DENTAL APPLIANCE DESIGN AID

Abstract

A positioning feedback tool for a dental appliance takes the form of a flexible appearance strip for simulating the appearance of an installed dental appliance on a patient wearer. Dental appliances, such as dentures, rest on the gums of a wearer as functional replacements of teeth. The flexible appearance strip has visual images of dental elements (teeth) for replacing the natural teeth, and depict the size, spacing and color of the dental elements in the finished appliance. Dental elements are affixed onto a foundation mold for resembling a natural row of teeth. The foundation mold receives an imprint of the gums of the wearer, and also receives the dental elements to define the placement of the dental elements. Prior to tooth placement in the foundation mold, the flexible appearance strip is disposed against the installed foundation mold so that the patient may visualize the appearance of the finished appliance.

Claims

1. A positioning device for a dental appliance, comprising: a flexible appearance strip for rendering a visual image approximating a finished dental appliance, the appearance strip having a gumline portion and a tooth portion, the tooth portion depicting a visual appearance of dental elements for inclusion in the dental appliance; the gumline portion adapted for positioning based on a gumline location of the finished dental appliance; a gumline contour separating the gumline portion and the tooth portion defining a separation; an adhesion on the gumline portion, the adhesion adapted for adherence to a foundation mold, the foundation mold receptive to the gumline portion for positioning of dental elements in the foundation mold based on the gumline contour defined by the gumline portion; the flexible appearance strip having a separation defining the gumline portion, the separation configured for detachment of the tooth portion and the gumline portion, the gumline contour defining a demarcation between a foundation formed from the foundation mold and the positioned dental elements.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein each of the dental elements in the dental appliance corresponds to a tooth being replaced by a respective dental element.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the adhesion is an adhesive film coated on an opposed side of the flexible appearance strip.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the adhesion is a protrusion adapted for insertion through the appearance strip.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the adhesion is defined by a magnetic fixation to the appliance mold.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the adhesion is defined by corresponding markings on the appliance mold and the appearance strip.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the separation is formed from laser perforations.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the separation is based on an image scan of a patient gumline.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the separation is defined by a straight linear cut defining the gumline.

10. A method of fabricating a dental appliance, comprising: identifying a flexible appearance strip depicting a shade and shape of a set of dental elements adapted for fixation in the fabricated dental appliance; disposing a foundation mold onto a deployment location, the deployment location on a gum region of a patient from which the foundation mold was cast; disposing the flexible appearance strip for rendering a visual image approximating a finished dental appliance onto a deployment location on a foundation mold, the appearance strip having a gumline portion and a tooth portion, the tooth portion depicting a visual appearance of dental elements for inclusion in the dental appliance, such that the gumline portion is adapted for positioning based on a gumline location of the finished dental appliance, the flexible appearance strip having a separation defining the gumline portion and a gumline contour separating the gumline portion and the tooth portion; adhering the flexible appearance strip on the foundation mold based on the deployment location, the adhesion adapted for adherence to the foundation mold, the separation configured for detachment of the tooth portion and the gumline portion, the gumline contour defining a demarcation between a foundation formed from the foundation mold and the positioned dental elements; receiving, onto a deformable surface of the foundation mold, a plurality of dental elements corresponding to the separation for establishing the gumline contour; and transforming the foundation mold to a permanent, rigid foundation while maintaining the dental elements in a received position defined by the gumline contour.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein each of the dental elements in the dental appliance corresponds to a tooth being replaced by a respective dental element.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the adhesion is an adhesive film coated on an opposed side of the flexible appearance strip.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the adhesion is a protrusion adapted for insertion through the appearance strip.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the adhesion is defined by a magnetic fixation to the appliance mold.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the adhesion is defined by corresponding markings on the appliance mold and the appearance strip.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the separation is formed from laser perforations.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the separation is based on an image scan of a patient gumline.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the separation is defined by a straight linear cut defining the gumline.

19. The method of claim 10 further comprising: depicting a shade and shape of a set of dental elements in an electronically renderable form; and denoting the separation based on demarcation between a visual tooth image and a gum tissue image on the flexible appearance strip.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

[0011] FIG. 1 shows a prior art denture fabrication approach;

[0012] FIG. 2 shows placement of dental elements (teeth) as disclosed herein;

[0013] FIG. 3 show a perspective view of positioning device installation in the approach of FIG. 2;

[0014] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of device placement in FIG. 3;

[0015] FIG. 5 shows patient usage of the positioning device for locating the appearance strip on a wax impression;

[0016] FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the placement device prior to installation; and

[0017] FIG. 7 shows a plurality of placement devices adapted for size, placement and color selection by a patient as in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Configurations depicted below illustrate example usage of the positioning device in conjunction with a denture set during fabrication. Dentures undergo several steps including molding of the patient's gumline. The claimed approach augments conventional approaches by providing a template or guide via the positioning device during placement of the replacement dental elements. The disclosed positioning device adheres to the foundation mold defined by a wax impression or other molded gum impression fitted to the patient's gum and jaw structure. Denture fabrication involves several molded stages to develop an appliance that disposes the dental elements in a fixed position secured in an acrylic form fitted to the gumline. During the fabrication process, manual intervention positions the dental elements in a wax impression that defines the fixed acrylic form. This manual positioning allows arbitrary placement of the dental elements (teeth), such that eccentric or exaggerated placement transfers these irregularities to the fixed acrylic form and may result in an unflattering appearance.

[0019] Conventional approaches to dental appliance fabrication generally operate from a mold of the patients gum and existing teeth, and purport to implement an aesthetically pleasing replacement tooth and gumline that substantially matches the patient's natural physique. Unfortunately, conventional approaches to dental appliance fabrication suffer from the shortcoming that the generated dental appliance may not share similar positioning or features with the patient's natural appearance, and may result in a higher or lower gumline and/or different shade or shape of teeth. The result is that the patient's appearance with the dental appliance has disproportionate tooth or gum exposure due to the dental appliance extending a greater or lesser distance from the gumline. Different colored teeth and/or a shape thereof can also exacerbate a deviation from the natural appearance of the patient.

[0020] Configurations herein substantially overcome the above described shortcomings by defining a dental appliance design aid that allows precise positioning of a dental appliance by rendering a visual facial image of the installed dental appliance through identification of an installed height of the dental appliance and rendering a visual simulation of the tooth/gumline exposure and depth. Patients may either physically adhere a physical template, or graphically manipulate a digital iconized template emulating the appearance of the dental appliance, and establish placement, shade and shape corresponding to final denture placement. A patient selects a shade and shape from an assortment of available sets of dentures, then positions them while observing the facial image with the template to establish a visually appealing image based on the placement, shade and shape. The shade and shape are noted, and the position, most notably the gumline of the template, are transferred to fabrication of the dental appliance such that the finished dental appliance has the same installed height and appearance as the facial template image.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a prior art denture fabrication approach; in a conventional dental appliance 10, a wax impression 12 obtained by molding or imaging receives dental elements 20-1..20-3 (20 generally), intended to simulate the natural teeth that the dental appliance replaces. Conventional approaches place the dental elements, at an arbitrary depth relative to an estimated gumline 30 that may deviate from a true or aesthetic gumline 50. The result is that often the teeth are not placed deep enough into the wax impression 12 and the finished appliance exhibits excessive gum and tooth exposure, due a deviation 40 between the aesthetic gumline 50 and the estimated gumline 30 at which the teeth are positioned.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows placement of dental elements (teeth) as disclosed herein. Referring to FIG. 2, the claimed approach employs a foundation molding (mold) 112 depicting an engagement region of the finished appliance, such as a wax impression or other fitting model taken from the patient's anatomy. The positioning device 110 for a dental appliance includes a flexible appearance strip 100 for rendering a visual image approximating a finished dental appliance as it will be deployed in the patient's mouth. The appearance strip 100 hag a gumline portion 102 and a tooth portion 104, such that the tooth portion 104 depicts a visual appearance 130 of dental elements 140 for inclusion in the completed dental appliance.

[0023] The gumline portion 102 is adapted for positioning based on a gumline location of the finished dental appliance. A gumline contour separating the gumline portion 102 and the tooth portion 104 defines a separation 108 where the tooth portion 104 is detachable from the gumline portion 102. An adhesion 150 on the gumline portion 102 is adapted for adherence to the foundation mold 112. The foundation mold 112 is receptive to the gumline portion 102 for positioning of dental elements in the foundation mold based on the gumline contour defined by the gumline portion 102. After positioning, the detached tooth portion 104 is removed, leaving the affixed gumline portion 102 as a guide defining the gumline for dental element 140 placement. Each of the dental elements 140 depicted on the appearance strip 100 in the dental appliance corresponds to a tooth being replaced by a respective dental element 140.

[0024] The flexible appearance strip 100 therefore provides the separation 108 defining the gumline portion 102, such that the separation 108 is configured for detachment of the tooth portion 104 and the gumline portion 102 for positioning of the dental elements 140. The dental technician or assistant placing the dental elements 140 aligns them to the gumline portion 102, as shown by dotted outlines 160. The gumline contour therefore defines a demarcation between a foundation formed from the foundation mold 112 and the positioned dental elements 140. In a particular configuration, the flexible appearance strip is derived from an electronic library of available tooth shades and sizes. A patient selects from printed samples or an electronic screen rendering depicting a shade and shape of a set of dental elements in an electronically renderable form. The electronic form denotes the separation based on demarcation between a visual tooth image and a gum tissue image on the flexible appearance strip.

[0025] FIG. 3 show a perspective view of positioning device 110 installation in the approach of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 shows a plan view of device placement in FIG. 3. Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the appearance strip 100 is shown prior to adherence to the foundation mold 112. As the appearance strip 100 approaches the molding 112, shown by arrows 151, the adhesions 150 position the strip 100 on the molding, and allow for repositioning to achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Although the adhesions 150 are shown as elongated prongs adapted for disengageable insertion into the resilient foundation mold 112, other attachment approaches may be employed. The adhesion may be an adhesive film coated on an opposed side of the flexible appearance strip 100. The adhesive adheres to the smooth surface of the wax defining the mold 112, and is non-toxic and preferably environmentally green or adaptable for disposal/recycling streams. The adhesion 150 may also be defined by a magnetic fixation to the appliance mold, or by corresponding markings or tick marks on the appliance mold and the appearance strip. Whatever approach is employed, the adhesion fixes the gumline portion 102 to the molding 112 long enough to guide the placement of the dental elements 140.

[0026] FIG. 5 shows patient usage of the positioning device 110 for locating the appearance strip 100 on a wax impression. Referring to FIGS. 3-5, a plurality of foundation molds, typically an upper 112-1 and lower 112-2 (112 generally) are employed for a patient fitting and fabrication. After placement of the foundation molds 112 on the patient's gums 113-1, 113-2, the appearance strips 100-1, 100-2 (100 generally) corresponding to respective upper 112-1 and lower 112-2 foundation molds adhere to the foundation molds 112 for positioning, as shown by arrows 151. Appearance strips 100 are adapted for iterative repositioning to achieve a desired aesthetic appearance while the patient views the positioned location in a mirror or video rendering. Once a finished placement location is identified, the adhered appearance strips 100 remain affixed to the foundation mold 112 for final placement of the dental elements (teeth).

[0027] Following placement of the dental elements in the foundation mold 112, any suitable denture fabrication approach may be employed. Typically the foundation mold 112, also referred to as a tray or baseplate, is processed in a sealed flask device which melts or otherwise removes the pliable wax structure and replaces it with a more rigid, acrylic molding that defines the finished appliance.

[0028] FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the placement device 110 prior to installation. Referring to FIGS. 2-6, the detached tooth portion 104 may be separated by gently peeling or pulling the tooth portion 104 away from the adhered appearance strip 100. The separation 108 defining the new gumline may be defined by a variety of approaches. The separation 108 may be formed from laser perforations, may be based on an image scan of a patient gumline, and/or may be defined simply by a straight linear cut defining the gumline. A nonlinear approach to cutting/perforating the separation allows a curved contour of the replacement dental elements, based on agreement between the dental elements 140 and their counterpart images on the tooth portion 104. In other words, the replacement dental elements 140 may be matched to the shape, size and color of the rendered images on the tooth portion. The adhesions 150 are disposed on the gumline portion 102, as that is the portion that remans with the foundation mold 112 during dental element installation/placement. As indicated above, adhesion may also take the form of an adhesive, glue, or resilient member 150 on the engaging side of the appearance strip 100.

[0029] FIG. 7 shows a plurality of placement devices adapted for size, placement and color selection by a patient as in FIG. 5. Referring to FIGS. 5-7, the appearance strip 100 may be rendered as a selection sheet 180 depicting a plurality of tooth shades, sizes and depth arrangements to allow the patient to select an appropriate whiteness, tooth size, spacing and intrusion into the mouth cavity by selection of different appearance strips 100-1..100-3. In this manner, the patient selects and visualizes not only horizontal and vertical placement, but also the shade, width and height (i.e. bite depth) of the replacement dental elements 140.

[0030] While the system and methods defined herein have been particularly shown and described with references to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.