Milling block system and method for the production of partial or total dentures

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a milling block system comprising a first milling block for the upper dentition and a second milling block for the lower dentition and a method for providing a partial or total prosthesis.

[0002] From EP 0 501 983 B1 and DE 40 25 728 A1, a method for manufacturing a complete denture with an upper and / or lower jaw base using a milling device is already known, wherein the respective base is milled from a plastic block and the contour or topography-characterizing data of the oral cavity are used. This method further employs, after creating the base adapted to the oral cavity, the additional step of setting up the necessary teeth in wax on the upper and / or lower jaw base, whereby the denture is completed by bonding the teeth to the base using a cold-curing polymer. This is followed by reocclusion to provide the patient with an optimal bite according to their chewing movements.

[0003] This well-known procedure therefore has the disadvantage that, after completion of the upper and / or lower jaw base, individual adjustment to the patient is required by setting up the teeth in wax, which in turn makes the entire dental technical and dental treatment process time-consuming and expensive.

[0004] The object of the following invention is therefore to provide a milling block system and a method for manufacturing partial or complete dentures that avoid the disadvantages of the prior art. Furthermore, it is an object of the following invention to reduce the number of steps required for individual patient adaptation.

[0005] According to the invention, a milling block system for the production of partial or complete dentures according to claim 1 and a method according to claim 8 for the production of partial or complete dentures from such a milling block system are proposed to solve the problems. In this sense, the milling block system is equipped with features for the upper and lower dentition that are independent of the method of attachment in the mouth.

[0006] This measure, as required by the registration, ensures that only the denture base needs to be milled or shaped, and if milled correctly according to the available CAD / CAM data of the patient's oral cavity, no further adjustments are necessary due to the artificially shaped teeth already anchored on the denture base.

[0007] By appropriately optimizing the fit and adjustment of the denture base in the oral cavity, only one individual adjustment step will be required to provide optimal care for the patient.

[0008] Due to the existence of a milling block system as registered, in which a corresponding jaw shape for the prosthesis base to be processed with artificially shaped teeth is present, neither a separate bite registration for determining jaw relations nor a time-consuming and costly fitting is necessary.

[0009] With the measure as registered, subsequent insertion into an articulator to determine the positioning of the teeth is therefore not necessary, since the artificially shaped teeth are already prepared for the occlusal position according to given basic data.

[0010] The patented procedure for providing partial or complete dentures thus makes it possible, based on the presence of upper and lower rows of teeth in occlusal position and in the form of a complete denture, to provide at least three different milling block systems with varying size ratios in terms of denture shape and tooth size, in order to treat almost all patients. This measure achieves a time- and cost-efficient manufacturing process and enables dentists and / or dental technicians in all countries to provide comprehensive dental care to the population.

[0011] In contrast to known dental prostheses and their manufacturing methods, the milling block system according to the invention is based on a one-piece arrangement with a first area, which has a prosthesis base that can be machined according to the jaw shape, and a second area with a predetermined or standardized arrangement of artificially shaped teeth or rows of teeth for an upper or lower jaw. Thus, a milling block is provided as a preliminary stage to the dental prosthesis, which is particularly cost- and time-saving because it can only be machined, i.e., milled, in its first area, namely the prosthesis base, to adapt to the jaw shape. The milling block system according to the invention comprises at least a first milling block for the upper jaw and a second milling block for the lower jaw, i.e., the preliminary stages of a partial or complete prosthesis, which have a predetermined or standardized arrangement in the second area of ​​the first and / or second milling block.features a standardized arrangement of artificially shaped teeth or rows of teeth for the upper or lower jaw, arranged according to common occlusion principles.

[0012] The invention significantly simplifies the production of dentures by using a predetermined or standardized arrangement of artificially shaped, polymerized teeth or rows of teeth for the upper and lower jaw, respectively, in a process known from the prior art of producing multiple preforms with various color, size, and shape combinations for the mucosal and dental regions. A key advantage, according to the application, is that only the respective denture base corresponding to the mucosal region needs to be milled.

[0013] Furthermore, the predetermined or standardized arrangement of artificially shaped teeth or rows of teeth for the upper or lower jaw, set up according to common occlusion principles, are non-individualized, prefabricated dental prostheses that do not require any further processing.

[0014] The predetermined or standardized arrangement of artificially shaped teeth or rows of teeth for the upper or lower jaw, set up according to common occlusion principles, is based on a selection from prefabricated dental prostheses, i.e., artificially shaped teeth or rows of teeth according to predetermined and known setup systems.

[0015] Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0016] Furthermore, if the artificially shaped teeth and the prosthesis base are formed in one piece, then almost a casting or pressing mold can be used in the production of the milling block, which thus only uses one material for the milling block, which advantageously has both a lower allergy potential and a higher bond strength.

[0017] If the milling block is advantageously designed in two parts, the first section, which is machined according to the jaw shape, can be manufactured in a standardized manner and then joined with different teeth, also pre-assembled on a second section, which have varying sizes and characteristics. The further development of a flexible denture base allows for easier fitting into the oral cavity and adaptation to the jaw shape of the individual patient.

[0018] Particularly advantageous materials for the milling block or milling block system, i.e., the denture base and / or teeth, include PMMA plastics, thermoplastics, organically and inorganically filled plastics, and hypoallergenic plastics. Additionally, it is also beneficial to use any type of ceramic, especially glass ceramics, leucite-reinforced ceramics, aluminum-reinforced ceramics, oxide ceramics, zirconium oxide ceramics, infiltration ceramics, feldspar ceramics, and lithium disilicate ceramics. Materials that are sintered, but require an additional manufacturing step, are also conceivable. The milling block or milling block system can also be used for combined dentures.

[0019] If the teeth are already aligned according to an occlusal position, the complete fit into the patient's oral cavity is achieved simply by milling the denture base accordingly. The patient can thus be assured that, with proper adaptation to the oral cavity and / or the upper or lower jaw, an optimal occlusal position is achieved, resulting in a fully functional complete denture with respect to bite behavior. Due to the milling block or milling block system and the corresponding method for manufacturing partial or complete dentures, it is possible, for example, to provide at least three different sizes, enabling the provision of a complete denture for almost every patient, taking into account their facial shape and the size of their oral cavity.Due to the ease of fitting the complete denture, the number of steps required for adaptation to the oral cavity is significantly reduced, thus also making it more cost-effective. Depending on experience, the milling block system may include only two types or more for certain population groups.

[0020] Regarding the preparation and setup of the artificially formed teeth, all previously known setup systems can be used with the milling block system and the corresponding procedure as described in the application, such as the so-called primary setup systems according to Gysi, Gerber, and Schreinemaker. Setup techniques based on those of Gysi and Gerber, as described by APF, APF NT, and TiF, can also be used to advantage. According to Staub Cranial, a mathematically calculated setup technique is used, which determines the original position of the teeth based on measurements and repositions them accordingly.

[0021] The milling block system is particularly suitable for the fabrication of partial dentures, especially when at least opposing quadrants of the upper or lower dentition can be used. Because the teeth are pre-set in occlusal position, post-processing of the teeth is practically unnecessary even after insertion and fitting into the corresponding jaw area.

[0022] A particularly advantageous manufacturing technique for the milling block system is the ability to pre-polymerize the selected teeth in occlusal position in the first section of the denture base and then perform the final polymerization only when joining them to the second section of the denture base. This ensures that the respective upper and lower jaw dentures are prepared and manufactured as a single piece, with a secure and force-fit connection, resulting in a lower allergy potential and higher bond strength.

[0023] Further embodiments of the present invention are the subject of the further dependent claims.

[0024] The milling block system, as specified in the application, enables the fixing or marking of any kind for zero position transfer or zero point transfer for machine-based CAD / CAM machining. This results in enormous time savings, particularly by eliminating the need for probing to achieve positional accuracy, and prevents machining errors in a CAD / CAM system.

[0025] The milling block system and the procedure for manufacturing partial or total dentures are explained below using the drawings as examples.

[0026] In Figure 1A milling block 1 is shown, which has a denture base 3 that is machined according to the jaw shape and on which artificially shaped teeth 5 of a complete denture are already provided. The artificial teeth are already shaped so that they are aligned according to an occlusal position and can thus interact optimally with the maxilla (not shown). In this illustration, for example, the denture base and the teeth are formed as a single piece, thus simplifying the manufacturing process.

[0027] In Figure 2 The completed mandibular complete denture is shown, with the denture base 3 already adapted to the oral cavity. Figure 2The figure clearly shows how the shape of the oral cavity is milled out of the denture base, leaving teeth 5, which are aligned in occlusion, untreated. The patented method thus achieves a complete denture with correct occlusion simply by adapting the denture base, eliminating the need for any further steps, such as fitting it in an articulator. Furthermore, the patented method does not require a step such as the prior art, namely subsequent alignment by building up the teeth in wax to achieve occlusion.

Claims

1. A milling block system (1) for the production of partial or complete dentures, comprising a first milling block for the upper dentition and a second milling block for the lower dentition, wherein each milling block has a denture base (3) to be machined according to the shape of the jaw, on which artificially formed teeth (5), preferably of a complete dentition, are provided, and the teeth are set up according to predetermined or standardized common occlusion principles for the occlusal position according to given basic data.

2. The milling block system according to claim 1, characterized in that the denture base and the teeth are formed in one piece.

3. The milling block system according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the denture base is designed in two parts, consisting of a first area to be machined and a second area comprising the artificially formed teeth, the first and second areas preferably being connected by polymerization to form the denture base.

4. The milling block system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it has ceramics such as glass ceramics, leucite-reinforced ceramics, aluminum-reinforced ceramics, oxide ceramics, zirconium oxide ceramics, infiltration ceramics, feldspar ceramics or lithium disilicate ceramics as materials or preferably has PMMA plastics, thermoplastics, peek nylon composites, organically and inorganically filled plastics, low-allergen plastics, burn-out materials and / or sintered materials as materials.

5. The milling block system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it can be used for combined dentures, in particular metal-based or metal-resin-based or ceramic-based with resin teeth.

6. The milling block system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the denture base of each milling block can be machined according to the contour of an oral cavity of a patient.

7. The milling block system according to claim 6, wherein the teeth of the upper dentition and the lower dentition are correspondingly aligned for bite registration.

8. A method for the manufacture of partial or total prostheses, which consists of the following steps: a. manufacturing or providing a first milling block for the upper dentition and a second milling block for the lower dentition, wherein the first and the second milling block each have a denture base on which artificially formed teeth, preferably of a complete dentition, are provided, wherein the teeth are set up according to predetermined or standardized common occlusion principles for the occlusal position in accordance with given basic data. b. determining the contour data of a patient's oral cavity; c. preparing and / or machining the first and second milling blocks, namely the denture base, according to the contour data of the oral cavity.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the preparation and / or machining of the first and second milling blocks is carried out by means of CAD / CAM systems, and / or preferably the teeth are set up according to the Gysi, Gerber, APF, APF NT, TiF, Schreinemaker, Staub Cranial set-up methods.

10. The method according to any one of claims 8 or 9, wherein the selected artificially formed teeth are set up on a second area of the denture base and this second area is joined to a first area of the denture base to be machined and preferably the first and the second area are joined by polymerization, by gluing, by pressing and / or by fusing.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the selected teeth in the occlusal position are pre-polymerized in the second area and / or subsequently end-polymerized with the first area.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the denture base is designed to be flexible for simplified fitting into the oral cavity or adaptation to the shape of the patient's jaw and preferably the flexible denture base is stiffened or solidified by heating, irradiation with light or by chemical reaction of at least two components present in the denture base.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the palatal and vestibular areas of the denture base are not machined.