Method and apparatus for preparing contoured glazed composite dental veneers

Abstract

Disclosed is a template for forming a veneer on a tooth using a composite resin material that is curable by radiation. The template includes a tooth-contacting portion having a smooth concave surface for contacting the composite, the smooth concave surface having a shape that is complementary to a desired natural tooth shape. The tooth-contacting portion is formed of a material capable of transmitting the radiation such that the composite is curable through the tooth-contacting portion to form a veneer having a surface shape that conforms to the desired natural tooth shape. Also disclosed is a kit including a plurality of such templates and a method of using the templates to form a veneer.

1 . A method of forming a veneer on a tooth using a composite that is curable by radiation, the method comprising:
 providing a template having a tooth-contacting portion, the tooth-contacting portion having a smooth concave surface, a continuous perimeter of the smooth concave surface defining edges of the tooth-contacting portion, the smooth concave surface having a shape that is complementary to a desired natural tooth shape of a specific tooth, the tooth-contacting portion being formed of a material capable of transmitting the radiation;   applying the composite to the facial surface of the tooth;   after applying the composite to the facial surface of the tooth, pressing the tooth-contacting portion against the facial surface of the tooth such that the composite contacts the smooth concave surface;   defining an uncured veneer comprising the composite into a surface shape that conforms to the desired natural tooth shape; and   curing the composite with the radiation through the tooth-contacting portion to form a veneer having the surface shape that conforms to the desired natural tooth shape.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising applying the composite to the smooth concave surface of the tooth-contacting portion. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising preparing the facial surface of the tooth prior to applying the composite. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting the composite according to the color of teeth neighboring the tooth to which the veneer is to be applied. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting the radiation to comprise photopolymerization radiation. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting the desired natural tooth shape on an empirical basis from measured values of average natural tooth shapes and dimensions. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising aligning the tooth-contacting portion of the template with an alignment guide extending along a centerline of the tooth-contacting portion relative to a centerline of a portion of a subject. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising removing at least some discontinuities in the composite by pressing the tooth-contacting portion of the template toward the tooth. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying the composite to the facial surface of the tooth comprises utilizing only a single layer of the composite to the form the final veneer on the tooth. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein pressing the tooth-contacting portion against the facial surface of the tooth comprises applying a force to the tooth-contacting portion with an elongated handle fixed to the tooth-contacting portion, the elongated handle extending downward from the tooth-contacting portion in a direction transverse to a major surface of the tooth-contacting portion. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein pressing the tooth-contacting portion against the facial surface of the tooth further comprises flexing the template along at least one of a portion of the elongated handle or a neck of the template positioned between the elongated handle and the tooth-contacting portion in response to the applied force. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising removing the tooth-contacting portion of the template from the tooth after curing the veneer with the elongated handle. 
     
     
         13 . A method of forming a veneer on a tooth, the method comprising:
 applying a composite to a facial surface of the tooth;   contacting a tooth-contacting portion of a template against the facial surface of the tooth, the tooth-contacting portion of the template having a shape that is complementary to a desired natural tooth shape of a specific tooth, the contacting comprising:
 applying a force to the tooth-contacting portion with a handle fixed to the tooth-contacting portion; 
 flexing the template further along at least one of a portion of the elongated handle or a portion intermediate the elongated handle and the tooth-contacting portion in response to the applied force; and 
 defining an uncured veneer comprising the composite into a surface shape that conforms to the desired natural tooth shape; and 
   curing the composite to form a veneer having the surface shape that conforms to the desired natural tooth shape.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising aligning the template with an alignment guide extending along a centerline of the tooth-contacting portion with at least one of a centerline of at least one adjacent tooth or a centerline of the subject's head or face. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising autoclaving at least a portion of the template before or after use of the template to form the veneer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising removing the tooth-contacting portion of the template from the tooth after curing the veneer, wherein the tooth-contacting portion of the template includes a substantially non-stick surface. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising selecting the tooth-contacting portion of the template to exhibit a smooth concave surface having a continuous perimeter defining edges of the tooth-contacting portion. 
     
     
         18 . A method of forming a veneer on a tooth, the method comprising:
 applying a composite to a facial surface of the tooth;   contacting a tooth-contacting portion of a template against the facial surface of the tooth, the tooth-contacting portion of the template having a shape that is complementary to a desired natural tooth shape of a specific tooth, the contacting comprising:
 applying a force to the tooth-contacting portion with a handle fixed to the tooth-contacting portion; 
 removing at least some discontinuities in the composite by pressing the tooth-contacting portion of the template toward the tooth; and 
 defining an uncured veneer comprising the composite into a surface shape that conforms to the desired natural tooth shape; and 
   curing the composite to form a veneer having the surface shape that conforms to the desired natural tooth shape.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein applying the force to the tooth-contacting portion comprises pressing the tooth-contacting portion against the facial surface of the tooth with the handle comprising an elongated handle extending away from the tooth-contacting portion in a direction transverse to a major surface of the tooth-contacting portion. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising flexing the template along at least one of a portion of the elongated handle or a neck of the template positioned between the elongated handle and the tooth-contacting portion in response to the applied force.