosthesis.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the inventions are shown in drawings and are explained in more detail in the description below.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an isometric illustration of a dental prosthesis forming block according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the dental prosthesis forming block according to FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 shows an isometric illustration of a dental prosthesis forming block according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the dental prosthesis forming block according to FIG. 3.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a first processing step of a dental prosthesis forming block in a method according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(7) FIG. 6 shows a first processing step of a dental prosthesis forming block in a method according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(8) FIG. 7 shows a second processing step of a dental prosthesis forming block in a method according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

(9) FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional illustration of a dental prosthesis which can be produced by means of an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) A dental prosthesis forming block 10 according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It is cuboid in shape and has a surface 11 and a second surface 12 opposite thereto. A core of the dental prosthesis forming block 10 is made of titanium as an inner material 13. Zirconium dioxide is pressed thereonto as the outer material 14. As a result, the first surface 11 consists partly of titanium and partly of zirconium dioxide, while all other surfaces of the dental prosthesis forming block 10 consist exclusively of zirconium dioxide. The inner material 13 is formed in one piece with a pin 20, which has a self-tapping external thread and protrudes from the first surface 11. The external thread of the pin 20 is coated with hydroxyapatite.

(11) In a second exemplary embodiment of the dental prosthesis forming block 10, the core of the dental prosthesis forming block 10 consists of titanium as an inner material 13. The outer material 14 is cobalt-chromium alloy (CoCr).

(12) In a third exemplary embodiment of the dental prosthesis forming block 10, the core of the dental prosthesis forming block 10 consists of titanium as an inner material 13. The outer material 14 is a lithium disilicate or glass ceramic.

(13) In a fourth exemplary embodiment of the dental prosthesis forming block 10, which is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it consists entirely of zirconium dioxide, to which the pin 20 is attached on the first surface 11. In the fourth exemplary embodiment, this consists of titanium coated with hydroxyapatite. Between the first surface 11 and the second surface 12, an opening with an internal thread 15 passes through the dental prosthesis forming block 10.

(14) In a fifth exemplary embodiment of the dental prosthesis forming block 10, this also has the structure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Both the dental prosthesis forming block 10 and the pin 20 are made of zirconium dioxide. The pin is coated with hydroxyapatite.

(15) In a first exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention, a desired shape of a dental prosthesis is defined in a dental CAD/CAM system 30. Then a dental prosthesis forming block 10 is inserted into the CAD/CAM system 30 according to one of the exemplary embodiments described above and fixed there on the second surface 12 thereof by means of a block holder 31. This is shown in FIG. 5. Material removal tools 32, 33 are positioned above and below the dental prosthesis forming block 10. A virtual protective volume, into which the material removal tools 32, 33 must not penetrate, is defined around the pin 20.

(16) A second exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention differs from the first exemplary embodiment in that the virtual protective volume is dispensed with. Instead, the pin 20 is physically protected by a cover 40 being placed thereover so that it completely surrounds the pin 20. This is shown in FIG. 6.

(17) In both exemplary embodiments of the method according to the invention, starting from the first surface 11, the material removal tools 32, 33 are used to remove material from the dental prosthesis forming block 10 in order to form a dental prosthesis 50. As shown in FIG. 7, this is only connected to the dental prosthesis forming block 10 via a tap 51 at the end of the material removal. After removal of the tap 51, the finished dental prosthesis 50, which is formed in one piece with the pin 20, can be removed from the CAD/CAM system 30.

(18) If the dental prosthesis 50 was produced from a dental prosthesis forming block 10 according to the fourth exemplary embodiment, it still has the internal thread 15 between the pin 20 and a surface which is produced in the course of the material removal and is opposite the pin 20. A dental prosthetic care element 60 in the form of an abutment can be screwed into the internal thread by means of a screw 61, as shown in FIG. 8.

(19) The examples of the dental prosthesis forming block and the method described above enable the one-piece, customized manufacture of dental prostheses in the form of implants.