Prosthetic Teeth with Integrated Struts for CAM Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing prosthetic teeth for dental prostheses using CAD/CAM technologies face challenges such as the need for manual cleaning of wax residues and instability during machining, leading to imprecise and costly production processes.
Innovation Solution
A preliminary product consisting of plastic prosthetic teeth with integrated one-piece struts that serve as a holding geometry, allowing for stable fixation and processing within a CAM device without the need for additional holders, enabling precise and cost-effective production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional wax-based methods are used to produce prosthetic teeth, then the prosthetic teeth can be formed with detailed surfaces, but manual cleaning of wax residues is required and production is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the wax material from the production process entirely. Instead of using wax patterns that require cleaning, the invention uses directly manufacturable plastic/prepolymer materials that can be processed without residue removal, thereby maintaining surface quality while eliminating the time-consuming cleaning step
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical wax-based lost-wax casting process with a modern additive manufacturing (3D printing) process using plastic or prepolymer materials. This substitution eliminates the need for wax residue removal while maintaining or improving surface detail quality through direct digital fabrication
2Stability of the object's composition
If prosthetic teeth are fixed in holders during machining, then stability can be achieved, but additional holders and manual setup are required increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by designing the prosthetic teeth with self-holding features directly integrated into their geometry. The teeth can be directly clamped or positioned in the CAM device without requiring external holders or fixtures, as their own structural features provide the necessary stability during machining
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the function of the prosthetic tooth with its own positioning and holding features. Instead of separating the tooth from its holder, the design integrates positioning elements directly into the tooth geometry, combining the workpiece and its fixture into a unified system that reduces overall complexity
3Adaptability or versatility
If prosthetic teeth are shortened at the base to adjust bite height, then customization for patients is achieved, but subsequent cleaning and processing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing the bite height adjustment (shortening) during the primary additive manufacturing process itself. The prosthetic teeth are printed or molded at their final required height directly, eliminating the need for subsequent cutting and cleaning operations that would otherwise be required after baseline shortening
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a preliminary product for producing prosthetic teeth for a dental prosthesis, the preliminary product having a plurality of prefabricated prosthetic teeth (1) and a retention geometry, the prefabricated prosthetic teeth (1) having a pre-shaped coronal surface (3) and a pre-shaped jacket surface (5, 7) which adjoins the coronal surface (3), the retention geometry having at least one strut (2), wherein the at least one strut (2) is formed in one piece with at least one of the prefabricated prosthetic teeth (1), wherein the prefabricated prosthetic teeth (1) can be fixed in position with the retention geometry in a mount (8) of a CAM device in such a way that the prefabricated prosthetic teeth (1) can be mechanically processed with the CAM device. The invention also relates to a method for producing a preliminary product of this kind, and to a method for producing a dental prosthesis by a CAM method.