Patent ID: 7094057

Claim:
A dental bite member composed of a soft elastomeric material composition adapted to be placed in contact between two opposing occlusal biting surfaces of human dentition during the preparation of a dental restoration in situ, with at least one of the opposing teeth containing a photo curable restorative material, wherein pressure is applied against said restorative material by biting down upon the dental bite member while transmitting light from a light guide into said dental bite member to cure the restorative material, said bite member comprising; a first section with two opposing planar surfaces for engaging at least two of said occlusal biting surfaces in the opposing teeth and a second section extending from the first section wherein the first section lies in a plane substantially parallel to the occlusal biting surfaces and the second section has a planar optically smooth surface aligned at an angle relative to the plane of said first section and the first and second section are in an arrangement relative to one another such that when the light guide is placed against said second section light is caused to enter said dental bite member through said optically smooth surface in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto and is caused to exit said first section in a substantially transverse direction to cure said photo curable restorative material while pressure is being applied.