United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

David A Chance

Stephen M Schmitt

A method for fabricating a dental restoration is described which comprises the steps of obtaining a dental impression of a patient using dental impression material, filling the cavity defining the impression with a filler material distinguishable from the dental material defining the impression and allowing the materials to harden to a solid block, successively removing from the block thin layers and imaging each then remaining surface of the block after each successive layer is removed to define a contour of the filler material for each layer removed, each contour corresponding to a contour of the teeth, gums and palate of the patient at a corresponding known depth of the block, generating a three dimensional computer model of the teeth, gums and palate of the patient using the contours, and converting the model to a stereolithography file for producing a castable pattern of the model or machining a restoration corresponding to the model.

Imaging method for fabricating dental devices

A method of fabricating a precise implant-retained dental restoration from a casting or solid metal body by fabricating multiple electrodes, which are negatives of the surfaces of the desired restoration, and machining the casting or solid metal body against the electrodes by electrical discharge machining.

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Helotes, TX, United States of America

David A Chance