Method for producing a denture base semi-finished product

A method for fabricating a denture base semi-finished product to be subsequently formed into a pink- or gum-colored plastic or wax denture base by subtractive milling of the denture base semi-finished product, the method comprising the following steps:

• (a) recording and digitalizing an at least partially toothless oral cavity situation of a patient to produce a digital three-dimensional oral cavity model of the patient, or providing a digital three-dimensional oral cavity model of the at least partially toothless oral cavity situation of the patient;
• (b) conducting a first calculation in which a digital three-dimensional first model of the denture base is calculated, wherein the denture base will be a part of a full or partial denture in which separately-produced prosthetic teeth are to be inserted, and wherein the digital three-dimensional oral cavity model of (a) is used as a basis for the first calculation, and wherein the digital three-dimensional first model of the denture base provides one or more of a palate plate, surfaces on dental arches, and recesses and/or surfaces for arranging and affixing the prosthetic teeth in the denture base, which recesses and/or surfaces are calculated from positions and alignments of prosthetic teeth to be affixed in the denture base;
• (c) conducting a second calculation in which a digital three-dimensional second model of a denture base semi-finished product is calculated from the digital three-dimensional first model of the denture base of (b) by adding volume to the digital three-dimensional first model of the denture base of (b) at least in sections corresponding to at least one of the palate plate, the surfaces on dental arches, and the recesses and/or surfaces for connecting the prosthetic teeth using a CAD (computer-aided design) method;
• and
• (d) fabricating the denture base semi-finished product from a pink- or gum-colored plastic or a wax using a CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) Rapid Prototyping method based on the digital three-dimensional second model of the denture semi-finished product of (c) wherein the denture base semi-finished product has dimensions corresponding to the volume of the second model of the denture base semi-finished product according to step (c).