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Laser shaped green metal body and orthodontic bracket

Laser shaped green metal body and orthodontic bracket description/claims

This application is a division of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/193,239, filed Jul. 29, 2005, which is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/042,025, filed Feb. 25, 2005, with Norbert Abels and Claus H. Backes as inventors. The disclosures of the foregoing applications are incorporated herein in their entirety.

1. The Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to orthodontic brackets. More particularly, the present invention relates to cutting and shaping an orthodontic bracket shaped green metal body with a laser prior to sintering.

2. The Relevant Technology

Orthodontic brackets have been used extensively for correcting dental malformations such as crooked teeth or large gaps between teeth. The treatment can involve applying force to the teeth in order to move the teeth into a correct alignment. The brackets are configured to provide a force to the teeth in the arch that are being aligned. As such, each bracket has a bonding surface that is configured to be affixed to a tooth. Accordingly, a bond is formed between the bonding surface and the tooth that can withstand the forces required to properly align the teeth for the duration of the treatment.

Various types of materials have been used to make orthodontic brackets, including metals, polymers, and composites. Metals are commonly used for the brackets because of their strength and their ability to be fabricated into many different shapes. Accordingly, brackets can be formed by molding and sintering metal particles, or by milling a metal piece into the shape of a base plate. A common method of producing an orthodontic bracket can include forming a green metal body in a mold, and sintering the green metal body into a finished part. Additionally, a new mold may have to be created for each orthodontic bracket configured to fit on each tooth because a universal bracket design may be impracticable to provide sufficient bonding with different shaped teeth. For example, a universal bonding surface curvature may not provide adequate bonding for all teeth because the lingual and/or buccal surfaces often vary in curvature between different types of teeth as well as between people.

Typically, an adhesive is used to form a chemical bond between the bonding surface of the bracket and the tooth. The chemical bond between the bonding surface and the tooth can be weak and subject to failure because of the physical properties of the bonding surface. Additionally, a smooth bonding surface, which is an unfavorable characteristic in terms of bonding, can increase the chance of the bond failing. However, improvements in dental bonding techniques have resulted in the bonding surface to be fabricated to include recesses or undercuts. These recesses or undercuts in the bonding surface can increase the bond strength between the dental bracket and the tooth because the adhesive can fill into these physical formations and harden in order to provide a mechanical aspect to the bond.

In order to provide recesses into the bonding surface a mold can be configured to include raised portions, recessed portions, or irregularities in the base surface. Alternatively, a bracket that is hardened by sintering can be cut or shaped to include recesses or undercuts. This can be performed by cutting into the hardened metal bonding surface with a laser or other milling apparatus. As such, cutting and milling a sintered piece with a laser can result in a decrease in the biocompatibility of the bracket because the cut piece will be charred or blackened as is characteristic of being cut with a laser. Also, any cutting or milling of a bracket that has been sintered can decrease its biocompatibility because the oxidized external surface that results from sintering will be destroyed.

Although a bracket bonding surface having recesses or undercuts can be produced, there are drawbacks to the current processes. The size limitations of the base result in extremely small recesses, undercuts, or overhangs, which can be exceedingly difficult to form by merely using a mold. On the other hand, milling or cutting a hardened sintered metal can require durable cutting machinery or a laser that is strong enough to cut into the hardened metal in order to form recesses or overhangs. However, improper milling or cutting can create fissures or otherwise ruin an orthodontic bracket that is nearly finished. Additionally, milling or shaping a hardened metal can waste valuable materials that have already been solidified into a finished and usable state.

Therefore, what is needed is an improved process for producing and shaping an orthodontic bracket that does not cut or mill hardened metal. In addition, an improved process is needed that produces a base surface with recesses and overhangs.

Generally, an embodiment of the present invention provides for a green metal body having a shape of an orthodontic bracket, which can be used during a process for making an orthodontic bracket. Alternatively the green metal body can have the shape of an orthodontic bracket base plate. As such, a green metal body includes a plurality of metal particles and a binder in an amount and disposition within the plurality of metal particles sufficient to hold the metal particles together prior to sintering to form a usable bracket. The metal particles are held together sufficiently to define an exterior surface in substantially the shape of an orthodontic bracket and/or orthodontic bracket base plate.

Additionally, the exterior surface includes at least one laser-cut portion that has a topology characterized by a plurality of recesses and/or elevations comprising metal particles. Such recesses and/or elevations remain after sintering to yield a final bracket and assist in bonding the bracket to a person's teeth through, e.g., mechanical interlocking of an adhesive in and around the recesses and/or elevations as well as increased surface area. Other portions of the green metal body (e.g., archwire slot, tie wings, etc.) may be formed by laser shaping. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the metal particles disposed at or near the green body surface may be fused together prior to sintering.

In many cases, the metal particles removed by laser-shaping are not re-deposited onto the surface of the green metal body but are removed and discarded. Whether or not the metal particles are re-deposited largely depends on the relationship between the temperature at which the organic binder melts, burns or decomposes and the temperature at which the metal particles melt or become vaporized. The higher the temperature differential, the greater the likelihood that the laser will melt, burn or decompose the binder without actually melting or vaporizing the metal particles. In addition, one of skill in the art can, in light of the teachings contained herein, select a laser and/or cutting procedure that ensures clean removal of metal particles in order to prevent their being re-deposited on the green metal body surface.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a method of making a green metal body. The method can include introducing (e.g., injecting) metal particles into a mold, and introducing (e.g., injecting) a binder into the mold in an amount sufficient to hold the metal particles together. The metal particles and the binder are formed into a green metal body, where the metal particles and binder can be shaped into a green metal body in substantially the shape of an orthodontic bracket and/or a base plate. Alternatively, the green metal body can be pressed into a form that can be further shaped into the shape of an orthodontic bracket.

Additionally, the green metal body is shaped with a laser by cutting the exterior surface to form any of the features of an orthodontic bracket and/or base plate. Also, the green metal body, or more particularly, a surface thereof in the shape of a bonding surface can have a plurality of elevations, recesses and/or undercuts formed thereon with the laser.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides for making an orthodontic bracket and/or base plate from a laser-modified green metal body. Accordingly, the green metal body can be processed into an orthodontic bracket and/or base plate by sintering the laser-modified green metal body into a sintered metal body. The exterior surface of the sintered metal body defines the shape of an orthodontic bracket, and can include at least one laser-cut portion thereon. The laser-cut portion is formed by cutting the green metal body with a laser before being sintered. This can cause the laser-cut portion of the sintered metal body to be substantially devoid of charring as commonly occurs when a sintered metal body is cut with a laser. Also, the laser-cut portion can be a recess (e.g., an undercut) formed into the exterior surface, or more particularly, formed into a bonding surface on the orthodontic bracket and/or base plate.

Regardless of the fact that the green metal body is substantially in the shape of the finished sintered bracket, the green metal body is typically about 15-30% larger than the finished bracket and is therefore not itself an orthodontic bracket. In addition to being oversized, the green metal body lacks sufficient strength to handle the strong torquing forces to which an actual bracket is subjected to during an orthodontic treatment (e.g., as a result of an archwire bearing down on the bracket within the archwire slot in order to reposition the patient's tooth during treatment). When the green metal body is sintered it shrinks to the size of an orthodontic bracket and obtains sufficient strength to function as an orthodontic bracket.

These and other advantages and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.

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