446 results about "Dentin" patented technology

Methods and apparatuses for taking, using and displaying three-dimensional (3D) volumetric models of a patient's dental arch. A 3D volumetric model may include surface (e.g., color) information as well as information on internal structure, such as near-infrared (near-IR) transparency values for internal structures including enamel and dentin.

A method treating a root canal in a tooth by introducing into the pulp chamber of a tooth and pulsing a laser light into the fluid reservoir so as to disintegrate pulp within the root canal without generation of any significant heat in said liquid fluid so as to avoid elevating the temperature of any of the dentin, tooth, or other adjacent tissue more than about 5° C.

Stable self-etching copolymerizable primer compositions are provided including compounds having a polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated groups and acidic groups, and optionally comonomers and suitable solvents. Such compositions are used in conjunction with dental adhesives to provide one or multi-component dental systems capable of etching or decalcifying tooth dentin and enamel without the need for a separate rinse step. Methods of use of such compositions according to the present invention include application for priming and imparting enhanced adhesion between the primers, adhesives, and the tooth substrates such as dentin or cut or uncut enamel, and subsequently applied dental composites, restoratives or other dental components.

A fluteless endodontic file is provided, formed from a tapered shaft of material having a prismatic shape generally defined by three or more side surfaces and three or more interposed corners. A plurality of notches are cut into one or more corners defining cutting surfaces, points and / or edges. The notched cutting surfaces are formed such that the file, when rotated and / or reciprocated within a root canal, effectively cuts / debrides hard tissue (known in the art as dentin) as well as soft tissue, thus, forming an optimal canal shape. The cutting surfaces are also preferably formed at an angle to the centerline of the instrument to provide optimal cutting efficiency and material removal. The fluteless file design exhibits increased efficacy, with less tendency to bind and break within the root canal and also significantly reduces manufacturing and capital equipment costs.

Unique abrasive and / or thickening materials that are in situ generated compositions of precipitated silicas and silica gels are provided. Such compositions exhibit different beneficial characteristics depending on the structure of the composite in situ generated material. With low structured composites (as measured via linseed oil absorption levels from 40 to 100 ml oil absorbed / 100 g composite), simultaneously high pellicle film cleaning properties and moderate dentin abrasion levels are possible in order to accord the user a dentifrice that effectively cleans tooth surfaces without detrimentally abrading such surfaces. Increased amounts of high structure composite materials tend to accord greater viscosity build and thickening benefits together with such desirable abrasion and cleaning properties, albeit to a lesser extent than for the low structure types. Thus, mid-range cleaning materials will exhibit oil absorption levels from an excess of 100 to 150, and high thickening / low abrasion composite exhibit oil absorption properties in excess of 150. Such an in situ, simultaneously produced precipitated silica / silica gel combination provides such unexpectedly effective low abrasion and high cleaning capability and different thickening characteristics as compared to physical mixtures of such components. Encompassed within this invention is a unique method for making such gel / precipitated silica composite materials for such a purpose, as well as the different materials within the structure ranges described above and dentifrices comprising such.

The invention provides methods, apparatus and kits for regenerating dental tissue in vivo that are useful for treating a variety of dental conditions, exemplified by treatment of caries. The invention uses tissue scaffold wafers, preferably made of PGA, PLLA, PDLLA or PLGA dimensioned to fit into a hole of corresponding sized drilled into the tooth of subject to expose dental pulp in vivo. In certain embodiments the tissue scaffold wafer further comprises calcium phosphate and fluoride. The tissue scaffold wafer may be secured into the hole with a hydrogel, a cement or other suitable material. Either the wafer or the hydrogel or both contain a morphogenic agent, such as a member encoded by the TGF-β supergene family, that promotes regeneration and differentiation of healthy dental tissue in vivo, which in turn leads to remineralization of dentin and enamel. The tissue scaffold may further include an antibiotic or anti-inflammatory agent.