Denture Base Disc Stress Reduction via Elastomeric Lining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional denture base fabrication methods are prone to errors, leading to fit issues, tooth debonding, fracture, and internal stresses due to the use of wax, human inconsistencies, and material shrinkage, which result in poor quality dentures.
Innovation Solution
A method using a vessel with an elastomeric lining to form a denture base disc, ensuring consistent pressure and uniform curing to minimize residual stresses, and a CAD-CAM milling technique to create a denture base disc that is free of defects and stresses, eliminating the need for wax and reducing human error.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional lost wax technique is used to fabricate denture base, then the process is simple and familiar to dental laboratories, but internal stresses and defects are introduced leading to poor fit and tooth debonding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the denture base material by using alternative materials (such as silicon rubber base material) that do not undergo significant shrinkage during curing, unlike conventional acrylic resins. This parameter change eliminates the root cause of internal stresses and dimensional inaccuracies while maintaining fabrication simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the wax pattern step from the conventional lost wax technique. By directly forming the denture base material in the desired final shape without a wax intermediary, the process removes the source of dimensional error introduced during wax removal and replacement, achieving both simplicity and precision
2Ease of manufacture
If methylmethacrylate material is used for denture base, then the material is readily available and easy to process, but shrinkage during polymerization causes internal stresses and fit problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material composition from methylmethacrylate-based acrylic resin to alternative materials such as silicon rubber or other polymers that exhibit minimal shrinkage during curing. This material substitution maintains ease of processing while fundamentally improving dimensional stability by eliminating the shrinkage phenomenon inherent to polymerization of traditional denture base materials
3Ease of operation
If wax is used in the lost wax technique, then the baseplate can be easily formed and adjusted, but wax residue causes bonding failure between teeth and denture base
Solution Approach 1:
The patent completely extracts and eliminates the wax material from the fabrication process. By using direct forming techniques with final denture base materials, there is no wax to residue or interfere with bonding, thereby ensuring reliable tooth-to-base attachment while maintaining the flexibility needed for baseplate formation and adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses digital imaging and CAD-CAM technology to create a digital copy or model of the patient's oral anatomy, which then guides the direct fabrication of the denture base. This digital copying approach eliminates the need for physical wax patterns while preserving all necessary dimensional and aesthetic information for accurate baseplate formation
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple manual adjustment steps are performed on the wax-up, then the denture can be customized to patient needs, but human inconsistencies introduce errors and reduce quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical adjustment of wax with computer-controlled digital design and automated manufacturing processes. CAD software enables precise customization based on patient anatomy and occlusion requirements, while CAM systems execute adjustments with sub-millimeter accuracy, eliminating human inconsistency while preserving full adaptability to patient needs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs digital copying of patient oral structures through scanning and imaging technologies, creating accurate digital models that serve as the foundation for customized denture design. This digital replication allows for precise virtual adjustments and optimizations before manufacturing, ensuring high fit accuracy without the variability introduced by manual wax manipulation
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
The method significantly reduces inconsistencies and internal stresses in the denture base, enhancing the fit and durability of the denture by ensuring uniform curing and bonding of teeth to the base, thus improving the quality and stability of the denture.
Implementation Method 1
the compression of the elastomeric material is approximately equivalent to the shrinkage of the disc material during its polymerization
Implementation Method 2
the shrinkage of the disc material during its polymerization
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for making a denture base disc that is used subsequently to form a removable denture. A vessel with an elastomeric lining is used to form the denture base disc so that the compression of the elastomeric material is approximately equivalent to the shrinkage of the denture base disc material during its polymerization. The vessel and elastomeric lining contained therein work cooperatively to cause the denture base disc to cure in a homogenous manner with consistent pressure on all sides so that residual stresses in the finished disc are minimized.