METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SINGLE-TOOTH REPLACEMENT STRUCTURE USING A 3D PRINTER, 3D PRINTER FOR PRODUCING A SINGLE-TOOTH REPLACEMENT STRUCTURE, AND SINGLE-TOOTH REPLACEMENT STRUCTURE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing a single-tooth replacement structure (50) or a single-tooth replacement structure (50) with a substructure (51) using a 3D printer (10) comprising at least a first applicator (A1) and a carrier (T). The method comprises the following steps: i. placing a substructure (51) on the carrier (T); ii. applying material, in particular applying a composite material (K), to the substructure (51) by means of the first applicator (A1) from a first direction (r.sub.1) relative to the substructure (51); iii. rotating the substructure (51) placed on the carrier (T) about a first axis of rotation (a) through a first angle () relative to the first applicator (A1); iv. applying material, in particular applying a composite material, to the substructure (51) by means of the first applicator (A1) from a second direction (r.sub.2) relative to the substructure (51); v. optionally: iteratively repeating steps iii and iv. The single-tooth replacement structure (50) is produced by means of this method. The invention also comprises a 3D printer (10) for producing a single-tooth replacement structure (50) or a single-tooth replacement structure (50) with a substructure (51), and a single-tooth replacement structure (50) or single-tooth replacement structure (50) with a substructure (51) which can be produced using said 3D printer.

Claims

1-16. (canceled)

17. A method of producing a single-tooth replacement structure or a single-tooth replacement structure with a substructure using a 3D printer comprising at least a first applicator and a carrier, wherein the method comprising: i. placing a substructure on the carrier; ii. applying a material to the substructure by the first applicator from a first direction relative to the substructure; iii. rotating the substructure placed on the carrier about a first axis of rotation through a first angle relative to the first applicator; and iv, applying a material to the substructure by the first applicator from a second direction relative to the substructure; in such a way that the single-tooth replacement structure is produced.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising carrying out steps ii to iv continuously.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein, before step ii, the method additionally comprises at least one of the following: applying a connection layer to the substructure; or conditioning the substructure.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising orienting the first axis of rotation at right angles to the first direction of the material application.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the method also comprises the following steps: vi. rotating the substructure placed on the carrier about a second axis of rotation through a second angle relative to the first applicator; vii. applying material to the substructure using the first applicator from a third direction (r.sub.3) relative to the substructure.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising orienting the second axis of rotation at right angles to the first axis of rotation.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein the method also comprises the following step: vi, applying material to the substructure using a second applicator from a third direction relative to the substructure.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising orienting the third direction of material application at right angles to the first direction and the second direction.

25. The method according to claim 17, further comprising orienting the first and the second direction of material application in a direction of a force of gravity.

26. The method according to claim 17, further comprising using at least one of a focused light beam or a laser beam to cure the material applied using an applicator.

27. The method according to claim 17, further comprising creating an interlocking connection, between the substructure and the single-tooth replacement structure, by at least one undercut.

28. The method according to claim 17, wherein the substructure is selected from a group consisting of dental framework structures; metallic workpieces; ceramic workpieces; or dental superstructures with ceramic crowns.

29. A 3D printer for producing a single-tooth replacement structure or a single-tooth replacement structure with a substructure using a method according to claim 17, comprising at least a first applicator and a carrier, further including means for rotating the carrier about a first axis of rotation relative to the first applicator.

30. The 3D printer according to claim 29, for producing a single-tooth replacement structure or a single-tooth replacement structure with a substructure using a method comprising: i. placing a substructure on the carrier; ii. applying a material to the substructure by the first applicator from a first direction relative to the substructure; iii. rotating the substructure placed on the carrier about a first axis of rotation through a first angle relative to the first applicator; and iv. applying a material to the substructure by the first applicator from a second direction relative to the substructure; in such a way that the single-tooth replacement structure is produced; further comprising means for rotating the carrier about a second axis of rotation relative to the first applicator.

31. The 3D printer according to claim 29, wherein the means for rotating the carrier about the first axis of rotation are selected from servomotors and stepper motors.

32. A single-tooth replacement structure or single-tooth replacement structure with a substructure, which can be produced in accordance with the method according to claim 17.

33. The method according to claim 17, further comprising using a composite material as the material.

34. The method according to claim 22, further comprising using 90 as the second angle of rotation about the second axis of rotation.

35. The method according to claim 25, further comprising orienting the third direction of material application in the direction of a force of gravity.

36. The method according to claim 17, further comprising iteratively repeating steps iii and iv.

37. The 3D printer according to claim 30, further comprising iteratively repeating steps iii and iv.

Description

[0049] The invention will be explained in greater detail hereinafter on the basis of exemplary embodiments and drawings, although these are not intended to limit the subject matter of the invention. The drawings show, in each case in schematic depictions,

[0050] FIG. 1a: in a sectional view, a step of a first method according to the invention, in which a carrier with a substructure is rotated about a first, horizontal axis of rotation and in which a composite material is applied from an applicator to an outer periphery of an abutment;

[0051] FIG. 1b: in a sectional view, a moment in time of the first method according to the invention at which the composite material has been applied to an outer periphery of the abutment;

[0052] FIG. 1c: in a sectional view, a further step of the first method according to the invention, in which, after a rotation of the carrier with the substructure about a second, vertical axis of rotation, composite material is applied from the applicator to an upper side of the already applied composite material and to an upper side of the abutment;

[0053] FIG. 1d: the finished single-tooth replacement structure;

[0054] FIG. 2: the implanted single-tooth replacement structure according to FIG. 1d;

[0055] FIG. 3a: in a sectional view, a step of a second method according to the invention, in which a carrier with a substructure is rotated about a first, horizontal axis of rotation and in which a composite material is applied from a first applicator to an outer periphery of an abutment;

[0056] FIG. 3b: in a sectional view, a further step of the second method according to the invention, in which composite material from a second applicator is applied to an upper side of the already applied composite material and to an upper side of the abutment.

[0057] The 3D printer 10 shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b contains an applicator A1 and a carrier T. The carrier T is rotatable with the aid of a servomotor or stepper motor (not shown here) about a first, horizontally extending axis of rotation a relative to the applicator A1. In a previous first step i, a substructure formed as an abutment 51 was placed on the carrier T. The abutment 51 contains a longitudinal axis L, which in the position shown in FIG. 1a is coincident with the first axis of rotation a, and a screw channel 61 extending along this longitudinal axis L. In an optional step ia, a connection layer can then be applied to the abutment 51 and/or a conditioning of the abutment 51 can be performed. The connection layer can consist for example of the adhesion promoter One-Coat 7 Universal already mentioned above.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 1a, when steps ii to iv are performed continuously and simultaneously, the abutment 51 placed on the carrier T is then rotated about the first axis of rotation a relative to the applicator A1, and composite material K is applied from the applicator A1 to an outer periphery 52 of the abutment 51. The composite material K for example can have one of the compositions disclosed in PCT/EP2016/054750.

[0059] With the rotation about the first axis of rotation a, the material is always applied vertically downwardly, i.e. at right angles to the first axis of rotation a and in the direction of the force of gravity. This enables a particularly precise application, in particular if the material has a relatively high viscosity. Whereas the direction of the material application in a fixed reference system, i.e. for example relative to a housing of the 3D printer 10, remains unchanged, the direction relative to the abutment 51 changes, such that material can be applied around the outer periphery 52. By way of example, two directions r.sub.1 and r.sub.2 are shown, which are identical in the fixed reference system.

[0060] The material applied with the applicator A1 is cured by means of a focused light beam and/or a laser beam (not shown here). In this way, a first part of a tooth crown 50 (shown in FIG. 1b), which forms the single-tooth replacement structure, is created.

[0061] In a step vi the carrier T is then rotated together with the abutment 51 placed thereon through a second angle =90 about a second axis of rotation b relative to the applicator A1. This can also be achieved with a servomotor or stepper motor (not shown here). The second axis of rotation b extends perpendicularly to the drawing plane, i.e. horizontally and at a right angle to the first axis of rotation a. In this way, the position shown in FIG. 1c is produced. In this position, in a step vii, there is a further application of the composite material K to an upper side of the already applied composite material K and to part of the upper side 53 of the abutment 51. Here, an access channel 54 is along a longitudinal axis L of the abutment 51 is left free, which access channel is aligned with the screw channel 61 of the abutment 51 and through which an implant screw 55 can be guided. As a result, the composite material K can also protrude beyond the abutment 51 in the direction of the longitudinal axis L of the abutment 51. This application is performed in a third direction r.sub.3, which is coincident in a fixed reference system with the first direction r.sub.1 and the second direction r.sub.2, that is to say likewise in the direction of the force of gravity. In this direction relative to the abutment 51 as well, a more precise material application is ensured. In step vii, the carrier T can likewise rotate together with the abutment 51 about the now vertically oriented axis of rotation a. Alternatively or additionally, the applicator A1 can be moved in step vii.

[0062] On the whole, this method produces a single-tooth replacement structure 50, shown in FIG. 1d, in the form of an individual tooth crown, which is connected to the abutment 51.

[0063] The single-tooth replacement structure 50 produced by 3D printing can then be polished, for example using composite polishing means and/or abrasive pastes known per se. The subgingival region of the single-tooth replacement structure 50 is preferably also polished, so that this is gentle on the periodontium. The single-tooth replacement structure 50 with the abutment 51 can be fitted onto an implant 56 and secured through the gum 62 to a jawbone 57 by means of a screw, which is guided through the access channel 54 and the screw channel 61. The access channel 54 can be filled with a spacer material 59, for example with cotton pellets or a root canal filler material, such as the product GuttaFlow, obtainable from the Applicant Coltne/Whaldent AG, CH-8450 Altstatten, via the head 58 of the implant screw 55. An upper end of the access channel 54, for example the upper 2 to 3 mm thereof, can then be filled with a light-curing composite 60, such as the product Brilliant EverGlow, also obtainable from the applicant Coltne/Whaldent AG, CH-8450 Altstatten. This then results in the situation shown in FIG. 2.

[0064] In the case of the second method according to the invention shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, a carrier T is now rotated about a single vertical axis of rotation a. In order to compensate for this, two applicators A1, A2 are used, in contrast to the first exemplary embodiment according to the invention. In a first step i, a substructure in the form of an abutment 51 is placed on the carrier T in this case as well. In a step ii a composite material K is applied by means of a first applicator A1 to an outer periphery 52 of the abutment 51 from a first, here horizontal direction r.sub.1 (see FIG. 3a). At the same time, the abutment 51 placed on the carrier T rotates in a step iii about the aforementioned first, vertical axis of rotation a. Here, in a step iv, composite material K is also applied to the outer periphery 52 of the abutment 51, more specifically also in the same horizontal direction (relative to a fixed reference system) r.sub.2=r.sub.1.

[0065] In a step vi, material is then applied using a second applicator A2 from a third, vertical direction r.sub.3 relative to the abutment, more specifically is applied to an upper side of the already applied composite material K and to part of the upper side 53 of the abutment 51. During this process the carrier T can still rotate about the horizontal axis of rotation a. Here as well an access channel along a longitudinal axis L of the abutment 51 is left free, which access channel is aligned with the screw channel 61 of the abutment 51 and through which an implant screw 55 can be guided (see FIG. 3b).

[0066] With the method according to the invention it is not only possible for a composite material K be applied to an abutment 51 or another substructure. For example, a coating can also be applied, for example to an already cured composite material of a single-tooth replacement structure. For example, a coating can be applied to the single-tooth replacement structure 50 shown in FIG. 1d by means of the method depicted in FIGS. 3a and 3b. If the coating has a sufficiently low viscosity, it can be sprayed on. A material of sufficiently low viscosity can be sprayed on in a precise manner from the horizontal direction r.sub.1.