Prosthetic Tooth Apical Pocket for Denture Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The positioning of prosthetic teeth in dentures is challenging due to susceptibility to twisting and rotation within pre-milled or 3D printed spaces, leading to issues with occlusion and appearance, and existing designs do not accommodate correct angle entry for proper alignment.
Innovation Solution
The design of prosthetic teeth features a pocket or slot on the apical surface, extending from the lingual or palatal to the vestibular surface, which aids in correct alignment and prevents twisting, and can be manufactured through moulding, milling, or 3D printing with specific dimensions to ensure accurate positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If prosthetic teeth are positioned in pre-milled or 3D printed spaces in the denture plate, then the denture can be constructed with separate components, but the teeth are susceptible to twisting and rotation leading to incorrect positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthetic tooth is divided into distinct functional elements: the crown portion and the apical portion with pocket/slot features. This segmentation allows the tooth to be manufactured separately and then precisely positioned in the denture plate, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The pocket or slot feature acts as an intermediary element between the tooth and the denture plate. This intermediary structure provides a mechanical interface that prevents twisting and rotation, enabling accurate tooth positioning while maintaining the benefit of separate component construction.
2Device complexity
If conventional tooth designs are used without pockets or slots, then the tooth structure is simpler, but correct alignment and prevention of twisting during placement is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The pocket or slot feature enables self-alignment of the prosthetic tooth during placement. The geometry of the pocket/slot automatically guides the tooth into the correct orientation and position, eliminating the need for complex alignment procedures or highly skilled operator intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The pocket or slot is pre-formed in the tooth structure before placement in the denture. This preliminary action of creating the alignment feature ensures that correct positioning is achieved automatically during insertion, without requiring complex alignment steps during the placement process.
3Productivity
If teeth are positioned without proper angle entry features, then the placement process is simpler, but occlusion and appearance are compromised due to incorrect positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The pocket or slot feature introduces asymmetric geometry to the otherwise symmetric tooth structure. This asymmetric feature provides directional guidance for placement, ensuring correct angle entry and orientation. The asymmetric design maintains simple placement procedures while guaranteeing accurate occlusion and appearance outcomes.
Data Source
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AI summary
A prosthetic tooth for a denture comprises a lingual or palatal surface, an opposing vestibular surface, opposing proximal surfaces, an incisal or occlusal surface and an opposing apical surface, wherein a pocket or slot is defined in the apical surface. The pocket or slot makes it easier to determine whether the tooth is positioned correctly when the tooth is aligned with a denture plate and assists with determining whether the tooth has twisted or tilted.