Artificial Tooth With Toothed Edge For Automated CAD/CAM Denture Base
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for producing dental prostheses are inefficient and prone to errors due to the reliance on manual skills and multiple impression sessions, leading to time-consuming and often incorrect execution of prosthetic fittings.
Innovation Solution
An artificial tooth design with a distinct toothed edge and an inner part that lacks undercuts, allowing for automated production using CAD/CAM systems, and a prosthesis base with cavities designed to match the inner part, ensuring secure and precise insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual fabrication methods are used by dental technicians, then flexibility and customization are maintained, but productivity is low and manufacturing precision is inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The artificial tooth is segmented into an outer part and an inner part with a distinct toothed edge, allowing automated systems to recognize and process different regions separately. This segmentation enables precise positioning and automated manufacturing while maintaining the ability to customize tooth characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the tooth by introducing a specific toothed edge with defined angle changes (α and β). This parameter modification creates recognizable features for automated manufacturing systems, enabling precise control during CAD/CAM processes while maintaining flexibility in tooth design.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple impression sessions are conducted to ensure accurate fitting, then manufacturing precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inner part of the tooth is pre-designed with specific geometric features and the toothed edge is pre-formed during tooth manufacturing, before the actual prosthesis fabrication process. This preliminary action eliminates the need for multiple adjustment sessions and impressions, as the tooth is pre-configured for precise fitting.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses digital copying and virtual modeling of the tooth geometry, including the toothed edge features, which can be precisely replicated in automated manufacturing. This digital copy approach replaces multiple physical impression sessions with a single digital capture and precise reproduction process.
3Manufacturing precision
If automated manufacturing is implemented, then productivity and manufacturing precision are improved, but the complexity of the manufacturing system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tooth design incorporates local quality variations through the toothed edge geometry, where specific regions (outer part vs. inner part) have different characteristics. This localized differentiation allows automated systems to focus on specific features while maintaining overall simplicity in the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The toothed edge introduces asymmetric geometric features with defined angle changes that are easier for automated systems to detect and manufacture compared to continuous curved surfaces. This asymmetric design simplifies the manufacturing process by providing clear reference features for positioning and alignment.
4Productivity
If prefabricated teeth are used to speed up production, then productivity increases, but adaptability to individual patient needs decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The tooth design with the standardized toothed edge structure serves multiple functions: it enables automated manufacturing, ensures precise fitting, and allows customization of tooth characteristics. This universal design approach allows the same manufacturing process to produce both standardized and customized teeth efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The essential fitting features (toothed edge geometry) are preliminarily designed and standardized, while other tooth characteristics can be customized. This preliminary standardization of critical features enables rapid production while maintaining adaptability for individual patient requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
Artificial teeth are inserted into a denture base for producing a denture. The artificial teeth used according to the invention have an outer part (12), which is visible in the inserted state. An inner part (14) is arranged within the denture base (20) in the inserted state. According to the invention, a tooth edge (10) with a change of angle is embodied between the outer part (12) and the inner part (14). For producing a denture base, cavities (22) are generated in the denture base. In order to be able to produce the cavities (22) with the aid of automated production methods such as CAD/CAM methods, there is a virtual subtraction of the artificial teeth from a virtual denture base (20). As a result of this, a cavity edge (24) which corresponds to the tooth edge (10) is generated. The cavity edge (24) is used during the production of the cavity (22) by a CAD/CAM method for setting the tool movement.