Split Denture Design for Faster Fit and Aesthetic Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dentures require complex, time-consuming, and expensive adjustments to meet individual patient requirements due to significant physiological differences, often necessitating multiple visits to the dentist for fitting, occlusion, phonetics, and aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
A split denture design is proposed, where the denture is divided into a base part and a teeth part, allowing for separate manufacturing using different materials: a harder material for the base part for a tight fit and a softer material for the teeth part for adjustments, enabling independent testing and customization of dental features such as shape, color, and occlusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a denture is manufactured as a single integrated unit, then structural integrity is maintained, but customization and adjustment of specific features (teeth, gingiva, base) becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The denture is divided into separate modular components: a base part (containing artificial gingiva) and a teeth part. This segmentation allows independent manufacturing and adjustment of each component, enabling customized fit and appearance without requiring complex overall redesigns.
Solution Approach 2:
The teeth part is designed to be detachable and replaceable, allowing dynamic adjustment of dental features such as tooth shape, color, and arrangement. This enables the denture to adapt to changing patient needs or aesthetic preferences without replacing the entire denture.
2Reliability
If multiple materials are used for different parts (harder material for base, softer material for teeth), then functional requirements are optimized, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the denture into base and teeth parts, the patent enables use of different materials for each component: harder material for the base to ensure stable fit, and softer material for the teeth to allow adjustment and provide comfort. The modular design simplifies the manufacturing process compared to creating a single integrated denture with varying material properties.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the entire denture is replaced to test different designs, then all features can be optimized, but production time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The detachable teeth part can be independently exchanged to test different dental designs, tooth arrangements, or aesthetic preferences without manufacturing or fitting a new entire denture. This significantly reduces production time and costs while maintaining the ability to optimize all denture features.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple teeth parts with different designs can be created as copies or variants of the same base structure. These copies can be tested and compared without requiring complete redesigns, allowing efficient exploration of design options while minimizing production time and material waste.
4Ease of operation
If a softer material is used for the teeth part, then adjustability and comfort are improved, but structural strength may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The denture is segmented into a base part and a teeth part, allowing the use of softer material specifically for the teeth portion where adjustability and comfort are priorities, while the base part uses harder material to provide structural strength and stable fit. This localized material selection resolves the contradiction between softness for adjustability and hardness for strength.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for configurating a split denture. A digital 3D model of the denture comprising a plurality of teeth is provided. The digital 3D model of the denture is split into a digital 3D model of a base part and a digital 3D model of a teeth part. The base part comprises a first artificial gingiva portion. Further, the base part is configured to support the teeth part. The teeth part comprises the plurality of teeth of the denture and a second gingiva portion. The teeth part is configured to be mounted on the base part. The digital 3D model of the split denture is provided for generating at least one of the base part and the teeth part.