Other

Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha Limited

Advanced Research & Technology Institute

Ormco Corporation

Yoshiki Oshida

Masayoshi Usui

Rohit C Sachdeva

Martin Thomas Barco, Ii

Farrokh Farzin-Nia

Seiichi Hata

Cement materials useful in dental and medical fields with improved mechanical properties is described. The cement material includes fluoroaluminosilicate powder and poly(acrylic acid) liquid. Biocompatible oxide powders are further included resulting in improved mechanical properties of maximum strength, rigidity and toughness. Variations of the cement material resulting in improved mechanical properties include the concentration of poly(acrylic acid) liquid, and combining the fluoroaluminosilicate powder with different biocompatible oxide powders. Useful oxide powders include hydroxyapatite powders, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, aluminum oxide, and silica-containing e-glass powder. Preferably, about 10 vol. % of total amount of oxide powders is used to obtain optimum improvements. The total amount can be based on incorporation of a single or a combination of selected oxide powders. Titanium oxide and aluminum oxide improve toughness; titanium oxide also increases strength, and zirconium oxide enhances rigidity.

Dental and medical cement

A mirror for examining a confined area such as an intraoral cavity including posterior teeth, distal and/or lingual sides of teeth, is provided. The mirror includes a lit fog-free and contaminant-free mirror. Basically, the mirror includes a holding stem component and a mirror component. In the holding stem portion, a battery, motor, and on/off switch and rotation speed controlling device are present. In the mirror portion, a mirror is adhered to a rotatable disk, which rotates inside a circular concave housing and is driven by a shaft which is connected to a shaft in the holding stem component via a connecting mechanism. The circular concave housing has an outer circular surrounding collar which includes a plurality of sub-collars of irregular shapes. When the mirror on the rotatable disk is rotating, air turbulence is generated to spin off any dust, debris, contaminant, and moisture from the mirror surface. The mirror also includes an illuminating light to which electric power is supplied from an installed battery. Hence, the mirror surface is bright enough even when posterior teeth, distal and lingual sides of the teeth are observed and is moisture-free and dust-free.

Mirror

Described are unique prosthesis systems including superplastically-formed prosthetic elements, and methods and an apparatus for forming such elements. A preferred dental prosthesis system includes at least two osseointegrated fixtures, abutments attached to the fixtures, a bar member interconnecting the abutments, and a prosthesis detachably connected to the bar member, wherein the prosthesis includes a superplastically-formed metal element having a surface conforming to the bar member and abutments, a resin denture base attached to the metal element, and artificial teeth mounted on the resin denture base. The preferred prosthetic components are prepared by superplastic forming under temperature conditions which are repeatedly cycled above and below the transformation temperature of the metal being formed. In this fashion, metal components having excellent microstructures are prepared, which exhibit characteristic high strength, superior corrosion resistance and excellent dimensional accuracy and stability as well.

Superplastically-formed prosthetic components, and equipment for same

Orthopedic implant system

One of many universal requirements of dental or orthopedic implants, wherever they are used in the vital body, is that the implant system should be biologically functioning. To achieve the biological functionality, the implant should meet several requirements for compatibility. These include biological compatibility and mechanical compatibility. It has now been recognized that morphological compatibility and crystallographic compatibility should be added to these two compatibility requirements. Hence, the present invention provides a method of forming a certain type of crystalline structure of titanium oxide and controlled surface roughness to meet both morphological and crystallographic compatibilities. It has been further determined that a chemical treatment (using sodium hydroxide) alone or followed by in-air oxidation, or acid treatment (a mixed aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid), followed by sodium hydroxide treatment, furthermore followed by in-air oxidation provide for advantageous surface modifications to create a complex mixture of rutile with anatase and/or brookite types of titanium oxide and provide a most favorable surface for wettability and an acceptable range of surface roughness.

Titanium material implants

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved orthopedic implant system with satisfied biological, mechanical and morphological compatibilities. Solid metal femoral stem (entirely or partially) and solid metal acetabular head (entirely or partially) are covered with diffusion-bonded foamed-shaped sheet made of commercially pure titanium or titanium alloy(s). The open-cells in said foamed metal sheet are impregnated with biocompatible polymethyl methacrylate resin cement, which is reinforced with selected oxides (e.g., alumina, magnesia, zirconia, or a combination of these oxides) along with an application of a small amount of a metal primer agent.

An insert for reinforcing a nonmetallic orthodontic appliance is provided including a metal core member having a ceramic outer surface. In one preferred form, a ceramic coated metallic insert having a tooth enamel color is disposed within the archwire slot of a plastic bracket to form an aesthetically pleasing, reinforced plastic orthodontic bracket.

Insert for reinforcing an orthodontic appliance and method of making same

A dental examination mirror is provided. The dental examination mirror includes an examination unit having a planar base wall and a side wall projecting upwardly and outwardly from the base wall. The side wall includes an edge remote from the base wall. A mirror wall is sealingly secured to the edge of the side wall and is substantially parallel to the base wall. The surface of the mirror wall facing away from the base wall are reflective to permit observation of regions in an intraoral cavity. At least portions of the mirror wall enable transmission of light. A light source and a heat source are disposed in the examination unit between the base wall and mirror wall. Light from the light source will be transmitted through at least portions of the mirror wall to illuminate at least portions of the intraoral cavity without shining light toward the eyes of the dentist or patient. The heat source in the examination unit prevents fogging of the mirror.

Mirror for dental examination

The present invention provides a sanitary dental mirror for diagnosing and observing a diseased part of a mouth which can prevent an undesired foggy mirror surface. A dental mirror used for diagnosing and observing a diseased part of a patient's mouth is provided with a stem portion, a distal end portion, a mirror attached on one surface of the distal end portion, and a holding member having a concave-shaped filling canister. The dental mirror furthermore comprises a certain type of substance which is filled in the concave-shaped filling canister and stores heat generated by an absorbing reaction with moisture, a lid which has a plurality of small through-holes and opens/closes an opening portion of the concave-shaped filling canister, and a sealing film which is temporarily adhered on the outer surface of the lid.

Dental mirror

By using titanium, titanium based alloys, or related metals or alloys, an orthodontic bracket can be manufactured which is lighter and stronger than any conventional type of bracket made of stainless steels, plastics and even ceramics. Ti based brackets have shown excellent corrosion resistance and possess good biocompatibility. Surface treatments including nitriding, diamond coating, pre-oxidation or shot-peening on the slot bottom surface of such brackets reduce the friction coefficient against the orthodontic archwire. Furthermore, the bonding strength may be enhanced by shot-peening, ion beam etching or reactive ion etching on the tooth contact surface of the base portion of the bracket.

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Dewitt, NY, United States of America

Yoshiki Oshida