Stain-resistant elastomeric orthodontic force module
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorsW. James Hammar, Miriam D. Nave
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An elastomeric orthodonic device such as a ligature, rotation wedge or force module is made of a composition selected from one or more classes of materials, such that the device has certain physical properties useful for orthodontic treatment and also is resistant to staining by common foods and beverages such as mustard, tea and coffee.
Claims42
An elastomeric orthodontic force module that is sufficiently free of hydrocarbon-based polyether segments and hydrogen-based polyester segments to provide resistance to staining, said force module being made of a material having per 2 mm thickness a Hunter color difference when using a 2.5 cm illuminated opening of (a) less than 40 when compared to a Hunter white standard tile and (b) less than 33 after immersion in mustard solution for 30 minutes when compared to the material before immersion in mustard solution, said material consisting essentially of polymers selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, polyurea, polyurethane/urea, fluoroelastomer and blends thereof, wherein said force module at room temperature can be repeatedly stretched to twice its original length and will forcibly return to approximately its original length after removal of a tensile stress.
An elastomeric orthodontic force module that is sufficiently free of hydrocarbon-based polyether segments and hydrogen-based polyester segments to provide resistance to staining, said force module consisting essentially of a fluoroelastomer material having per 2 mm thickness a Hunter color difference when using a 2.5 cm illuminated opening of (a) less than 40 when compared to a Hunter white standard tile and (b) less than 33 after immersion in mustard solution for 30 minutes when compared to the material before immersion in mustard solution, wherein said force module at room temperature can be repeatedly stretched to twice its original length and will forcibly return to approximately its original length after removal of a tensile stress.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.