Image Number 3 for United States Patent #6079981.
This invention provides a method for making a customized denture from standardized segments of prefabricated prosthetic teeth which may be joined in an adjustable fashion to suit an individual oral cavity. The prosthetic tooth comprises a denture tooth bonded to its individual gum segment to form a prosthetic tooth. The gum segment forms the gum line and simplifies denture fabrication by practically eliminating the time consuming and difficult task of hand forming the gum line during the setup process. A plurality of prosthetic teeth may be adjustably joined in a lateral and/or occlusal relationship. The prosthetic teeth may be adjustable, interchangeable, and joinable with one another to suit an individual oral cavity. The array of prosthetic teeth is selected that most closely suits an individual oral cavity, then evaluated in the mouth of the patient by the dentist and the patient for the mold and shade. Next, the selected prosthetic teeth are conformed in the mouth or on a model representation of the mouth to form a denture. Finally, the denture is cured and finished.
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