Dentistry – Miscellaneous
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-24
2001-03-20
Wilson, John J. (Department: 3732)
Dentistry
Miscellaneous
C433S206000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203326
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The subject matter of this application is related to the subject matter of Swedish Patent Application No. P7403SE, filed on or about Jan. 7, 1998, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Dental jewelry is in and of itself previously known and consists usually of a small, thin, considerably flat piece, usually of precious metal such as gold. The piece can have a surface area, by way of example, of 2×2 mm, and a thickness, by way of example, of 0.5 mm. Such heretofore known dental jewelry is fastened upon the surface of the tooth with a fixing composite. In order to improve the dental jewelry's bonding to the tooth surface, it is common to provide for special carved-out formations in the dental jewelry's backside which are spread across said backside in order to promote a form fitting attachment between a hardening layer of the fixing composite and the dental jewelry.
One problem with the dental jewelry of the referenced art is the risk that an exposed fissure might remain between the dental jewelry and the tooth surface, into which, by way of example, bacteria could enter and cause discoloration or injuries to the surface of the tooth.
Another problem is that the bond of the jewelry to the surface of the tooth may become relatively weak as a result of, for example, the application of shearing forces within the plane of the tooth surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, an object of the invention is to provide a type of dental jewelry with which said problems can be avoided or limited either wholly or partially.
The invention is characterized in principle in that the dental jewelry is designed to contain on the backside a recess which extends around the dental jewelry's circumferential edge and defines a continual circumferential edge, which lies principally within a plane for the purpose of resting against the surface of the tooth.
In the preferred form of design, the recess is bowl-shaped, so that the central portion of the dental jewelry's backside is concave. In the preferred form of design, the jewelry is designed on its external side in such a manner that in the vicinity of its circumferential part it is sloped at an angle downwardly and outwardly.
The backside of the jewelry is representatively rough and/or provided with formations such as pits, notches, etc., which have a width of a few hundredths of a millimeter. These may even have a depth of the same order of size. As an example, such indentations can have a radius of between approximately {fraction (1/100)} and {fraction (2/100)} of a millimeter.
In order to affix the dental jewelry, a layer of fixing agent (also known as composite) that is capable of hardening is spread across the surface of a tooth over an area which is slightly larger than the area of the dental jewelry piece, whereafter the piece of dental jewelry is pressed downward into this layer of composite. Thereafter, the remaining composite is scraped away around the jewelry piece's circumference, wherewith, however, a fissure between the dental jewelry's circumferential edge portion and the surface of the tooth is left filled with the composite. The composite filled fissure can then be made smooth by means of grinding, for example, subsequent to the hardening of the composite.
Due to the dental jewelry's backside having a concave recess, the thickness of the jewelry's material can be made significantly less than the jewelry's height above the surface of the tooth. This means that the dentist or other individual performing the affixation can bend the jewelry with the exertion of limited pressure so that its supporting edge is fitted to the tooth's surface/foundation's curvature in the desired position of the jewelry. In this manner, one can minimize the fissure between the tooth's surface and the jewelry's supporting edge. Subsequently, when the jewelry is bonded to the fixing medium/composite, the solidified composite is able to provide for the stabilization of the jewelry.
The jewelry, as described in the invention, in certain cases, is mounted for the purpose of providing decoration for a limited period of time, wherein, thus, the jewelry is removed after a certain time frame. In such circumstances, it is, of course, important that no discoloration or other damage occur to the tooth surface.
In certain forms of design, the recess's peripheral area, which is adjacent to the jewelry's supporting edge, can be made to slope towards the plane into which the supporting surface of the jewelry extends. This inner edge part, in one manner of construction, slopes at an angle downwardly and outwardly toward the plane/edge part. In another form of construction, the aforementioned edge part can slope at an angle, either completely or partially, downwardly/inwardly in order to form a carved-out surface, which is intended to be embedded in the layer of composite. The jewelry's principal continuing edge part, which rests against the tooth surface, can be relatively thin and therefore relatively easily deformable for the purpose of being able to form such in a ductile manner in order to achieve a better bond to the tooth surface around the jewelry's circumference.
By means of the peripheral portion of the recess sloping at an angle downwardly/outwardly against the jewelry's supporting plane (the tooth surface), said surface acts to bring forth a deplacement of the composite within the recess with its circumference in contact with the jewelry's embedment in the composite. In this manner, it is ensured that the composite is brought into close surface contact against the recess's inner surface in its circumferential part, and further that the composite in the vicinity of the recess's circumferential part, is forced substantially against the recess's bottom with the circumferential part still inside of the recess's more centrally located part (with the assumption that the composite will not completely fill out the recess, and with the further assumption that the recess will spread itself out over essentially the entire underside of the jewelry).
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Bumgarner Melba
Echodent AB
Patterson Thuente Skaar & Christensen P.A.
Wilson John J.
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