Intermediate prosthesis for dental prosthesis installation

A method of generating a final working prosthesis of a dental arch from a patient's pre-existing prosthesis of the dental arch, wherein the pre-existing prosthesis has at least one coping, the method comprising the steps of:

• scanning the patient's pre-existing prosthesis to capture data representing a three dimensional configuration of the patient's pre-existing prosthesis to assist in generating a virtual representation of the patient's pre-existing prosthesis;
• generating the virtual representation of the patient's pre-existing prosthesis using captured data;
• digitally subtracting data corresponding to the at least one coping of the patient's preexisting prosthesis from the virtual representation to generate a virtual representation of the patient's pre-existing prosthesis;
• generating a virtual representation of an intermediate prosthesis at least in part from the data derived from the virtual representation of the patient's pre-existing prosthesis,
• wherein the virtual representation of the patient's pre-existing prosthesis includes an intaglio surface and at least one coping opening corresponding closely to the at least one coping;
• fabricating the intermediate prosthesis from the virtual representation;
• installing at least one coping into the at least one coping opening;
• installing the intermediate prosthesis into the mouth of the patient;
• removing the intermediate prosthesis from the patient's mouth and scanning the intermediate prosthesis to assist in generating a final virtual representation;
• generating a virtual representation of the final working prosthesis using at least in part data from scanning the intermediate prosthesis;
• and
• fabricating a final working prosthesis at least in part from the data from the virtual representation of the intermediate prosthesis.

A method of generating a final working prosthesis of a dental arch from a patient's pre-existing prosthesis of the dental arch and at least one coping used therewith, the method comprising the steps of:

• scanning the patient's pre-existing prosthesis to capture data representing a three dimensional configuration of the patient's pre-existing prosthesis to assist in generating a virtual representation of the patient's pre-existing prosthesis;
• generating the virtual representation of the patient's pre-existing prosthesis;
• using the virtual representation of the patient's pre-existing prosthesis to assist in generating a virtual representation of an intermediate prosthesis;
• generating the virtual representation of the intermediate prosthesis;
• fabricating a sectioned intermediate prosthesis from the virtual representation of the intermediate prosthesis;
• installing the sectioned intermediate prosthesis into the mouth of the patient;
• fusing the sections of the intermediate prosthesis together to create a fused intermediate prosthesis having an intaglio surface;
• inserting hardenable tissue impression material between the intaglio surface of the fused intermediate prosthesis and mouth tissue to reflect contemplated final physiology of the mouth tissue, wherein the hardenable tissue impression material becomes at least partially bound to the intaglio surface of the fused intermediate prosthesis such that the fused intermediate prosthesis now also includes a molded representation of the patient's mouth tissue;
• applying an adhesive to the intaglio surface of the fused intermediate prosthesis to assist in the retention of the hardenable tissue impression material to the intaglio surface of the fused intermediate prosthesis;
• scanning the fused intermediate prosthesis to assist in generating a virtual representation of the final working prosthesis;
• and
• fabricating a final working prosthesis at least in part from data from the virtual representation of the fused intermediate prosthesis.