Apparatus for indirect dental machining

Abstract

Apparatus for machining a human tooth includes a rotary cutter that is moved along a predetermined path dictated by motor energizing signals. The cutter is moved vertically by one drive, laterally by another drive and in or out by a third drive. The apparatus is clamped selectively to the patient's jaw or to a model thereof. The dentist's manual work is actually done on a model, with the apparatus being secured to the model in a fixed position. The vertical drive, the lateral drive, and the in or out drive are energized in response to the dentist's manipulation of a joy stick to move the cutter along paths necessary to achieve the desired tooth configuration. A second joy stick is manipulated to vary the attitude of the cutter, about roll and/or pitch axes. Signals proportionate to the extent of each drive operator are delivered to a computer in the sequence and for the period during which the drives are activated. When the machining is completed on the model, the restoration is prepared from the model, and the patient is then called back. The device is then secured to the patient's jaw so that it is in precisely the same relative position as on the model. Then, the computer delivers drive motors machine strokes in the proper sequence to duplicate the machining previously done on the model.