Dental shade matching method and device
OwnerJoshua Friedmaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and device for determining the correct shade for porcelain crowns, composite fillings and other dental restorations comprising generating a light spectrum in at least two distinct wavelength spectra in sequence under the control of the operator of the light source generating the light spectrum with light in the first wavelength spectrum corresponding to daylight to enable the dentist or dental professional to perform a shade match the way a patient would view their restoration outside of a dental office in a real world environment and then switching to a second wavelength spectrum corresponding to either room light or ambient light.
Claims7
A method for shade matching of teeth in the preparation of a porcelain, composite or any other tooth colored dental restoration for shade matching of teeth comprising the steps of directing light on the surface of teeth of a dental patient and for use in a dental laboratory setting using a light source adapted to produce at least two different wavelength spectra in sequence under the control of the operator of the light source with light at a first wavelength spectra corresponding to daylight approximating a color temperature of about 5500° K for initially comparing the shade of the tooth to be restored to selected color shades from a standard shade matching guide that shows different fixed color shades to establish a desired shade selection for the dental restoration at said first wavelength spectra and verifying the accuracy of the established shade selection by switching the wavelength spectra of the light source to a second wavelength spectra corresponding to either room light approximating a color temperature of about 3200° K or ambient light approximating a color temperature of about 3900° K.
A dental color shading matching device for generating a multiple number of different wavelength spectra in sequence under the control of the operator of the light source so as to verify a shade selection when color matching teeth in the preparation of a porcelain, composite or any tooth colored restoration in the preparation of a dental restoration comprising a multiple number of light emitting diodes arranged to form at least two groups of light emitting diodes with each group having a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a closed geometrical pattern such that the light generated by each plurality of light emitting diodes will focus at a given target representing the tooth to be restored or tooth restoration over a given focal distance with each group of light emitting diodes generating a distinct color spectra inclusive of at least a first wavelength spectra corresponding to daylight approximating a color temperature of about 5500° K, and a second wavelength spectra corresponding to room light at about 3200° K and further comprising a common housing for the different groups of light emitting diodes. a source of power for all of the light emitting diodes and a control circuit enabling the operator of the device to switch on and off the different groups of light emitting diodes in a controlled sequence such that each group can be separately switched on or off as well as switching selected groups on simultaneously.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.