Patent ID: 7092780

Claim:
A method of making a dental restoration comprising the following steps: scanning a tooth preparation area, either directly or indirectly, to obtain a digitized three dimensional image of the surface of the tooth preparation area; creating a 3D computer model of a desired dental restoration which has a tooth preparation area surface utilizing the scan of the tooth preparation area and data stored in computer memory; characterized by providing two or more investment blocks suitable for use in an oven heated to a range of 800°–1,200° C.; providing an ingot of a suitable dental restorative material selected from the group consisting of glass, glass-ceramic, or a metal which softens in the range of 800–1,200° C.; using a computer controlled milling apparatus, milling the investment blocks to produce a mold shape in the form of the 3D computer model of the desired dental restoration; pressing the investment blocks together to produce an investment mold; heating the investment blocks and the ingot of dental restoration material to a temperature sufficiently high to permit dental restorative material to flow; causing the dental restorative material to flow into the investment mold to form the dental restoration; cooling the mold and pressed dental restoration; and removing the dental restoration from the mold.