Dentistry – Prosthodontics – Denture liner or cushion
Reexamination Certificate
1997-06-11
2001-05-01
Lucchesi, Nicholas D. (Department: 3303)
Dentistry
Prosthodontics
Denture liner or cushion
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224372
ABSTRACT:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a relatively thin film denture bonding aid and reliner, its precursor film and a method for securing a denture to a user's gum and/or oral mucosa (inclusive of the palate). The thin film denture aid of the invention comprises alginate hydrocolloid forming powder. It is placed on the denture surface that contacts the gum, and through contact with saliva or water is converted into a hydrocolloid that functions as a reliner for the denture.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
A denture (or dental plate) is a partial or complete set of removable artificial teeth for either the upper or lower jaw that is typically constructed of acrylic resin alone or in conjunction with various metals. A complete denture is a full denture which replaces the whole of the normal dentition in the dental arch with the exception of the third molars. The denture base is that part of the denture which rests on the oral mucosa (mucous membrane). As noted above, dentures are generally made from acrylic resins, and typically made by the dough molding and curing technique.
A properly fitted denture, that is, a denture whose base surface perfectly replicates the gums or the oral mucosa with which it contacts, will adhere to the gum or oral mucosa for an extended period of time, typically for a whole waking day for the patient. However, dentures seldom properly fit the gum or oral mucosa, and as a result, the patient requires a bonding aid, typically a weak a weak adhesive, or a difficult-to-use sheet material that functions as a reliner. A common characteristic of most of these weak adhesives is that they leave a hard-to-remove residue on either the jaw or oral mucosa, and/or the denture's base surface, after the denture is removed from the patient's mouth. This necessitates extensively rinsing the mouth to clean the oral surfaces affected and/or extensively rinsing the denture to clean the base surfaces affected.
Denture bonding aids come in a variety of forms. For example, Super PoliGrip® (Block Drug Company, Inc.) is an adhesive that is sold in the form of a small particle powder and a cream. RoVal Super Strength denture adhesive cream (distributed by Rock Bottom Stores) is a thick paste-like cream that appears to get lumpy when mixed with water. Fixodent® (distributed by Proctor & Gamble) is a denture adhesive that comes as a finely ground powder that is easily suspended in air when forced from its squeezable dispenser. SuperWernet's® (sold by Block Drug Company, Inc.) is stated to be a denture adhesive powder. When dispensed from its container, it too creates a dusty powdery mass, on or about the denture. Dentrol® (sold by Block Drug Company, Inc.) is a liquid denture adhesive that appears to leave a residue on the denture that requires removing. Ezo® denture cushions (sold by Medtech Laboratories, Inc.) are thick wax-like pads that are wetted in order to shape them to the base surface of the denture. Clearly, they act as relining surfaces that utilize their surfaces as the bonding surface to the gum and to the denture's base surfaces. The thickness of the pads suggest that they alone determine adherence of the denture to the jaw and the adhesion is dependent on the joint bonding of the pads to the jaw and the denture. Polident® Dentu-Grip® (sold by Block Drug Company, Inc.) is another denture adhesive powder, that appears to have the characteristics of the aforementioned adhesive powders. Poli-Grip® Free (sold by Dento, Inc.) is another denture adhesive paste (characterized as a cream). Poli-Grip® (sold by Block Drug Company, Inc.) is another denture adhesive paste. It appears to be the same as Poli-Grip® Free except for color and name. A similar adhesive paste is sold under the name of Butler® Secure® (John O. Butler Co.). Rigident® (sold by Carter Products, Div. of Carter-Wallace, Inc.) is another denture adhesive powder that has the characteristics of the other adhesive powders described above. Sea-Bond® denture adhesive (Combe Incorporated) is an adhesive laden non-woven textile pad that swells and softens when wetted with water.
A denture is intended to perfectly fit on the oral tissues to which it is fitted. However, dentures are not always perfectly made, or because of soft tissue changes in the user's mouth that occur during the wearing of a denture, it is often necessary to change the denture's tissue surface (i.e., the denture's base) to conform it to the new tissue contours and occlusal relationships. Demonstrative of this are the procedures that dentists employ to readapt the denture by either rebasing or relining the denture. In denture relining, new resin of some type is added to the existing denture base. In rebasing a denture, an impression is taken of the soft tissues by using the existing denture as an impression tray. A stone cast is then constructed in the corrected denture. The denture and cast are mounted in a specially designed device which will maintain the correct vertical and horizontal relationship between the cast and the denture teeth. After the teeth are indexed for position, the denture is removed and the teeth are separated from the old denture base. The teeth are then reassembled in the index of the mounting device and held in their original relationship to the cast while they are waxed to the new base plate. From this point conventional procedures are followed and a new denture base processed. In other words, A new denture is constructed using the same teeth as before. The denture relining procedure involves an impression of the soft tissues using the existing denture as an impression tray. A stone cast is constructed in the corrected denture after which the cast with the attached denture is invested in a flask. When the flask halves are separated, the impression material is removed from the denture, and new acrylic resin is cured against the old by the usual compression molding technique. From the standpoint of denture stability, the rebasing process is preferred to the relining technique.
Tissue conditioners or temporary soft reliners are materials that are used only for a short period of time, typically for a few days. Oral tissues may become inflamed and distorted under certain conditions of health debilitation or ill fitting dentures. Relining the ill fitting denture with a tissue conditioner allows the tissue to return to “normal,” during which time a new denture can be made. These tissue conditioners are primarily highly plasticized acrylic resins. They are supplied as a powder and a liquid. The composition of the powdered polymer is generally a poly(ethyl methacrylate) or one of its copolymers, while the liquid is an aromatic ester (butyl phthalate butyl glycolate) in ethanol or an alcohol of high molecular weight. These are mixed together to form a gel. As with other relining procedures, the denture base is relieved on the tissue surface and the dough or gel inserted. When the denture placed in the mouth, the gel flows readily to fill the space between the denture base and the oral tissue. The tissue conditioners, like the “permanent” resilient liners, can absorb energy elastically; however, unlike permanent resilient materials, the tissue conditioners also undergo viscous flow under load. Thus, they change their form with the changing contour of the supporting tissue so that good adaptation of the denture to the tissue is maintained. It also has been stated that the conditioner can massage the underlying tissue and stimulate blood circulation. As tissue conditioners age they lose their plastic properties, and the elastic characteristic becomes dominant. When this occurs, if the problem has not been corrected, it may be necessary to replace the old tissue conditioner with new material. Some individuals may use the denture with the tissue conditioner as an impression from which a gypsum model is obtained for construction of the new denture.
Since the most important characteristics of the tissue conditioners are their rheological properties, their behavior in the oral cav
Ibsen Robert L.
Karleskint Elizabeth A.
Den-Mat Corporation
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Lucchesi Nicholas D.
LandOfFree
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