Dental appliance

A dental appliance comprising:

• a lingual section adapted to engage at least one abutment tooth;
• a first tissue replacement portion extending from one end portion of said lingual section;
• a second tissue replacement portion extending from another end portion of said lingual section;
• a gate adapted to engage the at least one said abutment tooth at a buccal or labial position, wherein said gate extends between said first tissue replacement portion and said second tissue replacement portion when in a closed position so as to enclose the at least one abutment tooth between said gate and said lingual section;
• a hinge comprised of a mechanical interlocking between an end portion of said gate and a portion of said first tissue replacement portion that enables said gate to be swingably movable relative to said at least one abutment tooth, wherein said end portion of said gate is comprised of polymeric tissue replacement material;
• and
• a latch disposed at another end portion of said gate which is adapted to fasten said gate to said second tissue replacement portion.

A method of making a dental appliance comprising the steps of:

• positioning a nonmetallic, polymeric buccal or labial gate portion in an opening between a first tissue replacement portion extending from one end portion of a lingual section and a second tissue replacement portion extending from another end portion of said lingual section, said first tissue replacement portion and said second tissue replacement portion being formed of polymeric tissue replacement material, said lingual section being adapted to engage at least one abutment tooth, said gate portion including a first hinge portion;
• positioning a hinge component in a recess of said first tissue replacement portion, said hinge component being adapted to be carried by said gate;
• applying secondary polymeric tissue replacement material which is incapable of bonding to said gate polymeric material but bonds to said polymeric tissue replacement material to said recess so as to interconnect said hinge component and said first tissue replacement portion;
• and
• hardening said polymeric tissue replacement material such that said gate portion is swingably movable about said hinge component relative to said at least one abutment tooth.

A method of making a dental appliance comprising the steps of:

• positioning a replacement tooth-supporting member in investment mold material contained by a vessel, said member including a first tissue replacement portion comprised of wax which extends from an end portion of a lingual section adapted to engage at least one abutment tooth and a second tissue replacement portion which extends from another end portion of said lingual section;
• positioning a buccal or labial gate in said investment mold material, said gate including a hinge form including a hinge pin and configured and arranged to form a hinge component in said wax of said first tissue replacement portion and a latch form configured and arranged in the shape of a latch component in said wax of said second tissue replacement portion, said gate being formed of gate polymeric material;
• removing said wax to expose regions of said first and second tissue replacement portions and regions configured and arranged in the shape of a hinge component and a latch void which are intended to receive polymeric tissue replacement material;
• applying said polymeric tissue replacement material to said exposed regions, said polymeric tissue replacement material being incapable of bonding to said polymeric gate material;
• hardening said polymeric tissue replacement material to form a first polymeric tissue replacement portion extending from one end portion of said lingual section, a second polymeric tissue replacement portion extending from another end portion of said lingual section, said hinge component in said first tissue replacement portion and a latch recess in said second tissue replacement portion about said latch component;
• whereby said gate has a hinge component that interacts with said hinge component of said first tissue replacement portion and is adapted to pivot about said hinge pin embedded in said first tissue replacement portion and a latch portion that is adapted to fit into said latch recess, wherein said gate encloses the at least one said abutment tooth between said gate and said lingual section when said gate is in a closed position.

A method of making a dental appliance comprising the steps of:

• positioning a replacement tooth-supporting member in investment mold material contained by a vessel, said member including tissue replacement portions comprised of wax;
• positioning a hinge form in said investment mold material and in said wax of one of said tissue replacement portions, said hinge form being configured and arranged to include a hinge pin and hinge recess which are formed of material which does not bond to polymeric tissue replacement material;
• positioning a latch form in said investment mold material and in said wax of another of said tissue replacement portions, said latch form being configured and arranged in the shape of a latch component formed of a material which does not bond to polymeric tissue replacement material;
• applying said investment mold material to cover a location intended to receive a gate located at a buccal or labial position;
• removing said wax tissue replacement portions to expose regions that are intended to receive polymeric tissue replacement material;
• applying said polymeric tissue replacement material to said exposed regions;
• hardening said material to form a first tissue replacement portion extending from one end portion of said lingual section and a second tissue replacement portion extending from another end portion of said lingual section;
• removing said hinge form to form a hinge recess in said first tissue replacement portion and a hinge pin embedded within said first tissue replacement portion;
• removing said latch form to form a latch recess in said second tissue replacement portion;
• removing said investment mold material;
• applying wax to said location, said hinge recess and said latch recess to form a shape corresponding to a gate extending between said first tissue replacement portion and said second tissue replacement portion and positioning said wax in an investment mold material contained by a vessel;
• removing said wax to form exposed gate voids at said location, said hinge recess and said latch recess in said investment mold material;
• applying polymeric gate material to said exposed gate voids, said polymeric gate material being incapable of bonding to said polymeric tissue replacement material;
• and
• hardening said polymeric gate material to form a gate having a hinge portion extending in said hinge recess around said hinge pin and a latch portion in said latch recess so as to enclose the at least one said abutment tooth between said gate and said lingual section when said gate is in a closed position.

A method of making a dental appliance comprising the steps of:

• forming a hinge opening in a first tissue replacement portion extending from one end portion of a lingual section which is adapted to engage at least one abutment tooth, a second tissue replacement portion extending from another end portion of said lingual section, said first tissue replacement portion and said second tissue replacement portion being formed of polymeric tissue replacement material;
• positioning a hinge form including a hinge component in said opening of said first tissue replacement portion, said hinge form being incapable of bonding to said polymeric tissue replacement material;
• applying secondary polymeric tissue replacement material, which is incapable of bonding to gate polymeric material but bonds to said polymeric tissue replacement material, in said opening so as to interconnect said hinge component and said first tissue replacement portion while not bonding to said hinge form,
• removing said hinge form to form a hinge recess;
• positioning a wax buccal or labial gate portion in investment mold material contained by a vessel in an opening between said first polymeric tissue replacement portion and said second polymeric tissue replacement portion, said gate portion including a first hinge portion received by said hinge recess and disposed around said hinge component;
• removing said wax gate portion to form exposed regions between said first tissue replacement portion and said second tissue replacement portion and a hinge void around said hinge component;
• applying said gate polymeric material to said exposed regions and said hinge void;
• and
• hardening said gate polymeric tissue replacement material to form a gate having a first hinge portion in said hinge void around said hinge component such that said first hinge portion pivots about said hinge component relative to said first tissue replacement portion and said abutment tooth is enclosed between said gate and said lingual section when said gate is in a closed position.