Jeneric/pentron Inc.

American Thermocraft Corporation

Jana N Pruden

Carlino Panzera

Richard A Brightly

Paul Panzera

Lisa M Kaiser

Dmitri G Brodkin

Carl Panzera

Lisa M DiMeglio

A mouth simulator apparatus that simulates the atmosphere of the oral environment so that a dental restorative material can be viewed after manufacture and prior to insertion in the patient's mouth. One is able to view the dental restorative material in comparison to shade guide components under the same lighting conditions as present in the oral cavity.

Mouth simulator apparatus

Porcelain compositions of the present invention comprises particulate of one or more glass or glass-ceramic powder components. Additionally, one or more opacifing agents, pigments, fluorescing agents and the like may be included in the composition. Based on volume percent, the particulate has a d,of from about 1.1 and about 1.8 microns; a d,of from about 3 to about 6 microns; a d,of from about 8 to about 16 microns; and about 1.0 to about 4.0% by volume of the particulate has a particle size greater than or equal to about 20 microns. The mean particle size is preferably in the range of about 3.0 microns to about 7.5 microns.

Dental porcelain compositions

A dental restoration comprising a porcelain composition, comprising a glassy matrix and leucite crystallites embedded therein, and having maturing temperatures in the range from about 680.degree. C. to about 870.degree. C. and CTEs in the range from about 12 to about 15, more preferably in the range from about 12.5 to about 14.5, and most preferably in the range from about 13.1 to about 14.5.times.10.sup.-6 /.degree. C. (measured from 25.degree. C. to 470.degree. C.). The porcelain is used in combination with a ceramic core or metal framework. The ceramic core comprises cubic leucite and exhibits maturing temperatures less than about 1200.degree. C. and CTEs in the range of about 12.5 to about 15.0.times.10.sup.-6 /.degree. C. (measured from 25.degree. C. to 500.degree. C.).

Dental restorations

A dental porcelain composition, comprising a glassy matrix and leucite crystallites embedded therein, and having maturing temperatures in the range from about 600.degree. C. to about 885.degree. C. and CTEs in the range from about 11 to about 19, more preferably in the range from about 11.5 to about 18, and most preferably in the range from about 12 to about 17.5.times.10.sup.-6 /.degree.C. (measured from 25.degree. C. to 500.degree. C.). The tetragonal leucite is preferably both fine-grained (i.e, having average diameters of less than about 7 microns) and uniformly-sized. Preferably, the average diameters are less than about 1 to about 3 microns.

Low fusing dental porcelains containing fine-grained leucite

The present invention relates to a method for preparing the color of a dental restoration using a spectrophotometer and a unique color system for porcelain dental restorations which enables a dentist or technician to manipulate the various color components of the porcelain, hue, chroma, value, and translucency, independently. Color component deltas between consecutive colors in the powder sets are equidistant, with the difference in values being linear in color space. This enables simplified, exact matching of a specified color component value. The method comprises illuminating an abutting tooth with light, gathering reflected light, converting the gathered light to analog signals, correct for ambient light interference, translucency effects (if necessary) and varying illumination, using the result to obtain accurate color component values, and employing those values to chose and, where necessary, mix the appropriate powers to obtain the correct color porcelain for the desired dental restoration.

Method for accurately preparing the color of a dental restoration

Porcelain compositions of the present invention comprise one or more glass or glass-ceramic powder components. Additionally, one or more opacifying agents, pigments, fluorescing agents and the like may be included in the composition. Based on volume percent, 10% of the particulate in the porcelain has a particle size of less than between about 1.1 microns and about 1.5 microns, 50% of the particulate in the porcelain has a particle size of less than between about 3 and about 6 microns, 90% of the particulate in the porcelain has a particle size of less than between about 8 and about 13.5 microns, and the maximum particle size of the particulate is greater than about 20 microns and less than about 60 microns. The mean particle size is preferably in the range of about 3.0 microns to about 6.5 microns.

A method of making a dental porcelain restoration comprises providing a soft-sintered dental porcelain pellet; milling the soft-sintered pellet under the control of a CAD/CAM system to provide a tooth structure; investing the tooth structure with an investment refractory material to provide an invested tooth structure; fusing the invested tooth structure; and removing the investment refractory material from the fused tooth structure to provide the dental restoration.

Method of producing a dental restoration using CAD/CAM

An all-ceramic dental restoration comprising a ceramic core over and at least one coating thereon of a porcelain composition having a maturing temperature of from about 850.degree. to about 1050.degree. C. and a coefficient of thermal expansion of from about 4.0 to about 13 (room temperature to 500.degree. C.) parts per million per .degree.C. comprising:

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Belle Mead, NJ, United States of America

Jana N Pruden