Method and system for forming a dental prosthesis

Abstract

A system and method for use in constructing a prosthesis/complete restoration that obtains a digital dentition model, such as a 3D geometric surface model or a 3D volumetric image model, processes the digital dentition model to form a virtual model, forms a virtual mold including a digital prosthesis and/or complete restoration, and uses the virtual model to construct the prosthesis/complete restoration. Processing circuitry, such as a programmed server, can be used to obtain the digital dentition model and form the virtual mold. A rapid manufacturing device can be used to construct the prosthesis/complete restoration.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of making a complete restoration comprising:
 capturing a two-dimensional image of a patient's dentition;   processing the two-dimensional image to create a three-dimensional virtual model of the patient's dentition;   processing the three-dimensional virtual model to form a virtual mold;   outputting the formed virtual mold to a rapid manufacturing platform; and   forming a digital prosthesis using the rapid manufacturing platform based on the virtual mold, wherein forming the digital prosthesis comprises:   forming a plate component having a disc portion and a threaded cylinder portion extending vertically from the disc center of the portion for growing new bone by distraction osteogenesis in an area of deficient bone; and   forming an expansion component having a hollow slot extending completely through and within the full length of the expansion component for operatively connecting and controllably retracting the plate component in a vertical direction.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the step of forming a virtual mold comprises forming a virtual bone distraction plate. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the step of processing the two-dimensional image comprises: creating the plate component and the expansion component; and combining the two-dimensional image and the created plate and expansion components. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the step of creating the plate component comprises selecting a predetermined virtual pin and housing member. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the three-dimensional virtual model comprises a 3D geometric surface model. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the step of capturing the two-dimensional image comprises capturing a volumetric model. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: scanning a patient's dentition to form the two-dimensional image. 
     
     
         28 . A system for making a prosthesis comprising:
 an image acquisition system for receiving a digital image representing a volumetric model of a patient's dentition;   a server for processing the received digital image and creating a virtual mold based on the volumetric model, where the virtual mold includes a prosthesis comprising:
 a plate component having a disc portion and a threaded cylinder portion extending vertically from the disc center of the portion for growing new bone by distraction osteogenesis in an area of deficient bone; and an expansion component having a hollow slot extending completely through and within the full length of the expansion component for operatively connecting and controllably retracting the plate component in a vertical direction; and 
   a rapid manufacturing system for constructing the prosthesis using the formed virtual mold.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the image acquisition system is a handheld intra-oral scanner. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the image acquisition system is an X-ray machine. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the server is a personal computer. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the rapid manufacturing system is a stereolithography machine. 
     
     
         33 . A computer implemented method stored on a computer readable storage medium that when executed causes a computer to:
 capture a two-dimensional image of a patient's dentition;   process the two-dimensional image to create a three-dimensional virtual model of the patient's dentition;   process the three-dimensional virtual model to form a virtual mold;   output the formed virtual mold to a rapid manufacturing platform; and   form a digital prosthesis using the rapid manufacturing platform based on the virtual mold, wherein forming the digital prosthesis comprises:
 forming a plate component having a disc portion and a threaded cylinder portion extending vertically from the disc center of the portion for growing new bone by distraction osteogenesis in an area of deficient bone; and 
 forming an expansion component having a hollow slot extending completely through and within the full length of the expansion component for operatively connecting and controllably retracting the plate component in a vertical direction. 
   
     
     
         34 . The computer implemented method of  claim 33 , wherein the step of forming a virtual mold comprises forming a virtual bone distraction plate. 
     
     
         35 . The computer implemented method of  claim 33 , wherein the step of processing the two-dimensional image comprises: creating the plate component and the expansion component; and combining the two-dimensional image and the created plate and expansion components. 
     
     
         36 . The computer implemented method of  claim 33 , wherein the step of creating the plate component comprises selecting a predetermined virtual pin and housing member. 
     
     
         37 . The computer implemented method of  claim 33 , wherein the three-dimensional virtual model comprises a 3D geometric surface model. 
     
     
         38 . The computer implemented method of  claim 33 , wherein the step of capturing the two-dimensional image comprises capturing a volumetric model. 
     
     
         39 . The computer implemented method of  claim 33 , further comprising: scanning a patient's dentition to form the two-dimensional image. 
     
     
         40 . An apparatus for forming a complete restoration comprising:
 a processor for capturing a digital image of a patient's dentition, processing the digital image, creating a three-dimensional virtual model of the patient's dentition using the digital image, processing the virtual model to form a virtual mold, where forming the virtual mold includes forming a digital prosthesis, and outputting the formed virtual mold to a rapid manufacturing platform, where forming the digital prosthesis comprises: forming a plate component having a disc portion and a threaded cylinder portion extending vertically from the disc center of the portion for growing new bone by distraction osteogenesis in an area of deficient bone; and forming an expansion component having a hollow slot extending completely through and within the full length of the expansion component for operatively connecting and controllably retracting the plate component in a vertical direction; and   a manufacturing system for receiving the virtual mold from the processor and constructing the digital prosthesis based on the virtual mold.