Dental restoration molds

Abstract

A tool for forming a dental restoration includes a mold body configured to combine with a tooth of a patient to define a mold cavity encompassing at least a portion of desired tooth structure of the tooth. In some examples, the portion of desired tooth structure defines an interproximal surface of the tooth. The mold body may include, in some examples, a base member configured to provide a customized fit with at least one tooth of the patient to attach the mold body to the at least one tooth, and an interproximal member extending from the base member and configured to be disposed between adjacent teeth of the patient when the base member is fit over the at least one tooth. The interproximal member defines a surface of the mold cavity.

1 . A tool for forming a dental restoration, the tool comprising:
 a mold body configured to combine with a tooth of a patient to define a mold cavity encompassing at least a portion of desired tooth structure of the tooth, the portion of desired tooth structure defining an interproximal surface of the tooth, the mold body comprising:
 a base member configured to provide a customized fit with at least one tooth of the patient to attach the mold body to the at least one tooth; and 
 an interproximal member extending from the base member and configured to be disposed between adjacent teeth of the patient when the base member, the interproximal member defining a surface of the mold cavity. 
   
     
     
         2 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the base member is configured to provide a customized fit with a lingual surface of adjacent teeth of the patient and the interproximal member is configured to be disposed between the adjacent teeth when the mold body is positioned over the at least one tooth. 
     
     
         3 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the base member comprises a first base member and a second base member, and the tooth is a first tooth, the first base member being configured to provide a customized fit with an incisal or occlusal surface of the first tooth, and the second base member being configured to provide a customized fit with an incisal or occlusal surface of a second tooth. 
     
     
         4 . The tool of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second teeth are directly adjacent to each other and the interproximal surface of the first tooth is between the first and second teeth. 
     
     
         5 . The tool of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second teeth are not directly adjacent to each other and the interproximal surface of the first tooth is between the first tooth and a third tooth. 
     
     
         6 . The tool of  claim 1 , wherein the interproximal member extends around one or more of a lingual surface, a facial surface, an incisal surface, or an occlusal surface of the tooth. 
     
     
         7 . The tool of  claim 1 , where the mold body comprises a first mold body and the mold cavity comprises a first mold cavity, the tool further comprising a second mold body defining an aperture configured to align with a portion of another surface of the tooth to be restored, the second mold body being configured to combine with at least one tooth of the patient to define a second mold cavity encompassing at least the portion of the tooth to be restored, wherein the aperture is larger than a tip of a restorative dental material introduction device and configured to allow placement and flow of a restorative material into the second mold cavity to cover the portion of the tooth to be restored. 
     
     
         8 . The tool of  claim 7 , wherein a ratio of an area of the aperture to a cross-sectional area of the tip is greater than or equal to about 2:1. 
     
     
         9 . The tool of  claim 7 , wherein the aperture is configured to align with a majority of the portion of the other surface of the tooth. 
     
     
         10 . The tool of  claim 7 , further comprising a door body corresponding to the portion of the other surface of the tooth to be restored, at least a portion of the door body being configured to mate with the aperture, wherein the second mold body and the door body are configured to combine with the at least one tooth to define the second mold cavity 
     
     
         11 . A method of designing a tool for forming a dental restoration of a tooth, the method comprising:
 receiving, by one or more processors, a three-dimensional scan data of a tooth structure of a patient; and   designing, by the one or more processors, a tool for forming the dental restoration of the tooth based on the three-dimensional scan data of the mouth of the patient, wherein the tool comprises:   a mold body configured to combine with a tooth of a patient to define a mold cavity encompassing at least a portion of desired tooth structure of the tooth, the portion of desired tooth structure defining an interproximal surface of the tooth, the mold body comprising:
 a base member configured to provide a customized fit with at least one tooth of the patient to attach the mold body to the at least one tooth; and 
 an interproximal member extending from the base member and configured to be disposed between adjacent teeth of the patient when the base member, the interproximal member defining a surface of the mold cavity. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one of:
 controlling, by the one or more processors, a three-dimensional printer to define the tool; or   manufacturing the tool by a CAD/CAM milling processes.   
     
     
         13 . A method for forming a dental restoration, the method comprising:
 attaching a mold body to at least one tooth of a patient, the mold body configured to combine with a tooth of the patient to define a mold cavity encompassing at least a portion of desired tooth structure of the tooth, the portion of desired tooth structure defining an interproximal surface of the tooth, the mold body comprising:
 a base member configured to provide a customized fit with at least one tooth of the patient to attach the mold body to the at least one tooth; and 
 an interproximal member extending from the base member and configured to be disposed between adjacent teeth of the patient when the base member, the interproximal member defining a surface of the mold cavity; 
   filling the mold cavity with a restorative material;   curing the restorative material; and   removing the mold body from the at least one tooth.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the mold body comprises a first mold body, and the mold cavity comprises a first mold cavity, the method further comprising:
 after removing the first mold body from the at least one tooth, attaching a second mold body to the at least one tooth, the second mold body defining an aperture configured to align with a portion of another surface of the tooth to be restored, the second mold body being configured to combine with at least one tooth of the patient to define a second mold cavity encompassing at least the portion of the tooth to be restored, wherein the aperture is larger than a tip of a restorative dental material introduction device and configured to allow placement and flow of a restorative material into the second mold cavity to cover the portion of the tooth to be restored;   filling the second mold cavity with restorative material;   curing the restorative material in the second mold cavity; and   removing the second mold body from the at least one tooth.