Resilient artificial denture tooth

An artificial tooth for use in a denture, said tooth comprising a base portion, an occlusal portion and an intermediate portion, said occlusal and base portions each providing a surface for securing said intermediate portion in sandwiched relation between said base and occlusal portions, said intermediate portion being resilient to permit said occlusal portion to move yieldably relative to said base portion, and a plurality of tabs for limiting movement of said occlusal portion relative to said base portion, said tabs projecting from at least one of said surfaces part of the distance across the space between said surfaces toward the other of said surfaces to aid in retaining the intermediate portion between the surfaces, the tabs projecting across said space about the outer perimeter of the tooth.

In an artificial tooth for use in a denture, said tooth comprising a base portion, an occlusal portion and an intermediate layer sandwiched between and secured to said base portion and occlusal portion, said intermediate layer being resilient to permit said occlusal portion yieldably to move relative to said base portion, the improvement comprising a tab extending generally vertically from one of said portions toward the other of said portions about the outer periphery of said tooth, said tab having a distal end spaced apart from said other portion to serve as stop limiting such relative movement.

A method for making an artificial tooth having a base portion, an occlusal portion and an intermediate portion, each of said base and occlusal portions providing bonding surfaces for securing said intermediate portion in sandwiched relation between said base portion and said occlusal portion, said intermediate portion being resilient to permit said occlusal portion to move yieldably relative to said base portion, and tab means projecting between said occlusal portion and said base portion for limiting movement of said occlusal portion relative to said base portion, said tab means extending between said occlusal and base portions and about the perimeter of said tooth, said method comprising the steps of forming said occlusal portion and said base portion as one piece connected together by said tab means, bonding said resilient intermediate portion to said occlusal portion and said base portion, and trimming said tab means for allowing said occlusal portion to move yieldably relative to said base portion.

A method of making an artificial tooth comprising the steps of forming an occlusal portion and a base portion as one piece connected together by tab means, said tab means defining a space between said base portion and occlusal portion, filling said space with a resilient intermediate portion and bonding said resilient intermediate portion to said occlusal portion and said base portion, and disconnecting said tab means from one of said occlusal portion and base portion for allowing said occlusal portion to move yieldably relative to said base portion.

An artificial tooth for use in a denture, said tooth comprising a base portion, an occlusal portion, and an intermediate layer sandwiched between and secured to said base portion and occlusal portion, each said portion having a buccal side and lingual side, said intermediate layer being resilient to permit said occlusal portion yieldably to move relative to said base portion, in which the improvement comprises a vertically extending tab connected between said occlusal portion and said base portion on each side, said tab being rigid fixedly to position said occlusal portion to said base portion, whereby said occlusal portion is released for movement relative to said base portion by cutting said tab.

A method for constructing a denture having a plurality of resilient artificial teeth, each tooth having an occlusal portion and a base portion sandwiching therebetween a resilient layer, each tooth also having tab means rigidly positioning said occlusal portion on said base portion, said method comprising the steps of placing said teeth in a flask containing dental plaster formed to define a void for a denture base, said teeth being positioned in said plaster to protrude into said void, forming a denture base in said void and connected to said teeth, and cutting said tab means to release said occlusal portion for movement relative to said base portion.