Dental Blanks

Abstract

Collection of dental blank scraps generated by cutting process and regeneration through horizontal recycling To provide a dental blank which can be processed efficiently and smoothly. [Solution] A dental blank having an information tag including at least specific information linked to material information; The specific information is agreed between the manufacturer of the dental blank raw material and the manufacturer of the dental blank. and the information tag is information that is previously recorded when the dental blank scrap is collected. A dental blank which is an information medium from which the specified information can be read.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a dental blank, and more particularly to a dental blank made of a calcined ceramic body, and further to a dental blank made of a calcined ceramic body which allows for smooth recovery and recycling of scraps generated after cutting. [Background technology]

[0002] Sintered bodies (ceramic materials) such as alumina and zirconia, which have excellent biocompatibility, are widely used as dental materials. Among ceramics, sintered bodies of zirconia combine aesthetics close to natural teeth with high mechanical strength, and are therefore widely used for dental prostheses such as crowns, bridges, inlays, onlays, and abutments.

[0003] In the method of manufacturing a dental prosthesis made of a sintered body, first, raw material powder is molded into a molded body (green compact), which is then calcined to produce a calcined body (dental blank). The calcined body is then cut in a dental laboratory or the like to give it the shape of the dental prosthesis, taking into account the thermal shrinkage caused by sintering. The calcined body is then sintered to produce a sintered body (dental prosthesis), which is finely adjusted and finally fitted to the patient.

[0004] Meanwhile, there is an increasing demand for recycling ceramic materials from the viewpoint of reducing industrial waste and environmental load, etc. Known methods for recycling ceramic materials include, for example, a technology for recycling electrolyte sheets for fuel cells made of sintered zirconia (Patent Document 1) and a technology for recycling grinding balls made of sintered zirconia (Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-027358 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-218662 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Calcined bodies such as dental blanks are not sintered, and therefore are considered to be suitable for recycling (especially horizontal recycling and closed-loop recycling). However, both Patent Documents 1 and 2 relate to recycling technologies for sintered bodies, and are not recycling technologies for dental blanks, particularly for dental blank scraps generated after cutting.

[0007] In addition, multiple types of dental blanks are used depending on the characteristics of the intended dental prosthesis. The dental blank scraps generated after cutting are a mixture of different compositions and types, making recovery with the assumption of recycling difficult. Therefore, at present, the only possibilities are that they are disposed of by processing companies such as dental laboratories, or that they can be cascade recycled, such as being converted into cement raw materials. Even if dental blank scraps could be recovered, horizontal recycling requires that each recovered scrap be separated after composition analysis. For this reason, horizontal recycling of dental blank scraps has been practically impossible.

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a dental blank that enables efficient and smooth recovery of dental blank scraps generated by cutting processing and regeneration processing through horizontal recycling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] That is, the present invention is as described in the claims, and the gist of the present disclosure is as follows. [1] A method for recovering scraps of dental blanks, comprising: a recovery process for recovering scraps generated by cutting processing of dental blanks, each of which has an information tag attached thereto, from a processing company; and a selection process for selecting specific scraps from which specific information linked to the material information of the dental blank, as agreed between a raw material manufacturer of the dental blank and a manufacturer of the dental blank, can be read from the information tag attached to the scraps. [2] The method for recovering dental blank scraps described in [1] above, further comprising a supply step of supplying the dental blank raw material to the blank manufacturer prior to the recovery step. [3] A method for recovering dental blank scraps as described in [2] above, comprising a specific information determination step of determining the specific information prior to the supply step. [4] A method for recovering dental blank scraps described in any one of [1] to [3] above, comprising, after the selection step, a recycling step of recycling the specific scraps based on the specific information. [5] A method for recovering dental blank scraps described in any one of [1] to [4] above, wherein the specific information includes one or more selected from the group consisting of the raw material ratio, composition, average composition, contained elements, color tone, color tone code, average color tone, and average color tone code of the dental blank. [6] A method for recovering dental blank scraps described in any one of [1] to [5] above, wherein the specific information includes one or more selected from the group consisting of the production lot, production location, production year, and recovery deadline of the dental blank. [7] A method for recovering dental blank scraps described in any one of [1] to [6] above, wherein the specific information includes at least one of the model number and manufacturer name of the dental blank. [8] A method for recovering dental blank scraps as described in any one of [1] to [7] above, wherein two or more information tags are attached to the dental blank. [9] A method for recovering dental blank scraps as described in any one of [1] to [8] above, wherein the information tag is attached to a non-cut portion of the dental blank.

[10] A method for recovering dental blank scraps according to any one of [1] to [9] above, wherein the dental blank is a calcined ceramic body.

[11] A method for recovering dental blank scraps according to any one of [1] to

[10] above, wherein the dental blank is a calcined body of zirconia. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The present disclosure makes it possible to provide a dental blank that allows for efficient and smooth recovery of dental blank scraps generated by cutting and for recycling through horizontal recycling. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a dental blank 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the layers (shades) of dental blank 10. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 shows a dental block 20. [Figure 4] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an information tag 12. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 shows an end piece 15 of a dental blank 10. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the present disclosure, a scrap material recovery method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The dental blank of the present disclosure will be described below by showing an example of an embodiment thereof. Note that the various configurations disclosed in the following description can be arbitrarily combined, and the upper and lower limits and ranges of the numerical values ​​disclosed in this specification can also be arbitrarily combined. [Dental Blank] Hereinafter, the dental blank of this embodiment will be described by taking as an example a dental blank made of a calcined ceramic body (ceramic blank) and further a dental blank made of a calcined zirconia body (zirconia blank).

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a dental blank according to this embodiment, particularly a dental blank having a disk shape (hereinafter, also referred to as a "dental disc"). FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of a dental blank 10 consisting of multiple layers. In FIG. 2, the dental blank is a dental disc having a structure in which two or more layers (for example, 2 to 15 layers, further 2 to 10 layers, or further 3 to 8 layers) having different compositions are laminated, and the dental blank 10 is a dental disc having a layer structure in which at least one of the color tone and the translucency is graded along the thickness direction.

[0014] 3 is a diagram showing a cylindrical dental blank (dental block) 20. As described above, the dental blank 10 may have any shape that can be machined by CAD / CAM, and may be, for example, a disk, column, flat plate, or columnar shape.

[0015] The dental blank 10 is not limited to having a pair of peripheral grooves 11. The information tag 12 is not limited to being attached to the side peripheral surface 10s. The information tag 12 may be attached to another non-cut portion (a portion that remains as the waste material 15).

[0016] When the dental blank 10 is a dental disc, the size is arbitrary, but examples include a diameter of 10 mm to 100 mm and a thickness of 3 mm to 30 mm, preferably a diameter of 80 mm to 110 mm and a thickness of 12 mm to 20 mm, and more preferably a diameter of 98 mm and a thickness of 16 mm.

[0017] In order to facilitate fixing to the CAD / CAM device, the dental blank 10 preferably has a gripping portion (clamp portion) on the peripheral side surface 10s that is gripped by the CAD / CAM device during cutting. In this case, the dental blank 10 preferably has a pair of peripheral grooves 11 on the periphery 10e. The dental blank 10 can be gripped by the CAD / CAM device using the pair of peripheral grooves 11. The peripheral side surface 10s is sandwiched between the pair of peripheral grooves 11 and therefore serves as a non-cutting portion. However, the dental blank does not need to have peripheral grooves 11 as long as it has a structure that allows it to be fixed to the CAD / CAM device during cutting.

[0018] The dental blank 10 is a zirconia blank, that is, a dental blank containing zirconia as a primary component and stabilizing and coloring elements as secondary components.

[0019] The dental blank 10 may have a structure consisting of one layer, that is, a uniform composition throughout the dental blank. On the other hand, a dental prosthesis is required to have aesthetic harmony with the surrounding tooth structure (the patient's natural teeth). Therefore, the dental blank 10 may have two or more layers 13 along the thickness direction. In this case, each layer 13 is not limited to one that is clearly divided, but may include one in which two or more regions (for example, 2 to 15 regions, further 2 to 10 regions, or further 3 to 8 regions) are formed, and may have a structure in which two or more layers 13 are laminated so as to form a gradation. The gradation may be formed by at least one of color tone and translucency. There may be a clear interface between the regions, but this is not necessary. When the dental blank has a structure in which two or more layers are laminated, the coloring element may be contained in at least one layer.

[0020] The dental blank 10 is a calcined body obtained by calcining a molded body obtained by molding a raw material of the dental blank. The dental blank 10 is manufactured by a dental blank manufacturer (a disk manufacturer; hereinafter, also referred to as a "blank manufacturer"). The raw material of the dental blank is a powder of zirconia (ZrO2, zirconium dioxide), which is a powder of zirconia containing metal elements such as a stabilizing element and a coloring element. The stabilizing element is one or more selected from the group of yttrium (Y), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg), and further includes yttrium. The coloring element is one or more selected from the group of titanium (Ti), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), erbium (Er), and ytterbium (Yb). Other metal elements include one or more selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge). The zirconia powder is a powder containing zirconia as a main component (so-called zirconia powder) and is not limited to a powder consisting only of zirconia. The raw material of the dental blank is produced by a raw material manufacturer of the dental blank (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the "raw material manufacturer") and provided to the blank manufacturer. The blank manufacturer produces a dental blank 10 having a predetermined composition (raw material ratio) by molding and calcining the raw material (powder) supplied by the raw material manufacturer according to the aesthetics of the intended dental prosthesis. If necessary, a plurality of raw materials may be mixed to produce a mixed powder, which may be molded and calcined. In addition, prior to calcination, a solution containing a coloring element may be mixed with the molded body.

[0021] The dental blank 10 is a precursor of a dental prosthesis, and is subjected to cutting processing using a CAD / CAM device (not shown) at a processing business such as a dental laboratory (dental technician). Through cutting, the dental blank 10 is cut into the shape of a dental prosthesis such as a crown. The shape after cutting is determined by taking into account the thermal contraction during sintering, and therefore is larger than the shape of the dental prosthesis to be fitted to the patient.

[0022] The dental blank 10 is affixed with an information tag (described below) that includes at least specific information linked to the material information. The "specific information" is information that can be linked to the material information, and the "material information" is information that allows the dental blank 10 to be identified, and preferably includes at least composition information, and more preferably includes one or more selected from the group of composition information, product information, and manufacturing information (all of which are described below). By affixing the specific information to the dental blank 10, selection and collection can be carried out efficiently.

[0023] The specific information preferably includes one or more selected from the group of raw material ratio, composition (chemical composition), average composition, contained elements, color tone, color tone code, average color tone, and average color tone code (hereinafter also referred to as "composition information"). The composition information allows the identity of the dental blank 10 to be directly confirmed. The specific information preferably includes one or more selected from the group of raw material ratio, composition, contained elements, color tone, and color tone code, and preferably includes at least one of composition and color tone code. In addition, when the dental blank 10 has a structure consisting of two or more layers, the composition information preferably includes, in addition to or instead of the composition, color tone, and color tone code, one or more selected from the group of average composition, average color tone, and average color tone code, or one or more selected from the group of representative composition, representative color tone, and representative color tone code that enable linking to the most abundant component, etc. The "raw material ratio" is information regarding the type (e.g., powder product name) and amount of each raw material used in manufacturing the dental blank 10, and the "color tone" is the target color tone of the dental prosthesis obtained by sintering the dental blank 10, for example, L * a * b * Lightness L indicated by the color system * , hue a * and b * The "shade code" is a code that represents each shade in the dental shade sample, for example, a code represented by an alphabet and a number, such as A1 to D4, for Vita Classical Shade.

[0024] If the composition information cannot be obtained, the raw material manufacturer must perform a component analysis for each scrap 15. The component analysis requires taking a portion of each scrap 15, dissolving it, and performing component analysis by instrumental analysis of the sample solution obtained, or by instrumental analysis using electron beams or X-rays. In this case, not only does performing component analysis for all scraps require a huge amount of work, but if unexpected elements are included, it takes even more time and effort to identify the components. Therefore, even if such scraps can be recovered, it is practically impossible to regenerate them through horizontal recycling.

[0025] The specific information preferably includes at least one of the dental blank model number and the manufacturer's name (hereinafter also referred to as "product information"), and preferably includes at least the manufacturer's name. The "model number" is the product name of the dental blank from the blank manufacturer. By including product information in the specific information, rough sorting becomes possible after collection. In other words, scraps collected from dental laboratories, etc. may contain a mixture of products from different block manufacturers. In this case, first, sorting by manufacturer, or by manufacturer and product, becomes possible, making it easier to efficiently sort for horizontal recycling.

[0026] The specific information preferably includes one or more selected from the group consisting of the dental blank's production lot, production location, production year, and collection deadline (hereinafter also referred to as "production information"), more preferably includes at least one of the production year and collection deadline, and even more preferably includes the collection deadline. By including the production information, not only recycling but also traceability is possible. As described below, the specific information is agreed upon in advance between the raw material manufacturer and the blank manufacturer. Therefore, by attaching a collection deadline agreed upon between the two parties, it becomes possible to trace not only the dental blank but also the raw materials used. Note that the "production year" is information that can identify the time of production, and instead of the production year, the production month or production date may be used.

[0027] The specific information linked to the material information is information that is used when collecting and regenerating (recycling) the scraps 15 of the dental blanks 10. In other words, the specific information linked to the material information includes information that is necessary and important for recycling the scraps 15.

[0028] Processing businesses such as dental laboratories cut a variety of different dental blanks. Therefore, the scraps 15 that are generated vary widely in terms of manufacturer, composition, contained elements, color, etc. If specific information linked to the material information of the scraps 15 (and dental blanks 10) cannot be obtained, the recycling process of the scraps 15 (dental blanks) by entities other than the raw material manufacturer or blank manufacturer becomes very complicated, making horizontal recycling very difficult.

[0029] [Information tag] 4 is a diagram showing the information tag 12. The information tag 12 is an information medium from which specific information is read when the scrap 15 of the dental blank 10 is collected. An information tag 12 is attached to the side peripheral surface 10s of the dental blank 10. The information tag 12 may be any information medium capable of grasping specific information linked to material information, and is preferably a mechanically readable information medium, such as a code symbol. The information tag 12 may include one or more characters selected from the group consisting of letters, numbers, and symbols. The type, size, display format, etc. of the code symbol may be appropriately selected according to the amount of information to be attached to the information tag 12, the shape of the dental blank 10, etc., and may be, for example, at least one of one-dimensional and two-dimensional code symbols, specifically at least one of a barcode and a QR code (registered trademark). The information tag 12 may include a unique code, etc. It is preferable that the code symbol is one in which information can be read even if a part of it is missing.

[0030] The information tag 12 is preferably composed of at least one of printing and engraving, and may be affixed by at least one of printing and embossing, and is preferably composed of a material that can be removed by a recycling process, such as ink printing, for example an organic component, or a means that can be removed by a recycling process.

[0031] One or more information tags 12 may be attached to the dental blank 10, but two or more are preferably attached. This makes it easier to ascertain specific information for each divided item from the remaining information tags 12 even if some tags are missing or if the scrap material 15 is damaged and separated (divided) into multiple pieces. The number of information tags 12 attached to the dental blank 10 can be 2 to 50 or 2 to 10. The multiple information tags 12 may all be the same code symbol, or a barcode and a QR code or two or more different code symbols of other types may be used in combination.

[0032] The information tag 12 is preferably attached to a non-cut portion of the dental blank. This makes it difficult for the information tag 12 to be damaged by the cutting process. The non-cut portion is a portion of the dental blank 10 that remains after the cutting process, for example, the side surface 10s in the dental disc, and the bottom side of the block body in the dental block 20. Therefore, in the dental disc, the information tag 12 is preferably arranged at least on the side surface 10s, more preferably on the side surface 10s, and even more preferably arranged at equal intervals on the side surface 10s. For example, when there are two information tags 12 attached to the side surface 10s, they are arranged at 180° intervals, when there are three information tags 12, they are arranged at 120° intervals, and when there are four information tags 12, they are arranged at 90° intervals. The information tag 12 only needs to be attached to at least the non-cut portion, and may be attached to the main surface 10a of the dental blank 10, or may be attached to at least one of the side peripheral surface 10s and the main surface 10a. When the information tag 12 is attached to the main surface 10a, the information tag 12 is preferably disposed in a portion that remains after multiple cutting processes, such as at least one of the outer periphery and the center of the main surface 10a.

[0033] [Scrap 15] 5 is a diagram showing an end piece 15 of the dental blank 10. A shape of a dental prosthesis (not shown) that takes thermal shrinkage into consideration is cut from the dental blank 10 by cutting using a CAD / CAM device. Therefore, the portion of the dental blank that remains on the CAD / CAM device after cutting corresponds to the end piece 15. In other words, the end piece 15 is at least one of the dental blank having one or more holes (perforations) in the shape of the dental prosthesis and its divided pieces.

[0034] [Method of recovering scraps] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the scrap recovery method. The dental blank scrap recovery method in this embodiment includes a recovery step S30 of recovering scraps 15 generated by cutting a dental blank 10 to which an information tag 12 including at least specific information linked to material information is attached from a processing company, and a selection step S40 of selecting specific scraps 15K from which specific information linked to material information of the dental blank 10 agreed between a dental blank raw material manufacturer and a dental blank manufacturer can be read from the information tag 12 attached to the scraps 15. Furthermore, the method may include a supply step S20 of supplying the dental blank raw material to the blank manufacturer prior to the recovery step S30, or a specific information arrangement step S10 of arranging specific information linked to composition information of the dental blank between the raw material manufacturer and the blank manufacturer prior to the supply step S20. Furthermore, the method may include a regeneration step S50 of regenerating the specific scraps 15K based on the specific information after the selection step S40.

[0035] The specific information arrangement step S10 is a step in which the raw material manufacturer and the blank manufacturer arrange specific information linked to the composition information of the dental blank, and in this step, the content of the specific information linked to the material information of the dental blank 10 and the rules for its assignment, the format of the information tag 12, and other specific information required for the selection and recovery of the scrap material 15 are arranged. Since the specific information may include confidential information related to the blank manufacturer's product lineup and other manufacturing information of the blank manufacturer, it is preferable that the specific information be managed as mutual business confidential information between the raw material manufacturer and the blank manufacturer, and it is preferable that the specific information be managed and protected as non-public information.

[0036] The supplying step S20 is a step of supplying raw materials for dental blanks to a blank manufacturer, and includes a raw material supplying step S21, a dental blank manufacturing step S22, a tagging step S23, and a providing step S24.

[0037] In the raw material supply step S21, the raw material manufacturer supplies the dental blank raw material to the blank manufacturer. The raw material manufacturer supplies one or more raw materials, preferably zirconia powder, to the blank manufacturer. The powder preferably contains zirconia as a main component and a stabilizing element and a coloring element as subcomponents.

[0038] In the dental blank manufacturing step S22, the blank manufacturer uses the raw material (zirconia powder) supplied by the raw material manufacturer to manufacture the desired dental blank. When manufacturing the dental blank, the blank manufacturer may mix two or more raw materials as necessary, or may use a coloring component other than the powder, such as a coloring solution.

[0039] In the tagging step S23, the blank manufacturer attaches an information tag 12 containing specific information to the dental blanks 10, etc. The information tag 12 is attached to the dental blanks 10, etc. by means of at least one of printing and engraving. The information tag 12 may be attached to the dental blanks 10 in accordance with the content specified in the specific information determination step S10 described above, such as the type, number, and location of the information tag 12.

[0040] The providing step S24 is a step in which the blank manufacturer provides the dental blank 10 having the information tag 12 to a dental laboratory or other processing business operator that performs cutting processing.

[0041] The recovery process S30 is a process of recovering scraps 15 generated by cutting processing of dental blanks 10 having an information tag 12 attached thereto that includes at least specific information linked to material information, from a processing company, and includes a cutting process S31 and a scrap recovery process S32.

[0042] The cutting process S31 is a process of cutting the dental blank 10. A processing business such as a dental laboratory cuts out the dental blank 10 into the shape of a dental prosthesis using a processing device such as a CAD / CAM device based on information provided by a dentist. This generates a precursor of the dental prosthesis and scraps 15.

[0043] In the scrap collection step S32, scraps 15 are collected from processing businesses such as dental laboratories. The scraps 15 may be collected by at least one of the blank manufacturer and the raw material manufacturer, or the raw material manufacturer may further collect the scraps 15 collected by the blank manufacturer. The scraps 15 may also be collected by a collection business that performs primary collection from the processing business, for example, a collection business designated by at least one of the blank manufacturer and the raw material manufacturer. Therefore, the collection in the collection step S30 may be performed directly by the processing business, or may be performed via a collection business that performs primary collection from the processing business instead of or in addition to the processing business.

[0044] On the other hand, the processing company may collect the scraps 15 by sending them to at least one of the blank manufacturer and the raw material manufacturer.

[0045] The scrap 15 is a calcined body having perforations, and is therefore very fragile and easily broken. Therefore, during transportation in the scrap recovery step S32, the scrap 15 may be damaged (broken) and divided into two or more pieces (scrap pieces, broken pieces).

[0046] The selection process S40 is a process of selecting specific scrap 15K from which specific information linked to the material information of the dental blank 10 agreed upon between the dental blank raw material manufacturer and the dental blank manufacturer can be read from the information tag 12 attached to the scrap 15, and includes a tag reading process S41 and a scrap selection process S42.

[0047] In the tag reading step S41, the information tags 12 are read from all of the collected scraps 15. If the scraps 15 are divided pieces, the information tags 12 of the divided pieces to which the information tags 12 are attached may be read.

[0048] The information tag 12 may be read by any means capable of grasping the specific information, for example, by a means for reading a code symbol, specifically, at least one of a barcode reader and image analysis.

[0049] In the scrap selection process S42, scraps (hereinafter also referred to as "specific scraps") 15K from which specific information can be read from the information tag 12 are selected and separated. The specific scraps 15K have clear attributes such as material composition, and therefore can be collected and suitably used for horizontal recycling.

[0050] The specific scraps 15K may be selected and separated based on their attributes, and it is particularly preferable to select and separate them based on at least one of the contained elements and composition, which makes it easier to apply them to regeneration processing (recycling).

[0051] On the other hand, the material information of scraps 15 and their divisions cannot be ascertained for which the specific information cannot be read due to a missing or lost information tag 12. Although it is possible to select and separate such scraps after obtaining composition information separately through instrumental analysis, etc., from the viewpoint of disposal efficiency, they may be treated as targets for cascade recycling or waste disposal.

[0052] The recycling process S50 is a process for recycling the specific scraps 15K based on the specific information, and the specific scraps 15K may be recycled based on the specific information. Since the specific scraps 15K have clear attributes such as material composition, it is possible to set recycling conditions suitable for each group of selected specific scraps 15K based on the specific information.

[0053] The regeneration method in the regeneration step S50 includes a regeneration method (hereinafter also referred to as a "grinding and regeneration method") in which the specific scrap 15K is pulverized to obtain a powder (recycled powder). If necessary, the regeneration step S50 may include at least one of the following steps (none of which are shown in the figures): a step of washing at least one of the specific scrap 15K and the pulverized product thereof to remove impurities prior to pulverization; a particle size adjustment step of adjusting the particle size of the pulverized product of the specific scrap 15K after pulverization; and a step of drying at least one of the specific scrap 15K and the pulverized product thereof.

[0054] The powder obtained by the regrind method (recycled powder) can be used as it is as a raw material for the calcined body and the sintered body. The recycled powder has a composition derived from the dental blank 10. Therefore, the recycled powder is particularly suitable as a raw material for dental blanks (recycled dental blanks).

[0055] The regeneration method in the regeneration step S50 may be a regeneration method (hereinafter also referred to as a "dissolution regeneration method") in which the specific scrap 15K is dissolved to turn it into a solution and obtain a solution (recycled solution). The dissolution may be performed by contacting the specific scrap 15K with a solution that dissolves the specific scrap 15K, such as an acid. Prior to dissolution, the specific scrap 15K may be crushed, washed, and dried. The solution obtained by the dissolution and regeneration method (recycled solution) can be used as a raw material solution for powder synthesis, preferably for powder synthesis of zirconia, and can also be used as a raw material for one or more powder manufacturing methods selected from the group consisting of neutralization coprecipitation, hydrolysis, and hydrothermal treatment. The raw material obtained by this method is further suitable as a raw material for dental blanks.

[0056] Furthermore, the recycled solution may be purified by ion exchange or the like to remove the elements contained therein, and may be used for desired purposes as a solution of various metal ions including zirconium.

[0057] In this way, according to the dental blank of this embodiment, the scraps 15 of the dental blank 10 can be efficiently recovered so that they can be horizontally recycled as materials for dental blanks.

[0058] The above describes a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure using a zirconia block as an example, but the dental blank in the present disclosure may be any calcined ceramic body, and may also be applied to a dental blank made of a calcined metal oxide body, such as alumina. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 10 Dental Discs (Dental Blanks) 10e Periphery 10s Side peripheral surface (non-cutting area) 11 Peripheral groove 12 Tags (code symbols) 15 Scraps 15K Special End Materials 20 Dental Blocks (Dental Blanks)

Claims

1. A method for recovering dental blank scraps, comprising: a recovery process for recovering scraps produced by cutting dental blanks from a processing business operator, the scraps being dental blanks attached with an information tag containing at least specific information linked to material information, the specific information being information agreed upon between a manufacturer of dental blank raw materials and the manufacturer of the dental blank, and the information tag being an information medium from which the specific information can be read when the dental blank scraps are recovered; and a selection process for selecting specific scraps from which specific information linked to the dental blank material information agreed upon between the manufacturer of dental blank raw materials and the manufacturer of the dental blank can be read from the information tag attached to the scraps.

2. 2. The dental blank scrap recovery method according to claim 1, further comprising a supply step of supplying raw materials for dental blanks to the blank manufacturer prior to the recovery step.

3. 3. The dental blank scrap recovery method according to claim 2, further comprising a specific information determination step of determining the specific information prior to the supply step.

4. The dental blank scrap recovery method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a recycling step of recycling the specific scrap based on the specific information after the selection step.

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