Digital Molding-Shell Design for Dental Restoration Seating
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for manufacturing dental restorations face challenges in accurately shaping the inner surface of molding-shells to fit existing teeth without precise knowledge of the teeth's shape, leading to difficulties in seating and supporting the restoration.
Innovation Solution
A digital design method is developed to generate molding-shells by obtaining a 3D representation of the teeth, arranging digital teeth anatomies relative to the 3D representation, and creating a digital design where one portion is derived from the anatomies and another from the tooth part, allowing for precise shaping of the inner surface to fit the teeth and provide support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the inner surface of the restoration is shaped according to the current shape of existing teeth, then the restoration can be seated at the patient's teeth, but high precision scanning of the teeth is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating a molding shell that defines the target geometry of the restoration before the actual restoration is fabricated. The molding shell is prepared in advance with the desired inner surface shape, which will subsequently guide the restoration seating process without requiring high-precision scanning of the existing teeth.
Solution Approach 2:
The molding shell serves as an intermediary element between the existing teeth and the final restoration. It mediates the geometric transfer by providing a physical template that defines the target shape, eliminating the need for direct high-precision digital scanning and modeling of the existing tooth surfaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a large volume is provided for existing teeth at the inner surface of the restoration (egg-shell design), then the restoration can accommodate various tooth shapes, but the restoration has no surfaces to rest on and is difficult to arrange precisely in the mouth
Solution Approach 1:
The molding shell is prepared in advance with the precise target geometry defined. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the restoration is seated against the molding shell, it achieves accurate positioning without requiring complex adaptation during the seating process.
Solution Approach 2:
The molding shell creates a physical copy or template of the desired restoration geometry. This copy serves as a reference that directly guides the seating process, allowing the restoration to be precisely positioned without relying on digital models or complex adaptation procedures.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional manufacturing methods are used for molding-shells, then intermediate models are required, but the process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical manufacturing methods with additive manufacturing (3D printing). This substitution eliminates the need for intermediate models and manual fabrication steps, directly creating the molding shell from digital data and significantly simplifying the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing approach is changed from subtractive or formative methods to additive manufacturing. This parameter change in the manufacturing process enables direct digital fabrication of the molding shell, removing the requirement for intermediate models and reducing overall process complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, a system and a user interface for generating a digital design for use in the manufacture of a molding-shell for a patient's teeth, where the molding-shell and the teeth together enclose a volume for forming a dental restoration, include obtaining a digital 3D representation of the patient's teeth, the digital 3D representation including a tooth part relating to one or more teeth for which the dental restoration is formed; obtaining a set of one or more digital teeth anatomies; arranging the set of digital teeth anatomies and the digital 3D representation according to a preferred relative arrangement; and generating the digital design where a first portion of the digital design is derived from the digital teeth anatomies and a second portion of the digital design is derived from the tooth part of the digital 3D representation.