METHOD OF FINALIZING 3D PRINTED PROSTHESES, PROSTHESES PRODUCED THEREBY, AND INSTALLATION THEREOF

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of finalizing a 3D printed dental prosthesis by subjecting the dental prosthesis to a pressurized water stream comprising glass beads. Also disclosed is a 3D printed dental prosthesis or component thereof prepared by the inventive method; and a method of providing a patient in need thereof with the 3D printed dental prosthesis or component thereof by inserting same into the oral cavity of the patient.

Claims

1. A method of finalizing a 3D printed dental prosthesis, said method comprising subjecting the dental prosthesis to a pressurized water stream comprising glass beads.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressurized water stream operates at a pressure of 60 to 70 pounds per square inch.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressurized water stream comprising glass beads comprises glass beads having a diameter ranging from 0.0015 to 0.0040 inch.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressurized water system comprising glass beads comprises 1 to 10 pounds of glass beads per gallon of water.

5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises rinsing in water after treating with the pressurized water stream comprising glass beads.

6. The method according to claim 1, which does not involve polishing with abrasive materials.

7. The method according to claim 1, which is carried out in such a way that the post-printing dimensions of the 3D printed dental prosthesis are substantially unchanged from pre-printing calculated dimensions by subjecting the dental prosthesis to the pressurized water stream comprising glass beads.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the 3D printed dental prosthesis is prepared by a method comprising: (a) 3D printing a dental prosthesis or a component of a dental prosthesis by extruding a material through a heated nozzle to yield melted material; (b) depositing the melted material on a build platform along a predetermined path to form the dental prosthesis; and (c) allowing the melted material to cool and solidify.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the material is a nylon.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the 3D printed dental prosthesis prepared by a method comprising: (a) 3D printing a dental prosthesis or a component of a dental prosthesis using a polymerizable resin ink with layer-by-layer curing with light.

11. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises after step (a): (b) subjecting the dental prosthesis or component thereof obtained in (a) to ionizing radiation radiation.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the polymerizable resin ink comprises polymerizable (meth)acrylate monomers.

13. The method according claim 11, wherein the curing with light involves ultraviolet light.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the ionizing radiation is gamma radiation.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the gamma radiation is Cobalt-60.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the Cobalt-60 is used in a dosage of 20-60 kGy.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the Cobalt-60 dosage is about 25 kGy.

18. A dental prosthesis prepared by a method according to claim 1.

19. A method of providing a dental patient with a dental prosthesis, the method comprising: (a) preparing a dental prosthesis according to claim 1; and (b) installing the dental prosthesis into the oral cavity of said patient.

20. A method of finalizing a 3D printed dental prosthesis, said method comprising subjecting the dental prosthesis to a pressurized water stream consisting of water and glass beads, wherein said pressurized water stream operates at a pressure of 60 to 70 pounds per square inch, wherein the glass beads comprise glass beads having a diameter ranging from 0.0015 to 0.0040 inch, wherein the pressurized water stream comprises 1 to 10 pounds of glass beads per gallon of water, wherein the method does not involve polishing with abrasive materials, and wherein the method is carried out in such a way that post-printing dimensions of the 3D printed dental prosthesis are substantially unchanged from pre-printing calculated dimensions as a result of subjecting the dental prosthesis to the pressurized water stream.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, a pressurized water stream is directed against the dental prosthesis operating at a pressure of 10-200 pounds per square inch, preferably 40 to 100 pounds per square inch, most preferably 50 to 80 pounds per square inch, especially 60 to 70 pounds per square inch.

[0016] The pressured water stream comprises glass beads of a suitable size to accomplish to desired smoothing effect. In a preferred embodiment, the glass beads have a diameter ranging from 0.0005 to 0.0100 inch, more preferably 0.0010 to 0.0060 inch, most preferably from 0.0015 to 0.0040 inch. Grit size can vary from #7 to #1200, more preferably from #60 to #400, most preferably from #80 to #325, where #80, #100-#170, and #170-#325 can be mentioned specifically.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the pressurized water stream comprises 1 to 10 pounds of glass beads per gallon of water, preferably 3 to 8 pounds of glass beads per gallon of water, most preferably 5 to 6 pounds of glass beads per gallon of water. Processing can be carried out in a suitable apparatus that allows recycling of the glass beads and, optionally, also the water.

[0018] In a particularly preferred embodiment, once the desired smooth surface effect on the dental prosthesis is achieved by the action of the pressurized water stream comprising glass beads, the treated dental part can be made ready for use simply by rinsing the dental part in water and drying. In this way, I have discovered that it is possible to avoid polishing with abrasive materials and in an especially preferred embodiment, the inventive method does not involve polishing with abrasive materials.

[0019] The power of 3D printing is that dental prostheses can be prepared to exact dimensions. This advantage is lost if the post-printing processing involves the removal of material. Such removal changes the pre-printed calculated dimensions of the dental part and can render the finalized dental part unusable. Accordingly, in another especially preferred embodiment, the inventive finalizing method is carried out in such a way that the post-printing dimensions of the 3D printed dental prosthesis is substantially unchanged by subjecting the dental prosthesis to the pressurized water stream comprising glass beads. By substantially unchanged means that the process does not cause the actual dental prosthesis dimensions to differ from the pre-printing calculated dental prosthesis dimensions by more than 10%, preferably by more than 5%, most preferably by more than 2%.

[0020] The water aids in the achievement of the goals of the invention by protecting the surface of the prosthesis against being abraided by the glass beads. Instead, the water serves as a carrier for the glass beads, causing them to slide across the surface of the prosthesis, rolling and smoothing the prosthesis surface, but not removing prosthesis material to any significant degree. The result is a highly polished surface that maintains the prosthesis dimensions significantly as originally calculated.

[0021] The dental prosthesis can be 3D printed by any technique known in the art using conventional materials known in the art.

[0022] In one preferred embodiment, the dental prosthesis is 3D printed from suitable materials by material extrusion.

[0023] In another preferred embodiment, the dental prosthesis is 3D printed from polymerizable resins.

[0024] In the material extrusion process, all suitable materials can be utilized, including metal paste and plastics, such as, for example, polylactic acid (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), nylon, acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), polycarbonate (PC), high impact polystyrene (HIPS), and other similar materials.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the dental prosthesis is prepared by a method comprising: [0026] (a) 3D printing a dental prosthesis or a component of a dental prosthesis by extruding a material through a heated nozzle to yield melted material; [0027] (b) depositing the melted material on a build platform along a predetermined path to form the dental prosthesis; and [0028] (c) allowing the melted material to cool and solidify.

[0029] In a most preferred embodiment, the extrudate is a nylon. The materials being extruded then comprise monomers used to the make the nylon, including amine, hexamethylene diamine, and adipic acid.

[0030] In another preferred embodiment, the dental prosthesis is prepared by a method comprising: [0031] (a) 3D printing a dental prosthesis or a component of a dental prosthesis using a polymerizable resin ink with layer-by-layer curing with light.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the dental prosthesis 3D printed from polymerizable monomers is prepared by a method comprising: [0033] (a) 3D printing a dental prosthesis or a component of a dental prosthesis using a polymerizable resin ink with layer-by-layer curing with light; and thereafter [0034] (b) subjecting the dental prosthesis or component thereof obtained in (a) to ionizing radiation radiation.

[0035] Suitable polymerizable resins are well-known in the art, as are polymerizable compositions containing them, the ingredients of such compositions, including suitable monomers and photoinitiators, and the operable conditions for preparing light-cured 3D printed dental prostheses and components thereof. Accordingly, these details are not repeated here. See, for example, the following patent publications: US 2009/0148813; US 2014/0131908; US 2014/0239527; US 2016/0113846; US 2016/0288376; and US 2016/0332367, the entire contents of which published applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

[0036] In an especially preferred embodiment, the polymerizable resin ink comprises polymerizable (meth)acrylate monomers.

[0037] In another especially preferred embodiment, the curing with light involves ultraviolet light.

[0038] Examples of the ionizing radiation to be applied to the 3D printed dental prosthesis or component thereof include alpha-rays, beta-rays, gamma-rays, electron beams, neutron rays, and X-rays.

[0039] The irradiation of ionizing radiation is performed using an ionizing radiation irradiation apparatus, and the dose of irradiation is usually 5 to 300 kGy, preferably 20 to 60 kGy. The time is that necessary to bring about the aforementioned structural changes, which depends on the dose selected, is generally anywhere from a few seconds, for example, 10 seconds, or 30 seconds, or 60 seconds, until an hour or more, preferably from 40-50 minutes.

[0040] In an especially preferred embodiment, the ionizing radiation is gamma radiation.

[0041] In a more preferred embodiment, the gamma radiation is Cobalt-60. An advantage of the use of Cobalt-60, is that the irradiators used produce very little heat, if any, and, therefore, the overall process involves little or no heat. This is different than, for instance, crosslinking with electromagnetic curing methods, for example, microwaves, which generate significant heat to cure the resins.

[0042] In an especially preferred embodiment, the Cobalt-60 is used in a dosage of 20-60 kGy.

[0043] In a most preferred embodiment, the Cobalt-60 dosage is about 25 kGy.

[0044] In a most preferred embodiment, the 3D printing is of a polymerizable mixture of (meth)acrylates and a photoinitiator built up layer-by-layer to form a dental prosthesis, especially a denture, under the curing effect of UV-light, and the dental prosthesis so produced is subjected to a dose of 20 to 60 kGy Cobalt-60 for 40-50 minutes, and finalized by treatment with (a) a pressurized water stream comprising glass beads followed by (b) rinsing with water, wherein the pressurized water stream operates at 60 to 70 pounds per square inch, comprises glass beads having a diameter ranging from 0.0017 to 0.0035 inch, and contains 5 pounds of such glass beads in each 2 gallons of water utilized.

[0045] The disclosure will now be described in greater detail with reference to the following non-limiting examples.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

[0046] A polymerizable dental material is prepared by combining polyester acrylate, aliphatic epoxy diacrylate, trimethylolpropanetriacrylate, iso-bornyl acrylate, phosphine oxide, and methanone. A denture is 3D printed from the polymerizable dental material using the Juell 3D-2 printer available from Park Dental Research Corporation, Ardmore, Oklahoma, UV-light-curing layer-by-layer during the build. Upon completion, the denture is subjected to a 25 kGy dose of Cobalt-60 radiation for a period of about 45 minutes. After the Cobalt-60 treatment, the denture is turned, until the desired smoothness is obtained, in a pressurized water stream operated at a pressure of 60 to 70 pounds per square inch and comprising 5 pounds of glass beads having a diameter of 0.0017 to 0.0035 inch per each 2 gallons of water utilized. The finalized denture is rinsed with water and dried and is ready for installation in the patient.

Example 2

[0047] A dental implant is prepared by introducing amine, hexamethylene diamine, and adipic acid to an extruder. The nylon extrudate is laid down in the form of the dental implant and allowed to cool and solidify. The unfinished dental implant is turned, until the desired smoothness is obtained, in a pressurized water stream operated at a pressure of 60 to 70 pounds per square inch and comprising 5 pounds of glass beads having a diameter of 0.0017 to 0.0035 inch per each 2 gallons of water utilized. The finalized dental implant is rinsed with water and dried and is ready for installation in the patient.

[0048] While the present disclosure has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments set forth above, many alternatives, modifications and other variations thereof will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. All such alternatives, modifications and variations are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.