Photocurable ionomer cement systems
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorSumita B. Mitra
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dental cement system containing a photocurable ionomer, reactive powder and water undergoes both a conventional setting reaction and a photocuring reaction. The cement system can provide a long working time and can be cured on demand by exposure to an appropriate source of radiant energy. The surface of the cement cured in this manner is then hard enough to allow subsequent clinical procedures to be performed, while the ongoing chemical-cure "setting" reaction hardens the remainder of the cement.
Claims13
A photocurable ionomer cement system comprising:
- (a) a photocurable ionomer having sufficient pendent ionic groups to undergo a setting reaction in the presence of a reactive powder and water and sufficient pendent polymerizable groups to enable the resulting mixture to be cured by exposure to radiant energy, wherein at least one of said polymerizable groups is linked to said ionomer by means of an amide linkage, and
- (b) reactive powder, the system being suitable for use in the mouth.
A photocurable ionomer cement system comprising
- (a) a photocurable ionomer of the formula
- B(X).sub.m (Y).sub.n I
- wherein;
- B represents an organic backbone,
- each X independently is an ionic group capable of undergoing a setting reaction in the presence of water and a reactive powder,
- each Y independently is a photocurable group, at least one of which Y groups is linked to said backbone by means of an amide linkage,
- m is a number having an average value of 2 or more, and
- (b) reactive powder.
A method for preparing a cured ionomer cement comprising the steps of
- (a) mixing a photocurable ionomer having sufficient pendent ionic groups to undergo a setting reaction in the presence of a reactive powder and water and having sufficient pendent polymerizable groups to enable the resulting mixture to be cured by exposure to radiant energy, wherein at least one of said polymerizable groups is linked to said ionomer by means of an amide linkage, (ii) reactive powder, and (iii) water to begin a setting reaction,
- (b) forming the resultant mixture into its desired shape,
- (c) curing the resultant shaped mixture by exposure to radiant energy, and
- (d) allowing said setting reaction to harden said mixture fully.
A cured ionomer cement prepared by curing by exposure to radiant energy a photocurable ionomer cement system, said cement system comprising an intimate mixture of
- (a) a photocurable ionomer having sufficient pendent ionic groups to undergo a setting reaction in the presence of a reactive powder and water and having sufficient pendent ethylenically unsaturated groups to enable the resulting mixture to be cured by exposure to radiant energy, wherein at least one of said polymerizable groups is linked to said ionomer by means of an amide linkage,
- (b) reactive powder, and
- (c) water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.