Process for producing a dental article, article obtainable by this process and uses thereof
In one aspect the present disclosure relates to a process for producing a dental article comprising at least two parts, Part A (e.g. coping) and Part B (e.g. veneer), Part A and Part B each having a 3-dim. structure and an outer and an inner surface, the outer surface of Part A having a shape which essentially corresponds to the shape of the inner surface of Part B, Part B comprising a material with a porous section and being produced with the aid of a rapid-prototyping technique, the process comprising a first heating step, wherein Part A is serving as support structure for Part B during said heating step.
1. A process for producing a dental article comprising at least two parts, Part A and Part B, Part A and Part B each having a 3-dim. structure and an outer and an inner surface, the outer surface of Part A having a shape which essentially corresponds to the shape of the inner surface of Part B,
Part A having the shape of a dental coping and comprising a metal, a metal alloy or a metal oxide containing material,
Part B comprising a material with a porous section, being produced with the aid of a rapid-prototyping technique without using Part A, Part B having the shape of a dental veneer and comprising a glass or glass ceramic material,
the process comprising a heating step, wherein Part A is serving as support structure for Part B during said heating step and a removing step, wherein Part B is removed from Part A after the heating step, the process comprising steps performed in the following order:
a) conducting a first heating step to Part A and Part B, Part B being located during the first heating step on top of Part A,
b) removing Part B from Part A,
c) fusing Part A and Part B using a fusing composition,
d) conducting a second heating step to Part A fused with Part B,
e) applying a glaze layer to an outer surface of Part B, and
f) conducting a third heating step to Part A fused with Part B and with the applied glaze layer.
2. The process according to claim 1 , the rapid-prototyping technique being selected from ink-jet printing, 3d-printing, multi jet plotting, robo-casting, electrophoretic deposition, fused deposition modelling, selective laser sintering or melting, laminated object manufacturing, stereolithography, photostereolithography or combinations thereof.
3. The process according to claim 1 , the rapid-prototyping technique comprising a printing or plotting step.
4. The process according to claim 1 , the rapid-prototyping technique comprising the steps of providing a layer of a surface coated powder, applying a composition comprising a liquid through a nozzle to at least one section of the layer of the surface coated powder.
5. The process according to claim 1 , the first heating step according to step (a) being conducted at a temperature which causes the material of Part B to partially sinter.
6. The process according to claim 1 , the second heating step according to step (d) being conducted at a temperature which causes the material of Part B to fully sinter.
7. The process according to claim 1 , the fusing composition comprising a liquid and a glass or glass ceramic powder.
8. The process according to claim 1 , characterized by at least one of the following features:
the first heating step according to step (a) being conducted in a temperature range from about 300 to about 500° C.;
the second heating step according to step (d) being conducted in a temperature range from about 700 to about 1050° C.