Digital Dental Prosthesis Setup via Merged Arch Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current methods for producing dental prostheses are often cumbersome and prone to errors due to the need for multiple impression-taking sessions and reliance on skilled dental technicians, which can lead to time-consuming and incorrect restorations.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves acquiring a patient's oral situation through optical digitizing, virtually setting up and positioning the prosthesis on a computer using a digital tooth and gingiva library, and producing the prosthesis through additive fabrication, allowing for a single-session process and improved accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple impression-taking sessions are conducted to prepare dental prostheses, then the accuracy of the restoration can be improved, but the treatment time and patient inconvenience increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple impression-taking sessions into a single session by using a bite registration device that captures both the maxillary and mandibular arches simultaneously. This merging of sequential steps into one concurrent operation reduces treatment time while maintaining the accuracy that would otherwise require multiple separate impressions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a digital copy of the patient's oral cavity through optical scanning and generates a virtual model that can be repeatedly referenced and adjusted. This digital replica allows the dental technician to work with accurate measurements without requiring multiple physical impression sessions, thereby reducing time loss while preserving precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If skilled dental technicians manually prepare prostheses based on specifications, then the quality of the prosthesis can be improved, but the complexity and time consumption of the process increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical processes with computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) systems. The dental technician's manual specification work is substituted by software that automatically generates precise prosthesis designs from digital scans, and the manual fabrication is replaced by automated milling or additive manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing the digital model to automatically guide the fabrication process. The software generates toolpaths and controls the manufacturing equipment directly from the scanned data, reducing the need for continuous manual intervention and expertise while maintaining high quality standards.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple impression-taking sessions are required before prosthesis production, then the accuracy of the restoration can be improved, but the patient inconvenience increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple impression sessions into one by using a simultaneous bilateral impression technique with a single bite registration device. This allows both upper and lower arches to be captured in one appointment, improving patient convenience while maintaining the accuracy that would otherwise require separate sessions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates accurate digital copies of the patient's oral structures through optical scanning, eliminating the need for multiple physical impression sessions. This digital replication process captures all necessary anatomical information in a single scan, reducing patient visits while ensuring restoration accuracy.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for preparing a partial or full dental prosthesis, including the following steps: 1. Acquiring a patient's oral situation by digital recording; 2. Effecting the set-up and positioning of the prosthesis restoration virtually on a computer and individually adapted to the patient's oral situation, wherein the set-up and positioning is effected by selecting appropriate rows of teeth from a digital library containing rows of #14 maxillary and mandibular teeth together in one block and/or rows of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth (13 to 23, 33 to 43), and/or rows of maxillary and mandibular anterior posterior tooth quadrants (24 to 27/34 to 37; 14 to 17/44 to 47) together in one block; 3. Virtually embedding the teeth arranged in the set-up in a virtual gingiva; 4. Producing the real prosthesis.