US 5,308,243 A · Method and compositions for producing life-like dental porcelain restorations and dental porcelain restorations so produced

Abstract

The invention provides methods for making naturally appearing dental restorations, compositions of matter used in said methods and articles so formed, the resulting articles being visually life-like dental porcelain restorations formed of porcelain layers at least certain of which are modified to cause light entering a restoration to be internally reflected within the layers of the restoration to produce an opalescence virtually identical to that of natural teeth. Porcelain layers unique to the present dental restorations include colored pigments or chromas selected to replace those chromatic values which are usually absorbed within conventional porcelain restorations, the present restorations therefore transmitting essentially the same high value of light back out of the restorations which initially entered the restorations. The present restorations blend visually with adjacent natural teeth since light exiting both the restorations and the adjacent teeth enter each other and are internally reflected with similar high light values which initially entered the restorations and teeth being transmitted from said restorations and teeth to an observer.

Claims55

Dependent claims

A dental restoration having a natural, warm and vital appearance, the restoration in formed on a coping and comprising layers of dental porcelain materials, the dental porcelain materials having chroma particles encapsulated therein which correct hue values of light transmitted from the restoration to replace wavelengths of light absorbed by portions of the restoration from light entering the restoration, the chroma particles further internally reflecting light within the restoration translaterally over surfaces and between surfaces of the layers forming the restoration, the coping having a color stabilizing layer of high temperature dental porcelain formed thereover, the color stabilizing porcelain layer having a red pigment comprising purified selenium oxide encapsulated therein.

A method for making a dental restoration having a natural, warm and vital appearance, the restoration being formed on a coping, comprising the steps of:

forming a color stabilizing layer of dental porcelain materials over the coping and having chroma particles encapsulated within the layer which replace light values absorbed by the coping and which internally reflect light within the restoration;
forming a layer of opaque porcelain over the color stabilizing layer;
forming a layer of modified translucent porcelain over the opaque porcelain layer, the modified translucent porcelain layer comprising a translucent porcelain, red chroma particles, yellow chroma particles and orange chroma particles encapsulated in the modified translucent porcelain layer;
forming a layer of opalescent dentin over the modified translucent porcelain layer, the opalescent dentin layer comprising translucent white body porcelain and chroma particles as are present in the modified translucent porcelain layer but at greater weight percentages;
forming a second layer of the modified translucent porcelain over the opalescent dentin;
and,
forming a layer of translucent incisal porcelain over the second modified translucent porcelain layer, thereby to form a dental restoration wherein wavelengths of light entering the restoration and which are absorbed by opaque and other porcelain layers are replaced by the chroma particles in the light exiting the restoration, the chroma particles reflecting light internally within the restoration and laterally over surfaces of the layers, thereby producing a restoration having a warm, vital and life-like appearance.

4 more elements

The method of making a dental restoration having a natural, warm and vital appearance, the restoration being formed on a substructure such as a coping, comprising the steps of:

forming a color stabilizing layer of dental porcelain materials over the substructure and having chroma particles encapsulated within the color stabilizing layer which replace light values absorbed by the substructure nd which internally reflect light within the restoration;
forming a layer of opaque porcelain over the color stabilizing layer;
forming a layer of modified translucent porcelain over the opaque porcelain layer, the modified translucent porcelain layer comprising a translucent porcelain, red chroma particles, yellow chroma particles and orange chroma particles encapsulated in the modified translucent porcelain layer;
and,
forming at least one additional layer of dental porcelain over the modified translucent porcelain layer to complete the dental restoration, thereby forming a dental restoration wherein wavelengths of light entering the restoration and which are absorbed by opaque and other porcelain layers are replaced by the chroma particles in the light exiting the restoration, the chroma particles reflecting light internally within the restoration and laterally over surfaces of the layers, thereby producing a restoration having a warm, vital and life-like appearance.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and compositions for producing life-like dental porcelain restorations and dental porcelain restorations so produced

Life of this patent

Method and compositions for producing life-like dental porcelain restorations and dental porcelain restorations so produced

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims55