Patent ID: 7845924

Claim:
A system for preparing dental restorations from a ceramic or polymeric material to achieve colour and opacity gradients simulating natural dentition, wherein the system comprises: a mold cavity connected to a system of channels having a first flow path and a second flow path, wherein the second flow path has a greater volume than the first flow path; an ingot fabricated of a ceramic or polymeric material; a press muffle and a press muffle base that form a press mold; wherein the press muffle base has an extension that has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the ingot, wherein the extension forms a press space in the press mold; wherein the ingot comprises a first volume region and a second volume region, wherein the first and second volume regions differ in color or opacity or both color and opacity; wherein the first volume region is forced into the first flow path and the second volume region is forced into the second flow path such that the first volume region fills in a first portion of the mold cavity and the second volume region fills in a second portion of the mold cavity.