379 results about "Dental surgeon" patented technology

An image navigation integrated dental implant system includes a control unit for storing and transmitting data streams, a scan module electrically connected to the control unit for scanning and taking the pictures of the soft tissue and hard tissue of the parenchyma of the oral cavity of a patient and the related external skin color and transmitting the obtained data to the control unit, a design module electrically connected to the control unit for receiving the oral cavity data from the control unit and using the data to design a oral cavity simulation diagram, and a navigator module electrically connected to the control unit for receiving the oral cavity data and photographing the oral cavity and then providing a picture to guide the dentist to perform the dental implant surgery.

Disposable dental mouthpiece-strip which has been pre-impregnated with dental substance which can either be placed in the mouth by the user or inserted in the mouth by a dentist for oral treatments, such as teeth whitening treatments, fluoride treatments, or medical treatments, such as the application of anasthetic or antimicrobal / antiseptic treatments. The mouthpiece-strip is made with a foldable structure such as a thin strip of wax with a section of porous material (sponge) that holds the treatment dental product (liquid or gel). The mouthpiece-strip is disposable; the amount of time it is worn is determined by the type of dental treatment. The mouthpiece-strip may be adjusted in size by cutting it with scissors. The wax used for the mouthpiece is non-toxic and allows for a perfect adjustment in the mouth by contouring to the teeth during adjustment by the user. To enhance the fit in the mouth, the inner surface of the mouthpiece-strip may contain a thin layer of non-toxic sticky adhesive. The porous (sponge) strip attached to the wax strip is an inert, nontoxic material which is easy to process and inexpensive. It is attached to the wax strip with a non-toxic adhesive.

Pre-surgical planning for cranial and facial reconstruction includes preparing a computer generated jaw or skull model for determining a locational position for a dental implant, a surgical bone implant to repair missing bone in the cranium, install ear prostheses, and / or install nose prostheses. The computer generated jaw or skull model is made from medical imagery and computer aided design. A surgical guide is prepared with oversize holes in registration with analogs for the dental or surgical bone implants to be inserted at the locational positions determined by a dentist or surgeon in the jaw or cranial skull model. The surgical guide is fitted atop each analog, and the surgical guide is bonded to the jaw or skull model at a predetermined angle of the analog in the jaw or skull. The surgical guide is removed from the model attached to the law or skull of a patient for accurate drilling during the dental or surgical procedure for insertion of the implants into the jaw or skull of the patient.

Dental restorations can be made by acquiring a three-dimensional digitized image of a dental restoration site. A ceramic blank from which volatile organic binders have been removed, is then machined according to the three-dimensional digitized image to form a “brown” ceramic restoration. This material is then sintered using microwave energy to provide a high density ceramic dental restoration corresponding to the dental restoration site. This method can be carried out within a few hours thereby saving the patient several dental visits and enabling the dentist to better serve the patient directly in the office.

A computerized electronic dental record management system that allows dentists to quickly and easily view and analyze patient's dental conditions and clearly explain and show their diagnosis to the patients. The dentist uses a flexible thin camera to take photographs or images of the teeth. These images are stored in a patient's electronic dental record. At any time, the dentist can use these images to analyze or diagnose the patient's condition and formulate a treatment plan. The dentist can also use these images to clearly show and explain the patient's condition and proposed treatment plan to the patient. Additionally, using a hand-held monitor, the patient can also view the images in real time as the dentist is inspecting the patient's teeth.

End-user software for monitoring health care benefits and maintaining individual personal health histories is disclosed. The software provides the ability for a user to monitor health care services delivered by a plurality of different health care providers, such as doctors, clinics, dentists, pharmacies, etc. under a plurality of different health benefit plans to a plurality of different individuals, such as members of an immediate or extended family. Specific medical events are logged and tracked, and payment information associated with the events can be reconciled, kept open and / or marked for follow-up action. Various planning tools are available to assist the user in making health care decisions, such as which plan to choose and when to make discretionary purchases of health care related goods and services. The software is able to download information from health care providers, health benefit plans, etc.

A method for manufacturing a removable dental prosthesis using a three-dimensional (3D) printer includes receiving dental impressions of a patient obtained using a dental impression tray assembly, the dental impressions including a bite registration and at least a mandibular impression or a maxillary impression; receiving information related to the patient's jaw relations obtained using the dental impression tray assembly, the jaw relations including a vertical dimension and a centric relation obtained during the patient's single visit to a dentist; scanning the received dental impressions with a 3D scanner to provide data representative of an edentulous shape of the patient; generating a 3D model of the dental prosthesis based on the data and the received information related to the patient's jaw relations using 3D design software; displaying the generated 3D model on a display, allowing customization of the 3D model; and 3D printing the dental prosthesis according to the 3D model.

The invention provides a digital oral fixed restoration method and device. Preparing and planning of a tooth preparation are completed by obtaining a three-dimensional digital model of an oral cavity of a patient before a dentist prepares the tooth preparation, and the tooth preparation is cured on a specially-made cutting guide plate, thereby greatly improving the quality of the tooth preparation prepared by the dentist and improving the efficiency of preparing the tooth preparation prepared by the dentist by the cutting guide plate. Furthermore, the invention can provide a complete set of digital scheme for oral fixed restoration, namely, simulation cutting of the three-dimensional digital model of teeth of the patient is completed in a computer, thereby acquiring a three-dimensional digital model of the tooth preparation of the patient; the oral fixed restoration body can be directly and digitally designed and manufactured on the basis. By virtue of the digital oral fixed restoration method and device, the tooth preparation cutting guide plate of the patient and the restoration body can be delivered to the dentist and the patient together; the patient can directly wear the individually designed and manufactured restoration body during accurate preparing of the tooth preparation; the efficiency and the effect of oral fixation can be greatly improved.

The present invention relates to a wireless remote control for dental equipment, such as dental scaler tools, dental drills, prophy angles and other rotary instruments. The wireless control switch can control the on and off state of the dental tool, or it can also be programmed to control the speed of the tool by a switch on the tool. The wireless control switch can be in the form of, for example, a foot switch, and replaces manual and foot operated controls formerly connected by cables to the dental tools. This removes a potential safety hazard in the dentist's office and makes the equipment control more versatile and easier to adapt to various office conditions. The wireless control can be battery powered, further eliminating the need for cables.

The invention provides a digital dentistry system that utilizes a haptic interface and features a computer-based design application configured to allow the intuitive construction of irregular, amorphous three-dimensional structures typically seen in dental restorations, utilizing, where appropriate, the design skills of a user. In certain embodiments, the system provides a comprehensive digital solution for dental labs in the business of creating dental restorations such as partial frameworks, crowns, copings, bridge frameworks, implants and the like, with a sense of touch provided by a haptic interface device.

Methods and apparatuses for manufacturing a series of dental aligners. These methods generally include coordination of a dental aligner laboratory coordinating early in the pre-approval process for financing the dental aligner series, a third party financing service, and / or a dental practitioner (e.g., dentist, orthodontist, etc.).

Dental retainer devices are provided. The dental retainer devices can be customized based on patient specific dental anatomy and dental treatment plans. Methods of making the dental retainer devices are also provided. The methods can included additive manufacturing. Methods are also provided for customization of a dental retainer device based on the patient specific anatomy. The methods for customization can include providing a dentist with different options for anterior teeth coverage, posterior teeth coverage, and palatal configurations for the dental retainer devices.

The invention relates to a computer-based dental restoration system that include a network server having a database storing digital representations, and a communications network providing access to the network server and facilitating direct communication at least between a dentist and a practitioner. The a computer-based dental restoration system also include one or more computers for accessing digital representations over the communications network and displaying the digital representations in a humanly readable format.

An instrument and related process for measuring color, shade, gloss, shape and / or translucence of a tooth. First, the instrument uses searchlight illumination to illuminate a tooth with constant irradiance. Second, the instrument uses colorimetric imaging to collect time-separated frames of different wavelengths of light reflected from a tooth and to combine those frames into a color image. Third, the instrument includes a sanitary shield to establish a reference color and a predetermined distance to a target tooth. Fourth, the instrument provides line-of-sight viewing so an operator may simultaneously view a display of the image on the instrument and the object being measured. Fifth, the instrument is impervious to pollutants because it incorporates a sealed measurement window. Sixth, optical measurements of a tooth taken by a dentist are compared to optical measurements of a prosthetic restoration for that tooth to confirm satisfactory matching of optical characteristics of the tooth and restoration.

A dental prosthesis foundation capable of being finished or adjusted or repaired and which may be assembled and adjusted to variable jaw ridge sizes, and formed with self-curing hardened resins. The foundation supports prosthetic teeth and is permanently but removably secured to the jaw by implants embedded in hard dental tissue, such as tooth stubs or bones. The dentures can be readily repaired or adjusted for changes in the jaw of the patient, by chairside techniques available to dentists. The foundation can also be adjusted to changes in size and shape of ridges in the jawbones for more comfortable use of the dentures secured on such prostheses.

Enhanced radiographic detection is provided by an endodontic marking instrument having a highly radiopaque elongate member, thereby enabling a dentist to better identify the location of the instrument in a root canal and the length of the root canal. The highly radiopaque, high contrast material of the elongate member is a non-toxic, material such as gold, platinum, palladium, silver, tungsten, and the like. The endodontic marking tools of the present invention are distinctly visible on radiographic images in light of the substantial contrast between the highly radiopaque material and the tooth of the patient.

The present invention provides a method of evaluating the risk of possible caries and the device, system, and program of the same, which is useful for the subjects to keep their mouth conditions best by measuring the chemical properties of saliva samples collected from the mouths of subjects to allow for easy and sanitary evaluation of the risk of possible caries in a short time and to help the subjects accurately recognize their risk of possible caries and closely consult their dentist. In the present invention, saliva from the mouth of subject is collected, a given ratio of acid is added to the saliva, and the chemical property of the saliva is measured to evaluate the risk of possible caries base on the measured value.

A positioning device for dental implant has a post and multiple guides. The post is cylindrical and has a diameter corresponding to a diameter of a hole in a dental model. The guides are mounted detachably on the post and are semi-tubular tabs and each has an inner concave, an inner diameter, and an outer diameter. The guides are mounted concentrically one another. A dentist can use the positioning device to precisely position a drill bit of a drilling device on an edentulous place of a patient's jaw bone and drills a bone cavity suitable for a dental implant. The drill bit can be easily inserted into the patient's mouth without opening excessively.

A dental handpiece is disclosed including a turbine construction creating a radial in flow of air onto the impeller blades about the whole circumference of the turbine. This generates additional torque and avoids asymmetrical thrust on the impeller wheel. A pair of axially spaced air bearings support the turbine. Air supply to the bearings is controlled in such a way that the air bearings are floated before drive air is supplied to the turbine and after drive air to the turbine has been shut off. This ensures that the air bearings are always operational irrespective of the operational state of the turbine. The handpiece has an improved ergonomic shape, especially the shape and configuration of the front or drive head, which provides additional tooth clearance and a better field of view. An angled swivel connection to the umbilical cord is provided which reduces physical strain on the dentist's wrist. A self adjusting lock and key type torque connection between the dental burr and the chuck is provided which accommodates both conventional burrs and the burr of the lock and key arrangement. An auto stop arrangement for the turbine is disclosed which prevents a vacuum buildup during run-down of the turbine. The specific construction of the auto stop valve in accordance with the invention closes both the drive and exhaust air conduits.

A system for creating, maintaining and selectively accessing medical histories. The system allows a patient and other selected parties to build a medical history, but importantly places the authority to grant access to the medical history solely in the hands of the patient. When the patient's medical history file is created, the patient also pre-authorizes selected parties, including government agencies such as FEMA to have access to at least part of the patient's history. Each selected party is associated with an access module that dictates the level of access the party has to the medical history. Primary care physicians are associated with a full access module, which allows full access to the patient's medical history. Dentists and pharmacies are associated with a limited access module, which limits the party's access to only pertinent portions of the patient's medical history. The present system also includes a fingerprint scanner and / or retina scanner that can be used to identify unconscious patients and patients without an I.D. card.

A foot control for a dental instrument includes a control signal generator and a foot-operated actuator to manually provide control information to the control signal generator. The control signal generator is responsive to the control information to generate and transmit an electromagnetic signal corresponding to the control information to a receiver associated with the dental instrument so as to control operation of the dental instrument. The control signal generator, the foot-operated actuator, and a power source are secured to a base adapted to rest on a floor of a dentist's office.

The present invention relates to a TIPS (Twist Isolated Plate of Suction) for protecting the tongue, to a bite block, and to an intraoral illumination device having a saliva-sucking function. More particularly, the present invention relates to a TIPS for protecting the tongue, to a bite block, and to an intraoral illumination device having a saliva-sucking function, which enables a dental patient to undergo examination and treatment with the tongue thereof comfortably protected, quickly removes saliva from the throat of the patient to minimize disagreeable feelings of irritation, and isolates the tongue of the patient to the side opposite the side of the mouth to be treated, and also lightens the oral cavity of the patient to enable a dentist to perform examination and treatment with ease.

A system of manufacturing a custom set of pre-manufactured upper and lower dentures is provided. In one form, a set of master upper and lower dentures is created. The master upper and lower dentures are used to create reusable upper and lower dental matrices, respectively. These re-usable upper and lower dental matrices are repeatedly used to manufacture upper and lower pre-manufactured or standard sized dentures, respectively. Optionally, a dental patient can have these upper and lower pre-manufactured dentures custom fit or relined to fit the dental patient's mouth to form upper reline and / or lower reline pre-manufactured dentures. The dental patient can have custom fit dentures in two visits with the dentist, even two visits in the same day.

An apparatus for dental diagnosis and treatment includes: a dentist's chair disposed near a dental treatment table; an intraoral camera which can capture moving images in the patient's oral cavity and can be fixed near the patient's mouth; a first monitor installed at a position where the three parties comprising a dentist sitting on the dentist chair, the patient lying on his / her back on the dental treatment table, and a dental assistant assisting the diagnosis and treatment can see, the first monitor displaying the image captured by the intraoral camera, and being able to invert the image in the vertical direction and reverse the image in the lateral direction by the dentist; and a recording device which can record the images captured by the intraoral camera.

The invention relates to an adjustable impression tray (1) comprising a trough (2) in the form of an arch with a straight central portion (7) extended by two lateral branches (8,9), essentially matching the form of a dental arch and comprising several integral zones which may be deformed at the temperature of use in the form of a multi-directional extension means (12), for example an accordion-like bellows arrangement (13 to 16). The impression tray, preferably for single usage, advantageously comprises splitting zones (17, 18) which allow the production of impression trays of differing sectors, which by comprising one or several deformation zones are equally adjustable. The invention is of interest to dentists and prosthetic dentists and more generally to producers and users of dental equipment.

A system and method enable a dentist to fabricate a dental prosthetic that fits a restoration site in a patient's mouth in a single appointment without requiring the dentist to design the dental prosthetic. The system at the dentist office includes an acquisition unit, a milling unit, and a communication interface. The acquisition unit obtains image data of the restoration site while the patient is present in the dentist office. The communication interface sends the restoration site image data to a design center that is selectively coupled to a plurality of dentist offices. The restoration site image data is used at the design center by qualified personnel to design a prosthetic that corresponds to the imaged restoration site. Milling instructions are generated at the design center and sent to the communication interface at the dentist office. The milling unit executes the milling instructions to fabricate the dental prosthetic. In this manner, a patient may have a dental prosthetic designed, fabricated, and fitted in a single appointment without requiring the dentist to design dental prosthetic.