Patent ID: 6843951

Claim:
A method for making a dental device or the like, which comprises: (a) forming a pattern of the device to be made; (b) enclosing that pattern in a retention device having a hollow space for receiving the pattern; (c) placing a first settable material in the hollow of said retention device to substantially surround said pattern, and setting said first settable material to produce a unit comprising said pattern and said material; (d) separating said unit into at least two parts to expose said pattern, and removing said pattern from said unit, thereby producing at least one space in one of said parts, said space or spaces corresponding to said pattern; (e) placing a second settable material into at least one space in at least one of said parts, and closing said retention device on said at least one of said parts; (f) setting said second settable material, removing said unit part or parts from said retention device, opening said unit to provide access to said second set material, and removing said second set material from said unit, said removed second set material at least in part constituting said device; g) in which said first settable material when set is substantially optically clear material, said second settable material is light sensitive for setting, the setting of step (f) comprises the use of light as a setting agent, and said retention device is, at least in part, substantially optically clear.