Coated Orthodontic Appliance
A ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance is described as well as methods for making one. The appliance can be an archwire or a bracket. The ceramic coated aesthetic appliance can include an orthodontic archwire having a surface, an aesthetic coating covering at least a portion of the surface, and a ceramic coating layer covering at least a portion of the aesthetic coating. The aesthetic coating can be an aesthetic polymer coating and the ceramic coating layer can be deposited using a low temperature process such as ion beam assisted deposition. An ion beam surface cleaning step may also be added to enhance the adhesion of the ceramic coating layer.
1 . A ceramic coated aesthetic archwire comprising:
an orthodontic archwire having a surface;
an aesthetic coating provided on at least a portion of the orthodontic archwire surface; and
a protective ceramic coating layer provided over at least a portion of the aesthetic coating.
2 . The ceramic coated aesthetic archwire of claim 1 , wherein the aesthetic coating is an aesthetic polymer coating.
3 . The ceramic coated aesthetic archwire of claim 1 , wherein protective ceramic coating layer is provided over the entire orthodontic archwire.
4 . The ceramic coated aesthetic archwire of claim 2 , wherein the aesthetic polymer coating is provided over the entire orthodontic archwire surface.
5 . The ceramic coated aesthetic archwire of claim 1 , wherein the protective ceramic coating is between 0.1 and 20 microns thick.
6 . The ceramic coated aesthetic archwire of claim 1 , wherein the protective ceramic coating layer is between 0.1 and 6 microns thick.
7 . The ceramic coated aesthetic archwire of claim 1 , wherein the protective ceramic coating layer is between 0.5 and 2.0 microns thick.
8 . The ceramic coated aesthetic archwire of claim 1 , wherein the protective ceramic coating layer is a metal oxide, a metal nitride, or a diamond-like carbon.
9 . The ceramic coated aesthetic archwire of claim 1 , wherein the protective ceramic coating layer is selected from among aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, or titanium oxide.
10 . The ceramic coated aesthetic archwire of claim 2 , wherein the protective ceramic coating layer is formed using a low temperature process.
11 . The ceramic coated aesthetic archwire of claim 2 , wherein the protective ceramic coating layer is formed using ion beam assisted deposition.
12 . The ceramic coated aesthetic archwire of claim 11 , wherein the ion beam assisted deposition process includes an ion beam surface cleaning step.
13 . The ceramic coated aesthetic archwire of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic coating is provided over a portion of the archwire.
14 . The ceramic coated aesthetic archwire of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic coating is translucent.
15 . A method for preparing a ceramic coated aesthetic archwire, comprising:
providing an orthodontic archwire having a surface, and an aesthetic coating provided on at least a portion of the orthodontic archwire surface;
depositing a ceramic coating layer over at least a portion of the aesthetic coating.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the aesthetic coating is an aesthetic polymer coating.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the depositing comprises a low temperature deposition step.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the low temperature deposition step comprises ion beam assisted deposition.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising a step of ion beam surface cleaning prior to depositing the ceramic coating layer.
20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the ceramic coating layer is deposited to a thickness of between 0.1 and 6.0 microns.
21 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the ceramic coating layer is deposited to a thickness of between 0.5 and 2.0 microns.
22 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the ceramic coating layer is selected from among aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, or titanium oxide.
23 . A ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance comprising:
an orthodontic appliance having a surface;
an aesthetic coating provided on at least a portion of the orthodontic appliance surface; and
a protective ceramic coating layer provided at least over a portion of the aesthetic coating.
24 . The ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance, wherein the orthodontic appliance is a bracket.
25 . The ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance of claim 21 , wherein the aesthetic coating is an aesthetic polymer coating.
26 . The ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance of claim 22 , wherein the protective ceramic coating layer is formed using a low temperature process.
27 . The ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance of claim 23 , wherein the protective ceramic coating layer is formed using ion beam assisted deposition.
28 . The ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance of claim 27 , wherein the ion beam assisted deposition process includes an ion beam surface cleaning step.
29 . The ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance of claim 25 , wherein the ceramic coating is provided over a portion of the orthodontic appliance.
30 . The ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance of claim 25 , wherein protective ceramic coating layer is provided over the entire orthodontic appliance.
31 . The ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance of claim 23 , wherein the protective ceramic coating is between 0.1 and 20 microns thick.
32 . The ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance of claim 23 , wherein the protective ceramic coating layer is between 0.1 and 6 microns thick.
33 . The ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance of claim 23 , wherein the protective ceramic coating layer is between 0.5 and 2.0 microns thick.
34 . The ceramic coated aesthetic orthodontic appliance 23 , wherein the protective ceramic coating layer is a metal oxide, a metal nitride, or a diamond-like carbon.