Dental Prosthesis

Abstract

In the case of a dental prosthesis comprising a gum-coloured prosthesis base and a tooth coloured tooth arrangement which is partially embedded into the prosthesis base, the dental prosthesis is formed as a hybrid prosthesis, wherein the prosthesis base has a contact surface which has a surface normal pointing towards the gums.

The tooth arrangement (14) surrounds an external telescope (secondary part) or an abutment on at least 2 sides (26, 28, 30), is formed as a one-piece tooth quadrant or as a segmented tooth quadrant (16) and consists of a harder material than the prosthesis base (12).

Claims

1. A dental prosthesis comprising a gum-coloured prosthesis base (12) and a tooth-coloured tooth arrangement (14) which is partially embedded into the prosthesis base (12), wherein the dental prosthesis is formed as a hybrid prosthesis, wherein the prosthesis base has a contact surface which has a surface normal pointing towards the gums, wherein the tooth arrangement (14) surrounds a secondary part (22, 24) or a primary part (38, 50) on at least two sides (26, 28, 30) and is formed as a one-piece tooth quadrant or as a segmented tooth quadrant (16).

2. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary part or the primary part supports the tooth arrangement and a layer of the base material lies therebetween.

3. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tooth-coloured tooth material of the tooth arrangement is fabricated of a material having a greater hardness than the hardness of the prosthesis material of the prosthesis base (12).

4. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary part is formed having an external telescope configuration and/or the primary part is formed as an abutment or as a tooth stump, which fits within the external telescope configuration.

5. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tooth arrangement (14) is produced by a machining or constructive method.

6. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 4, wherein the tooth arrangement (14) surrounds, on its basal side, the external telescope configuration or the primary part in the oral, vestibular and occlusal directions.

7. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tooth arrangement (14) forms, on its basal side, which is the side facing the gum, a bearing element which receives the secondary part or the primary part, optionally via a layer of base material.

8. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bearing element of the tooth arrangement is embedded towards the outside in the vestibular and oral directions, into the prosthesis base material (12) which supports the bearing element from the outside, and the bearing element is exposed and open, on the inside towards the gums.

9. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tooth arrangement (14) is fabricated at least partially of a highly cross-linked polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and the prosthesis base (12) is fabricated of a less highly cross-linked PMMA in comparison to the highly cross-linked PMMA material used for the tooth arrangement.

10. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 7, wherein the tooth arrangement (14) is constructed of two layers or multiple layers of dentine material and of enamel material which enamel material is more translucent than the dentine material and which dentine material extends in one piece to the bearing element to form the bearing element.

11. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 10, wherein the tooth arrangement (14) has segments of at least 3 teeth which are fixedly connected to one another and to the bearing element via dentine material.

12. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dental prosthesis (10) is metal-free and is produced by machining or constructive methods.

13. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bearing element is formed from tooth material in an arcuate manner in plan view, corresponding to the tooth quadrant (16), and in a U-shape in cross-section, for the lower jaw prosthesis in the form of an upside-down U.

14. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tooth material extends to the contact surface of the prosthesis base and is covered by base material forming said contact surface.

15. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tooth material is covered by a layer of base material, in a layer thickness of at least 0.5 mm.

16. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tooth quadrant (16) and the prosthesis base (12) are each produced separately by milling from blanks or by an additive method and are fixedly connected to one another by an adhesive.

17. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 16, wherein the adhesive comprises a self-polymerising adhesive.

18. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 9, wherein the highly cross-linked PMMA comprises a double cross-linked (DCL) material.

19. The dental prosthesis as claimed in claim 15, wherein the tooth material is covered by a layer of base material, in a layer thickness of at least about 0.8 mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0078] Further details, advantages and features will be apparent from the following description of several exemplified embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawing.

[0079] In the drawings:

[0080] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a dental prosthesis as a hybrid prosthesis in one embodiment of the invention;

[0081] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of a dental prosthesis in accordance with the invention in a further embodiment;

[0082] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of a dental prosthesis in a further embodiment;

[0083] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of a dental prosthesis in a further embodiment;

[0084] FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of a dental prosthesis in a further embodiment;

[0085] FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of a dental prosthesis in a further embodiment; and

[0086] FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of a dental prosthesis in a further embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0087] In all of the embodiments of the invention, the dental prosthesis 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 consists, in a manner known per se, of a prosthesis base 12 and a tooth arrangement 14, wherein, likewise in a manner known per se, the prosthesis base 12 is gum-coloured and the tooth arrangement 14 is tooth-coloured.

[0088] The tooth arrangement 14 is constructed on a common tooth base 34 as a tooth quadrant, in one piece in the illustrated exemplified embodiment. In this way, the common tooth base 34 connects the tooth arrangement in one piece.

[0089] The prosthesis base 12 receives the tooth base completely, wherein, in a manner known per se, the prosthesis base material 12 is pulled up in the region of the tooth transitions, which gives the appearance of individual teeth.

[0090] The tooth quadrant 16 consists of a harder material than the prosthesis base 12, e.g. highly cross-linked polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

[0091] The prosthesis base 12 has two contact surfaces 18 and 20 which point downwards or upwards (depending on the upper or lower jaw) with their surface normals and are intended to lie on the patient's alveolar crest 42. They are formed preferably at the distal end of the prosthesis 10.

[0092] In this case, surface normal is to be understood to mean a suitable surface normal which points downwards (in the case of a lower jaw and upwards in the case of an upper jaw) such that the surface can serve as a contact surface 18. In fact, the contact surfaces 18 and 20 are curved, corresponding to the alveolar crest 42 formed at this point.

[0093] Furthermore, in order to anchor the dental prosthesis 10 to the patient's jaw two schematically illustrated secondary structures 22 and 24 are provided. They are formed in a manner known per se as an outer telescope or female fitting or socket or receptacle part and rest on a primary structure 38, (illustrated in FIG. 4) which is designed as an inner telescope or inner part which fits within the socket or receptacle and which, for its part, is anchored on an implant 40 in the patient's jawbone.

[0094] The tooth base 34, i.e. the region of the tooth quadrant 16 covered by the prosthesis base material, surrounds the secondary structures 22 and 24. It extends downwards beyond the secondary structures 22 and 24 and forms a bearing element for receiving the secondary structures 22 and 24. Exemplified embodiments thereof are shown in FIGS. 2 to 7.

[0095] FIG. 2 illustrates a secondary structure 22 which is surrounded and enclosed by tooth material on three sides, i.e. on the occlusal side 26, the oral side 28 and the vestibular side 30. The tooth material lies against a large area of the secondary structure 22. The secondary structure 22 is glued at this point into the dental prosthesis 10 in a manner known per se, and the forces introduced are absorbed completely or almost completely by the tooth quadrant 16. In this respect, the tooth quadrant 16 forms the shape of a downwardly open U at this point.

[0096] However, the gum side legs of the secondary structure 22 are covered by the material of the prosthesis base 12. This material has a greater elasticity and is softer so that it is more suitable for lying against the alveolar crest. It surrounds the region of the tooth base 34 completely.

[0097] A modified embodiment of a dental prosthesis 10 in accordance with the invention in cross-section is illustrated in FIG. 3. In this case, as also in the remaining figures, like reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts. In contrast to the solution shown in FIG. 2, the secondary structure 22 is covered on all sides at this location by a thin layer of base material 12.

[0098] It is received by the tooth base 34 which supports, in turn, the occlusal side 26, the oral side 28 and the vestibular side 30 of the secondary structure 22 in this respect via the layer of base material 12.

[0099] FIG. 4 shows a modified embodiment of the dental prosthesis 10, wherein a primary structure 38 is also illustrated in addition to the secondary structure 22.

[0100] The primary structure 38 is anchored via an implant 40 in the jawbone which is received by the alveolar crest 42. The prosthesis base material 12 lies in a planar manner on the alveolar crest 42 and thus permits tilt-free bearing of the prosthesis 10.

[0101] Also, in the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the prosthesis base material 12 extends as far as underneath the tooth base 34 and covers the secondary structure 22.

[0102] FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the dental prosthesis 10 in accordance with the invention. In the case of this solution, the tooth arrangement 14 is formed of two layers and consists of a dentine layer 44 and a tooth enamel layer 46.

[0103] The dentine layer 44 is covered completely by the tooth enamel 46 in the incisal region, as well as outside the prosthesis base 12, in a manner known per se. However, the dentine layer 44 extends in the form of a prolongation over the secondary structure 22.

[0104] In this respect, the tooth arrangement 14 also extends in the region of the tooth base 34 over the secondary structure 22. It supports the tooth quadrant 16 at this point and thus the dental prosthesis 10.

[0105] The dentine layer 44 is more opaque and the enamel material 46 more translucent in a manner known per se. In this case, the region of the tooth quadrant 16 is completely covered by the prosthesis base material 12.

[0106] Instead of a bearing on a secondary structure 22 which cooperates with a primary structure 38, it is also possible to provide a bearing of the prosthesis base 12 and thus of the tooth quadrant 16 on an abutment 50. In turn, the abutment 50 is mounted on the implant 40 in a manner known per se.

[0107] This solution is illustrated in FIG. 6. In turn, the tooth base 34 encloses the abutment 50 on the three sides 26, 28 and 30. In this case, it is also not necessary to produce an additional support structure in the form of a tertiary structure.

[0108] FIG. 7 illustrates a further configuration of an embodiment comprising the implant 40. In the case of this solution, the tooth quadrant 16 extends with the tooth base 34 in direct contact with the implant 40 and tapers downwards. In contrast to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, this prevents direct contact between the alveolar crest 42 and the tooth quadrant 16.

[0109] In the case of this solution, the lateral support and thus the support taking the chewing movements into account is also provided as a matter of course.