Angled Dental Tool for Interproximal Crown Marking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for fitting artificial dental crowns are cumbersome and difficult due to the challenge of accurately marking interproximal contacts, which requires precise adjustment within the limited space of the mouth and lack of effective tools for marking these areas.
Innovation Solution
A dental contact adjustment tool with a handle and angled support structure that delivers a transferable marking medium, such as graphite, to interproximal areas, allowing the medium to transfer from adjacent teeth to the crown, providing visible markings for adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a thin marking ribbon coated with carbon or dye is inserted between the crown and adjacent tooth to mark contact points, then the interproximal contacts can be marked, but the process becomes cumbersome and difficult to properly place and remove
Solution Approach 1:
The marking medium is extracted from the ribbon format and applied directly to the tooth surface using a dental tool, eliminating the need to insert and remove a physical ribbon between teeth while achieving the same marking function
Solution Approach 2:
A transferable marking medium serves as an intermediary substance that can be applied to the tooth and then transferred to the crown at contact points, facilitating the marking process without requiring direct contact or insertion of tools into tight interproximal spaces
2Measurement precision
If marking ribbons are used to mark interproximal contacts, then contact points can be identified, but the tool placement and removal becomes difficult in the limited space of the mouth
Solution Approach 1:
The complex ribbon insertion and removal process is replaced by applying a marking medium directly to the tooth surface, extracting the problematic steps while preserving the essential function of identifying contact points
Solution Approach 2:
The marking medium transfers automatically to the crown when the crown is seated, eliminating the need for manual manipulation of marking tools in difficult-to-reach areas and allowing the system to mark itself through normal crown placement
3Measurement precision
If traditional marking methods are used in the limited space of the mouth, then interproximal contacts can be marked, but the process becomes uncomfortable and time-consuming for the dentist
Solution Approach 1:
The marking medium is applied to the tooth surface before crown placement, preparing the marking surface in advance so that contact points are automatically marked during crown seating, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual marking procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The crown placement process itself performs the marking function through automatic transfer of the medium at contact points, converting a separate time-consuming marking step into an integrated part of the crown fitting process
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Facilitates easier and more precise adjustment of dental crowns by providing clear markings of interproximal contact points, reducing the complexity and discomfort of the fitting process.
Implementation Method 1
the medium will transfer from the adjacent tooth to the crown at locations of interproximal contact, leaving visible markings
Data Source
AI summary
A dental contact adjustment tool. The novel dental tool includes a handle and a support structure for coupling a marking apparatus to the handle such that the marking apparatus is at an angle appropriate for delivering a marking medium to an interproximal area of a tooth. In an illustrative embodiment, the support structure includes an angled shaft having a first end coupled to the handle and a second end coupled to a retaining mechanism for holding the marking apparatus at a substantially right angle to the shaft. The marking medium is a transferable medium that will transfer from a tooth to an artificial crown upon contact. In the illustrative embodiment, the marking medium is graphite, and the marking apparatus includes a solid piece of graphite held by a retaining body adapted to interface with the retaining mechanism of the support structure.