Dental powder amount meter

Abstract

As a measuring instrument for a powder material (hereinafter, referred to as a dental powder amount meter), a spoon-shaped measuring instrument, a cup-shaped measuring instrument with a scale, or the like for measuring a certain amount by scraping is generally used. To provide a dental powder amount meter capable of reducing adhesion of dental powder, easily removing the powder even if the powder adheres, and having excellent cleanability.SOLUTION: The dental powder meter is made of a polymer alloy containing polybutylene terephthalate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dental powder quantity meter used when sampling dental powder. [Background technology]

[0002] Typical dental materials include dental filling materials, dental adhesives, dental luting cements, materials for manufacturing various prosthetic devices, and dental repair materials. Many of these dental materials are composed of multiple components, such as liquid and liquid materials, powder and liquid materials, and paste and paste materials. These are used in treatment by dentists and other professionals who mix multiple components together.

[0003] Among these, materials consisting of powder and liquid materials (hereinafter referred to as powder-liquid materials) include a variety of materials, such as denture base resins, denture base relining materials, general-purpose dental acrylic resins, denture base tissue conditioners, dental glass ionomer cements, and dental resin cements. Since mixing these powder-liquid materials at the correct standard powder-to-liquid ratio is important for their full performance, it is necessary to accurately measure out each of the powder and liquid materials. For this reason, measuring devices are sometimes provided for these powder and liquid materials.

[0004] Among these, measuring instruments for powder materials (hereinafter referred to as dental powder meters) are commonly used in the form of spoons that scrape off material to measure out a fixed amount, or in the form of cups with graduations. Design Document 1 shows a spoon-shaped dental powder meter, and page 444 of Non-Patent Document 1 shows a cup-shaped dental powder meter with graduations.

[0005] These dental powder meters are made of common resins such as acrylonitrile-styrene and polypropylene. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] Design No. 1615370 [Non-Patent Document 1] Dental Outlook 2010 March Issue (Vol. 115, No. 3) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] On the other hand, with conventional dental powder meters, after collecting dental powder, powder may remain attached to the surface of the powder meter. In such cases, the attached dental powder must be cleaned by wiping or the like, which is not only cumbersome but also unhygienic because the powder scatters during cleaning. According to the inventors' investigations, the phenomenon of dental powder adhering to the powder meter tends to occur more easily, especially with hydrophobic inorganic powders.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a dental powder meter that can reduce adhesion of dental powder, and that, even if powder does adhere, can be easily removed and is easy to clean. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The inventors have investigated the adhesion of dental powder to various resins. As a result, they found that when dental powder comes into contact with a polymer alloy of polybutylene terephthalate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, the amount of powder that adheres is small and the adhered powder can be easily removed. After further intensive research, they found that a polymer alloy containing polybutylene terephthalate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene in a specific mass ratio results in even less adhesion of dental powder and the adhered powder can be more easily removed. The present invention is based on these findings.

[0010] That is, the present invention provides the following inventions. [1] A dental powder quantity meter for collecting dental powder, characterized in that its material contains a polymer alloy of polybutylene terephthalate and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. [2] The dental powder meter according to [1], wherein the ratio of polybutylene terephthalate to acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene in the polymer alloy is 10:90 to 90:10 by mass. [3] A dental powder meter according to [1] or [2], wherein the dental powder is an inorganic powder and / or a polymer powder. [4] The dental powder quantity meter according to [3], wherein the inorganic powder is an inorganic powder that has been hydrophobized by surface treatment. [5] The dental powder quantity meter according to [3], wherein the inorganic powder is hydrophobicized by surface treatment with a silane coupling agent. [6] The dental powder meter according to any one of [3] to [5], wherein the inorganic powder is an acid-reactive glass powder. [7] A dental powder quantity meter according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the dental powder has a 50% particle size (D50) of 0.1 to 100 μm in a cumulative particle size distribution based on volume. [8] The dental powder meter according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the dental powder meter is spoon-shaped. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The dental powder quantity meter of the present invention not only reduces adhesion of dental powder, but also allows for easy removal of any adhered powder, thereby reducing the burden of cleaning after use. Furthermore, the amount of dental powder scattered during cleaning can be reduced, making it easier to maintain a hygienic workplace. Furthermore, the dental powder quantity meter of the present invention has high strength and excellent chemical resistance, reducing deterioration due to repeated use. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention will be described in detail below. The dental powder meter of the present invention is used to measure powder materials (dental powders) in powder-liquid materials consisting of powder materials and liquid materials, and can measure powder materials (dental powders) such as denture base resins, denture base relining materials, general-purpose dental acrylic resins, denture base tissue conditioners, dental glass ionomer cements, and dental resin cements.

[0013] The dental powder meter of the present invention is characterized by its material containing a polymer alloy of polybutylene terephthalate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene.By using this material, when measuring dental powder, the adhesion of powder to the powder meter is reduced, and any powder that does adhere can be easily removed.

[0014] The mass ratio of polybutylene terephthalate to acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene contained in the polymer alloy is preferably 10:90 to 90:10, more preferably 20:80 to 80:20, and even more preferably 30:70 to 70:30. If the mass ratio of either polybutylene terephthalate or acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene is less than 10, the effect of reducing adhesion of dental powder and removability may be reduced.

[0015] The polymer alloy may contain known additives such as stabilizers (e.g., flame retardants, heat stabilizers, antioxidants, and UV absorbers), preservatives, antibacterial agents, plasticizers, lubricants, colorants, viscosity modifiers, leveling agents, reinforcing fibers, surfactants, and antistatic agents. The content of these additives is preferably 50% by mass or less, and more preferably 30% by mass or less, based on the total resin. If the content of the additives exceeds 50% by mass, the effect of reducing adhesion of dental powder and removability may be reduced.

[0016] The shape of the dental powder meter is not particularly limited, and it may or may not have a function to accurately measure a fixed amount of powder. Examples of dental powder meter that can accurately measure a fixed amount of powder include a spoon-shaped one that can scrape the dental powder to measure a fixed amount, and a cup-shaped one with a scale.

[0017] Next, we will explain the dental powders to be measured using the dental powder meter of the present invention. The dental powders include inorganic powders, polymer powders, and other powders widely used in dental materials. Examples of inorganic powders include metal oxide powders, acid-reactive glass powders, and gypsum powders. Examples of polymer powders include, but are not limited to, polymethyl methacrylate powders and methyl methacrylate-ethyl methacrylate copolymer powders. These dental powders may contain a single component or multiple components.

[0018] There is no particular limitation on the shape of the dental powder to be measured, and it may be any particle shape such as spherical, needle-like, plate-like, crushed, or scaly.

[0019] There are also no particular restrictions on the particle size of the dental powder to be measured, but adhesion reduction effects and removability tend to be more readily apparent when powders with a 50% particle size (D50) of 0.1 to 100 μm are used. Furthermore, adhesion reduction effects and removability tend to be more clearly apparent when powders with a 50% particle size (D50) of 0.1 to 75 μm are used, and even more clearly when powders with a 50% particle size (D50) of 0.1 to 50 μm are used. The "50% particle size (D50)" refers to the particle size at which the cumulative value from the small particle size side reaches 50% in the volume-based particle size distribution measured using a laser diffraction / scattering particle size distribution analyzer or the like.

[0020] The dental powder meter of the present invention exhibits superior adhesion reduction effects and removal properties for inorganic powders that have been hydrophobized by surface treatment, among other dental powders. The hydrophobized inorganic powder may be surface-treated by any method, but it is more preferable to measure inorganic powders that have been hydrophobized by surface treatment with a silane coupling agent.

[0021] In this specification, the hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of dental powders were evaluated using the following method: After drying the dental powder in a dryer at 80°C for 12 hours, approximately 30 mg of the dried dental powder was placed in approximately 10 mL of distilled water at 23°C. After leaving it to stand for 60 seconds, if the entire powder was immersed in the distilled water, it was judged to be hydrophilic, and if all or part of the powder was floating in the distilled water, it was judged to be hydrophobic. [Example]

[0022] The present invention will be specifically explained below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0023] Spoon-shaped dental powder meters were made using various resins and used in the examples and comparative examples. The resins used and their abbreviations are listed below. The spoon was 90 mm long, and the recess for collecting the powder was semi-elliptical with a major axis of 15 mm, a minor axis of 8.4 mm, and a depth of 2.5 mm. PBT / ABS No.1: Polybutylene terephthalate / Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene / Stabilizer (6 / 3 / 1) PBT / ABS No.2: Polybutylene terephthalate / Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene / Flame retardant and stabilizer (3 / 5 / 2) ABS: Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene AS: Acrylonitrile-styrene PBT: Polybutylene terephthalate PP: Polypropylene PE: Polyethylene PC: Polycarbonate POM: Polyacetal PA nylon: 66 nylon PC / ABS: Polycarbonate and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene PMMA: Polymethyl methacrylate PTFE: Polytetrafluoroethylene PPS: Polyphenylene sulfide ABS-E: ABS with antistatic agent ABS-C: Anti-static coating applied to ABS resin

[0024] The dental powders used in the evaluation of the dental powder quantity meter and their abbreviations (if abbreviations are used) are as follows: Gypsum powder: Matsukaze Soft Plaster (manufactured by Matsukaze Co., Ltd.) (D50: approx. 45 μm, hydrophilic) Polymer powder: Provinice powder (manufactured by Shofu Co., Ltd.) (D50: approx. 70 μm, hydrophobic) Acid-reactive glass powder (FAS glass): Glass Ionomer FX Ultra powder (fluoroaluminosilicate glass powder) (manufactured by Shofu Co., Ltd.) (D50: approx. 5 μm, hydrophilic) Hydrophobic acid-reactive glass powder (FAS-Si glass): Fluoroaluminosilicate glass silane-treated (D50: approx. 5 μm, hydrophobic)

[0025] (Production of hydrophobic acid-reactive glass powder (FAS-Si glass)) 100 g of the acid-reactive glass powder (FAS glass) was subjected to a silane coupling treatment with 0.3 g of γ-methacryloyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane to obtain a hydrophobic acid-reactive glass powder (FAS-Si glass).

[0026] The test methods used to evaluate the performance of the dental powder amount meters used in the Examples and Comparative Examples are as follows.

[0027] (powder adhesion) Approximately 8 g of dental powder was filled into a 10 mL glass bottle with a resin leveling cap and gently shaken. A spoon-shaped dental powder scale was then inserted into the glass bottle, and the powder was stirred with the scale for approximately 5 seconds to prevent scattering. The powder was then scooped up and leveled. The collected powder was then transferred to a kneaded paperboard, and the degree of powder adhesion to the scale was visually evaluated according to the following criteria. The mass of the scale was also measured before and after weighing the powder, and the amount of powder adhered was calculated. A: Almost no powder adhesion is observed B: A small amount of powder adhesion is observed C: Powder adhesion is observed D: A lot of powder adhesion is observed

[0028] (Powder removal) The powder was collected and removed in the same manner as in the powder adhesion test, and then the powder removability (cleanability) of each dental powder quantity meter was evaluated according to the following criteria: The powder to be collected was selected from the powder that had adhered to each dental powder quantity meter in the powder adhesion test. AA: Can be removed with only a weak air blow (cleaning time: 10 seconds or less) CC: Can be removed by wiping with tissue paper (cleaning time: more than 10 seconds but less than 30 seconds) EE: Can be removed by wiping with tissue paper soaked in ethanol (cleaning time: more than 30 seconds but less than 60 seconds)

[0029] As a result of the evaluation of powder adhesion and powder removability, it was determined that the powders with the lowest adhesion (rating A or B) and good removability (rating AA or CC) were suitable for use as dental powder meters.

[0030] The results of evaluating the powder adhesion and powder removability of each dental powder meter are shown in Table 1.

[0031] [Table 1] [Industrial Applicability]

[0032] The present invention can be used as a dental powder amount meter used when collecting dental powder.

Claims

1. A dental powder quantity meter for collecting dental powder, characterized in that the material thereof includes a polymer alloy of polybutylene terephthalate and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.

2. 2. The dental powder meter according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of polybutylene terephthalate to acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene in the polymer alloy is 10:90 to 90:10 in mass ratio.

3. 3. The dental powder meter according to claim 1, wherein the dental powder is an inorganic powder and / or a polymer powder.

4. 4. A dental powder quantity meter according to claim 3, wherein the inorganic powder is hydrophobized by surface treatment.

5. 4. The dental powder quantity meter according to claim 3, wherein the inorganic powder is hydrophobized by surface treatment with a silane coupling agent.

6. 6. A dental powder meter according to claim 3, wherein the inorganic powder is an acid-reactive glass powder.

7. 7. The dental powder quantity meter according to claim 1, wherein the dental powder has a 50% particle size (D50) of 0.1 to 100 μm in a cumulative particle size distribution on a volume basis.

8. 8. The dental powder meter according to claim 1, wherein the dental powder meter is spoon-shaped.

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