Patent Publication Number: US-2015064644-A1

Title: Method for Using Radiopaque Dental Impression Material

Description:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX” 
     Not Applicable. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention may relate to dental scanning methods that may involve scanning of a dental prosthesis device and the scanning of one or more portions of the patient&#39;s mouth used to support said dental prosthesis device. More specifically, the present invention may related to those dental scanning methods that may involve scanning a combination of radiopaque dental impression material and dental prosthesis device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Traditional dental modeling techniques have involved mechanical methods such making a dental prosthesis device (e.g., a denture or its duplicate/model) as well as an impression of the patient&#39;s mouth. The impression may then be used to creating a resulting casting(s) (e.g., model[s] of at least a portion of the patient mouth) demonstrating where the dental prosthesis device is generally to be placed in the patient&#39;s mouth. The casting or castings may then be placed in support mechanism such as an articulator, which can duplicate the hinge action of the jaw. The placement of the dental prosthesis device upon the casting(s) so held can allow the dental professional proceed with a wide variety of dental procedures from adjusting the fit of the dental prosthesis device to creating a dental surgical implant plan for attaching the dental prosthesis device to the mouth to fabricating a new dental prosthesis device and the like. 
     As the dental profession generally progresses and increases its computerized capability, such mechanical dental modeling techniques are being supplanted with scanning techniques combined with digital-based imaging, planning and fabrication. Scanning technologies may include but are not limited to radiographic scanning capabilities such as cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT), computerized axial tomography (CAT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These scanning technologies can suitably “map” the scanned item and create a data file that can be subsequently manipulated by appropriate digital imaging software to produce a virtual three dimensional image of the item and can be superimposed on other such images of other objects to create a virtual model of an multi-object combination (e.g., create a virtual model of the patient&#39;s mouth containing the placed dental prosthesis device.) The virtual three dimensional model can then further used in dental planning and fabrication (e.g., substantially creating dental surgical plans, dental prosthesis devices, dental surgical guides and other dental implements/prostheses that may be used in dental reconstruction or enhancement fields.) 
     One current method of imputing existing dental prosthesis devices into a scan data file mat require that the dental prosthesis device (e.g., the actual prosthesis or its duplicate/model) be altered so that radiographic makers (e.g., spheres or plastic-coated spheres of radiopaque material [e.g., various metals that can deflect x-rays and other forms of electromagnetic radiation used by the scanning devices] can be attached or embedded into the dental prosthesis device. Such actions on the actual dental prosthesis device could be considered destructible and generally render the actual dental prosthesis device un-suitable for patient&#39;s future use. These attached radiopaque materials act as registers so that when the dental prosthesis device so modified is subsequently scanned, the reflections of the attached radiopaque material, when the scanning data file is processed by the modeling software system, the reflections can be matched up with previously inputted register values to allow scan image to be manipulated and overlaid upon other scan images (e.g., the castings) that also share common inputted registered values (e.g., also have been affixed with radiopaque markers and the like.) 
     This scanning/modeling method may been seen as having limitations that add to the expense and time required by the scanning/modeling method. These limitation may be seen as requiring the manufacture and use of the model or duplicate for such duties; the continued use of scanning castings instead of scanning the patients mouth directly thus introducing additional steps in the process that repeat, enhance and compound errors in the scanning and modeling phases; the scanned castings may not present a complete radiographic visualization of the prosthesis bearing surface (e.g., not being able to showing interior structure of the tissue/gums.); inadequate digital overlaying of a casting or replica of the prosthesis bearing surface with other desired scanned images that are not to allow the subsequent planning and fabrication of a dental implements (e.g., dental prosthetics, surgical guides, and the like.) that can be used in surgical reconstruction or enhancement of the prosthesis bearing surface; and the like. 
     What could needed therefore is a dental scanning method substantially comprising of the steps of substantially applying radiopaque dental impression material to the dental prosthesis device; generally applying the combination of radiopaque dental impression material and dental prosthesis device to the patient; substantially allowing the radiopaque dental impression material to solidify in place upon the patient; generally scanning the combination intraorally within the patient; substantially removing the combination from the patient and subsequently generally scanning removed combination. 
     SUMMARY OF ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     Advantages of One or More Embodiments of the Present Invention 
     The various embodiments of the present invention may, but do not necessarily, achieve one or more of the following advantages: 
     the ability to scan a combination of a dental prosthesis device, a radiopaque dental impression material, and tissue/tooth bearing surface to create a digital visualization using dental modeling software, the digital visualization being subsequently using to help provide subsequent dental planning and fabrication; 
     provide a dental scanning method that allows the virtual modeling software capability to to digitally register tissue/tooth bearing surfaces for digital visualization substantially for the purposes of radiographic interpretation, dental prosthetics, dental surgical planning, and dental implement fabrication, and the like; 
     the ability to utilize an existing dental prosthesis device (e.g., existing prosthesis or model or duplicate of same, trial prosthesis, wash illumination and the like) to combined with a silicone, methacrylate reline, or zinc-oxide material incorporating a radiographic opaque capability, the material being placed on a surface of a prosthesis device and placing the material-dental prosthesis device combination intraorally to register tissue/tooth bearing surfaces, neither the material application to nor the subsequent material removal from the device does not permanently altering the structure of the prosthesis device; 
     to provide a dental scanning method that can apply and remove a radiopaque material to a prosthesis without causing a degradation of the prosthesis, the combination of radiopaque material and prosthesis being placed intraorally and subsequently scanned; 
     the ability to combine the radiographic information with greater virtual visual resolution using direct/indirect digitized scans of the tissue/tooth bearing surfaces; and 
     to provide data information obtained from the scanning a dental prosthesis device, radiopaque impression material, and tissue/tooth bearing surfaces to virtually plan and fabricate a dental implements/prosthetics and the like. 
     These and other advantages may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification, claims, and abstract. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     One possible embodiment of the invention could be a dental radiographic scanning combination comprising a dental prosthesis device having one or more artificial teeth supported to by an artificial base, a part of the artificial base being capable of receiving a portion of a mouth of a patient; a radiopaque dental impression material being capable of creating a physical impression of the portion of the mouth of the patient, the radiopaque dental impression material removably attaches to the dental prosthesis device, the radiopaque dental impression material forms an impression by being sandwiched between the dental prosthesis device and the portion of the mouth of the patient; and a scanning device that performs a scan of the dental prosthesis device and the radiopaque dental material together to create a data file of an image of the dental prosthesis device and radiopaque dental material together. 
     Another possible embodiment of the invention could a method of operating a scanning dental combination comprising the following steps, providing a prosthesis device having an artificial base supporting one or more artificial teeth; providing a radiopaque dental impression material that can form a physical impression of a portion of a mouth of a patient, the portion of a mouth of patient being used to support the dental prosthesis device; using the radiopaque dental impression material to make an impression of the portion of the mouth of the patient; forming a combination of the radiopaque dental impression material and dental prosthesis device; and scanning the combination with a radiographic scanning machine to create at least one digital file of a radiographic-based image of the combination. 
     The above description sets forth, rather broadly, a summary of one embodiment of the present invention so that the detailed description that follows may be better understood and contributions of the present invention to the art may be better appreciated. Some of the embodiments of the present invention may not include all of the features or characteristics listed in the above summary. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described below and will form the subject matter of claims. In this respect, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention to is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or as illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is substantially showing a perspective partial cutaway view of one embodiment of the dental scanning combination of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is substantially showing a perspective view of another embodiment of the dental scanning combination of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is substantially a perspective, partial cutaway view of one embodiment of the dental prosthesis device of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is substantially a perspective, underside view of one embodiment of the dental prosthesis device of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is substantially showing an overhead view of a pallet supported pre-mixed component form of the dental impression material. 
         FIG. 6  is substantially showing a perspective view of the mixing of the components to form the dental impression material. 
         FIG. 7  is substantially showing a perspective view of the operator applying the dental impression material to the underside of the dental prosthesis device. 
         FIG. 8  is substantially showing a prepositive view of the intraoral placement of the dental prosthesis device and dental impression material upon the portion of the mouth of the patient. 
         FIG. 9  is substantially showing a flowchart schematic showing one possible embodiment of the method. 
         FIG. 10  is substantially showing an overhead perspective view of the non-radiopaque spacers being applied to the mouth of the patient to prevent unwanted contact by various mouth tissues and teeth to the external surface of the dental prosthesis device. 
         FIG. 11  is substantially showing a side perspective view of the non-radiopaque spacers being applied to the mouth of the patient to prevent unwanted contact by various mouth tissues and teeth to the external surface of the dental prosthesis device. 
         FIG. 12  is substantially showing one embodiment of the dental scanning combination. 
         FIG. 13  is substantially showing another embodiment of the dental scanning combination. 
         FIG. 14  is substantially showing a graphic schematic view showing the virtual modeling of the obtained scans to provide planning and fabrication of dental implements, dental prosthetics and the like. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     The present invention  10  could comprise a dental radiographic scanning combination  20  and a method of operating a scanning dental combination  100  for enhanced radiographic interpretation, dental surgical planning and dental implement/prothesis fabrication. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the dental scanning combination  20  could comprise a dental prosthesis device  22 , radiopaque dental impression material  30  that can be used to create an impression, and a scanning device (e.g., radiographic and non-radiographic). As substantially shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , other embodiments of the dental scanning combination  20  could further comprise a patient  58 , more specifically a portion of a mouth of a patient  60  that can interact (e.g. support, attach to) with the dental prosthesis device  22 . As substantially shown in  FIG. 3 , the dental prosthesis device  22  could be a complete or full plate denture (shown), a partial denture, or a radiographic denture/partial duplicate temple. The dental prosthesis device  22  could be a duplicate/model prosthesis that is substantially only employed for the purposes of radiographic interpretation; the patient&#39;s existing prosthesis; trial prosthesis, wash impression, a newly created prosthesis or the like. The dental prosthesis device  22  could be constructed to provide an appearance and a general functioning of one or more lost teeth for a patient. The dental prosthesis device  22  could generally comprise an artificial base  24  supporting one or more artificial teeth  26 , the artificial base  24  generally having a underside  28  that can interact with and be supported by the portion of the mouth of the patient  60  (e.g., base&#39;s underside could have an channel  30  that opens out and generally receives the portion of the mouth of the patient  66 , the one or more contours of the channel  30  may match one or more the exterior contours of the portion of the mouth of the patient  66 .) 
     As substantially shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the dental impression material  40  that can be used to create an impression could comprise of a material base  42  that could be combined with radiopaque material  46  to form the dental impression material  40 . A hardening or polymerizing catalyst  48  could be used to change the material base&#39;s gel or jelly-like initial consistency to a harder consistency (e.g., rubber, plaster or the like.) In one embodiment, the dental impression material  42  could be provided upon a pallet  50  in component format, the pallet  50  having a set of receptacles or grooves  52  in which could respectively hold the hardening catalyst  48 , the material base  44  and the radiopaque material  46 . The pallet  50  could sealed with a removable plastic cover (not shown) and be provided with a spatula  54  for mixing the components and applying the resulting dental impression material  40  to the dental prosthesis device  22  (e.g., applying to the channel  30 ). 
     As substantially shown in  FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8  in operation, the removable plastic cover (not shown) is removed, the operator (e.g., a dental health care professional or the like)  14  uses the spatula  54  to mix together the appropriate dental impression material components (e.g., catalyst  48  [as needed], material base  44 , radiopaque material  46 ) together to form the dental impression material  40 . The operator  14  can then apply the dental impression material while still in its initial consistency (e.g., gel to jelly-like consistency) to the dental prosthesis device  22  (e.g., to the channel  30 .) The operator  14  can then take and apply the dental prosthesis device  22  and dental impression material as combined intraorally to patient  58 , more specifically to the portion of the mouth of the patient  60  (e.g., the teeth and/or tissue portion of the patient&#39;s mouth that may support the dental prosthesis device  22 .) In this manner, the dental impression material  40  may be sandwiched under compression between the portion of the mouth of the patient  60  and dental prosthesis device  22 . When the fixation (e.g., hardening) of the dental impression material  22  has been substantially completed, the operator  14  may check the fit of the dental prosthesis device  22 /dental impression material  40  combination to the portion of the mouth of the patient  60  (that may be used to secure or support the dental prosthesis device  22 ) to generally ensure that the impression  42  as formed by dental impression material  40  has adequately captured the contours of the said portion of the mouth of the patient  60 . If the capture is not adequate, the radiopaque dental impression material  40  can be removed from dental prosthesis to device  22  (the new radiopaque dental impression material  40  can be obtained (e.g., prepared) and be reapplied to the dental prosthesis device  22  to reform the dental scanning subject combination when reapplied to the portion of the mouth. In this manner, the dental impression material  40  may be applied and removed from the dental prosthesis device  22  without permanently altering the structure of the dental prosthesis device  22 . 
     In one embodiment, the material base  44  could be a silicone impression material, a silicone disclosing agent, a methacrylate-based denture/partial reline material, zinc-oxide eugenol impression or liner material, or the like. These material bases  44  may be further mixed with a catalyst or hardening agent  48  to change the initial generally gel or jelly-like consistency of the material base  44  to a more firm consistency that may be comparable to the hardness of rubber, plaster or the like. One possible version of the silicone impression material so used could be a dental impression polymer (e.g., Blu-mousse®, Green-mousse®, Parkell, Inc. 300 Executive Drive, Edgewood, N.Y. 11717 USA) that has an initial consistency of jelly, to which a hardening agent  48  can be added that upon fixation gives a consistency of rubber (i.e., 60-udometer.) It should be noted that other suitable material bases  44  that have built-in hardening agents/catalysts, which are activated when the material base is exposed to air, electromagnetic radiation (e.g., UV light) and the like. One or more material bases could be made with radiopaque capabilities. 
     The radiopaque material  46  could selected from a group of radiopaque materials comprising of powders of metals aluminum, ytterbium, itrium, gadolinium, zirconium, strontium, tungsten, tantalum, niobium, bismuth, molybdenum and lanthanum, powders/suspensions of barium, or powders/suspensions of barium mixed with powders/suspensions of methacrylate-based materials, powders of alloys thereof, oxides, fluorides, sulfates, carbonates, tungstates and carbides thereof. 
     As substantially shown in  FIG. 9 , the method or process for operating a dental scanning subject combination  100  could start with step  102 , preparing the dental impression material. In this step, the dental prosthesis device could be dried (to ensure a proper attachment of the radiopaque dental impression material to the dental prosthesis device.) The dental impression material could be procured (e.g., the components [e.g., radiopaque material, material base, catalyst] are suitably mixed.) As this step is substantially completed, the process  100  can proceed to step  104 , creating the combination. 
     In step  104 , creating the scanning combination, the dental impression material could be applied to dental prosthesis device (e.g., applied to the channel) in a suitable quantity and manner that dental impression material can fill any voids between the mouth portion and the dental prosthesis device. The patient may then close his or her mouth down upon dental prosthesis device, compacting the sandwiched dental impression material in a manner that generally ensures that the dental impression material moves or flows into the voids or vacancies between the dental prosthesis device and the portion of the mouth of the patient to make a detailed and accurate impression of the desired mouth portion. As this step is substantially completed, the method  100  could proceed to step  106 , preparing for the scan. 
     In step  106 , preparing for the scan, the patient may relax and open the mouth, generally removing the opposing alveolar ridge from contact with the dental prosthesis device. The operator may inspect the formed impression made by the scanning combination (e.g., remove the combination of the dental prosthesis device and dental impression material from the mouth of the patient.) After completing a satisfactory inspection, the dental prosthesis device/dental impression material combination may then be appropriately replaced upon the mouth portion to reconstitute the dental scanning subject combination. 
     As substantially shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the operator may then place generally non-radiopaque spacing material  56  (e.g., cotton rolls, cotton gauze or the like) to prevent contact by the dental prosthesis device  22  (e.g., artificial teeth  26 , artificial base  28 ) with the opposing alveolar ridge  62  and other mouth tissues (e.g., tongue  64 , cheeks  66 , lips  68  and the like.) The radiographic signatures of the opposing alveolar ridge  62  and other mouth tissues which can be very confusingly similar to the ones produced in relation to the dental prosthesis device. As such by avoiding this kind of contact, the radiographic signatures of the opposing alveolar ridge and other mouth tissues will not overlap and obscure the radiographic signatures of the dental scanning subject combination. This separation could allow resulting virtual imagery of the dental subject combination  20  to have greater clarity in regards to combination&#39;s features. 
     As this step is substantially completed, the method  100  may proceed to step  108 , scanning the combination. 
     In step  108 , as substantially shown in  FIG. 12 , scanning the dental scanning subject combination, the scanner  16  can be one of a variety of radiographic scanning capabilities (e.g., a cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT), computerized axial tomography (CAT) Scan, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, and the like) may be used to scan the dental scanning subject combination while located intraorally within the patient. The scanning device can create one or more data files of the recorded imaging of the dental scanning subject combination, and in particular of the imaging created of the dental impression material impression made of the mouth portion. 
     Upon substantial completion of this step, the process  100  could continue onto step  110 , conducting the second scan. 
     In step  110 , conducting for the second scan, as substantially shown in  FIG. 13 , the operator can remove any non-radiopaque spacing material from the patient&#39;s mouth. The dental prosthesis device/dental impression material combination can be removed from the patient&#39;s to mouth. The dental prosthesis device  22 /dental impression material  40  combination can be placed upon a non-radiopaque material  12  (e.g., a polystyrene foam box) that is further placed upon a support structure so that combined dental prosthesis device  22 /dental impression material  40 , especially the form impression  42 , can be placed in a raised position to be scanned by the scanner  16 . The scanner  16  again could be one of a variety of radiographic scanning capabilities (e.g., a cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT), computerized axial tomography (CAT) Scan, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, and the like) may be used to scan the dental prosthesis device  22 /dental impression material  40  combination. The scanner  16  could scan the dental prosthesis device  22 /dental impression material  40  combination to create one or more data files of the recorded imaging of the dental scanning subject combination, and in particular of the imaging created of the dental prosthesis device/dental impression material combination. It should be noted in both scans, the formed impression  42  of the radiopaque dental impression material  42  (and hence the surface of the portion of the mouth can be suitably imaged and recorded by both scanning devices in the created data files.) In other embodiments of the invention  10  could use scans of the various combinations using other scanning means to the scans as described above to create data files to be used in later modeling processing steps. 
     As this step is substantially completed, the method  100  could continue to step  112 , virtual modeling. 
     In step  112 , virtual modeling, as substantially shown in  FIG. 14 , DICOM (Digital Imaging and Commination in Medicine)) based virtual model imaging software hosted upon a computer system  18  (e.g., server with suitable user interface[s] and memory/processing capability and the like) that can be used to process data files inputted into it from the scanning devices  16  where the creation of a visual three dimensional model  15  of the bearing surfaces of the mouth portions may occur utilizing and aligning (based on digital registration-rather that radiographic based-registration means) the two scans (the direct scan and the indirect scan of the mouth portion.) Once the virtual model  15  is created, it may be subsequently used to create data that may be used with additional digital planning and digital fabrication capabilities to create dental surgical plans, dental implements  70 , dental prosthetics, dental guides and the like. In one instance, not shown, the invention  10  may allow a filler to be created that fills a void(s) as demonstrated by the impression between the underside of the dental prosthesis device and the portion of the mouth of the patient, the filler may be subsequently attached to the underside of the dental prosthetic device to illuminate such voids and provide a better fit between the dental prosthesis device and the patient. 
     Upon substantial competition of this step the process  100  can return to step  102  for use on other dental prosthesis devices  22 . 
     CONCLUSION 
     Although the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents rather than by the examples given.