Vibration-Activated Dental Bonding Composition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for affixing artificial elements to dentine, tooth enamel, or bone tissue often require preparatory treatments and can result in material shrinkage or instability, particularly when using curable composite materials.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a combination of a thermoplastic component and a hardenable component, where mechanical vibration is used to activate the attachment composition, allowing for a connection between the element and the surface without the need for extensive preparatory treatments, and potentially enabling reversible attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If curable composite materials are used for affixing artificial elements, then strong bonds can be achieved, but material shrinkage occurs during curing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a thermoplastic component and a hardenable component into a single attachment composition. The thermoplastic component provides flow and filling capabilities during application, while the hardenable component provides strong bonding after curing. This merging allows the composition to achieve strong bonds without the shrinkage problems of purely curable materials, as the thermoplastic portion maintains volume stability during the bonding process.
2Strength
If pre-treatment preparations are applied to dentine or enamel surfaces, then adhesion is improved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment composition merges the functions of pre-treatment preparations and bonding agents into a single material. The composition contains both thermoplastic and hardenable components that work together to provide surface preparation and bonding in one step, eliminating the need for separate etching, priming, and adhesive application steps required by conventional methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment composition serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a flowable application medium, a surface pre-treatment agent, and a bonding adhesive. The thermoplastic component provides initial flow and surface wetting, while the hardenable component provides the final bond, making the single composition universal for all bonding stages without requiring separate specialized materials.
3Stability of the object's composition
If thermoplastic material is pressed into surface irregularities with mechanical vibration, then form-fit connection is achieved, but the method lacks chemical bonding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges mechanical interlocking (form-fit connection) with chemical bonding in a single attachment composition. The thermoplastic component enables flow into surface irregularities for mechanical interlocking, while the hardenable component provides chemical bonding through curing. This combination achieves both the stability of form-fit connections and the strength of chemical bonds simultaneously.
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
This approach achieves stable attachments with reduced material shrinkage and eliminates the need for extensive surface preparation, providing a strong and potentially reversible bond between the artificial element and the tooth or bone surface.
Implementation Method 1
activating the attachment composition by means of mechanical vibration
Implementation Method 2
exciting it with mechanical vibration, e.g. ultrasonic vibration
Implementation Method 3
the thermoplastic material is softened at the contact surfaces and pressed into pores and surface irregularities
Data Source
AI summary
A medical method of affixing an element to a surface of dentine, tooth enamel, bone tissue, or corresponding substitute material. The method includes the steps of: providing an attachment composition, the attachment composition having a mixture of: a thermoplastic component; and a hardenable (for example curable) component. The hardenable component is different from the thermoplastic component. The method further includes the steps of: positioning the attachment composition relative to the surface of dentine, tooth enamel, bone tissue, or corresponding substitute material; and activating the attachment composition to attach to the surface or to attach to the element positioned relative to the surface. The step of activating the attachment composition includes activating the attachment composition by means of mechanical vibration.