Method and apparatus for preparing a ceramic dental restoration in one appointment

摘要

Methods and apparatus that permit a dentist to provide a patient with a monolithic ceramic dental restoration (e.g., crown, bridge, or the like) in one office visit. In some embodiments, a dentist is provided with a kit containing one or more near net shape (NNS) millable blanks of various shapes and shades, chair-side software, and a chair-side milling machine to convert a selected millable blank into a finished, fully contoured restoration in about one hour or less. Each such millable blank may be, for example, a dental ceramic (e.g., fully sintered zirconia, fully crystallized lithium silicate, fully crystallized lithium disilicate, or the like) NNS component. In some embodiments, the NNS component includes an integral mandrel at a precise location and orientation to minimize the amount of milling time.

主权项

1. A near net shape (NNS) machinable block for fabricating a dental restoration, comprising:
a machinable fully sintered zirconia ceramic material solid body having an external surface defining an occlusal surface area, a margin surface area, side surface areas between the occlusal surface area and the margin surface area, and an internal void surface area; and a mandrel attached to the solid body; wherein the external surface side surface areas consist essentially of non-planar surfaces; wherein the solid body is machinable into a monolithic ceramic dental restoration; wherein the solid body has a cubic volume fraction of between about 0.35 to about 0.95; and wherein the internal void surface area defines an internal void having an internal void volume.