CN220558107U - Custom tool for forming dental restorations in the mouth of a patient - Google Patents

Abstract

A custom tool for forming a dental restoration in a patient's mouth is disclosed. The customization tool includes: a facial mold body for patient-specific custom fitting with a facial side of at least one tooth of a patient, wherein the facial mold body comprises a restoration portion, at least one aperture aligned with a portion of a surface of the tooth to be restored, and at least one gate having an inner surface forming a portion of a mold cavity surrounding missing tooth structure of the tooth to be restored, wherein the gate mates with the aperture; a lingual mold body for patient-specific custom fitting with a lingual side of the tooth of a patient, wherein the lingual mold body includes a restoration portion; wherein the facial mold body and lingual mold body are configured to interlock together and combine with the teeth of the patient to form a mold cavity that encloses missing tooth structure of at least one tooth to be restored.

Description

Custom tool for forming dental restorations in the mouth of a patient

The present application is a divisional application of the inventive patent application with application number 201990000954.9 (international application number PCT/US 2019/045483), entitled "custom tool for forming dental restoration in the mouth of a patient", day 7 of 8 of 2019.

Technical Field

The present application relates to dental restoration molds.

Background

Dental restorations or dental fillings utilize dental restorative materials for improving the function, integrity and morphology of missing or irregular tooth structures. For example, dental restoration may be used to restore missing tooth structure due to congenital differences, after external trauma, as part of caries or caries restoration treatment or for aesthetic reasons.

Restoration dentistry typically involves drilling away the etched portion from the affected tooth (commonly referred to as "preparing" the tooth) and then using simple tools and a high level of skill to isolate, retract, fill the finished restoration, and form the finished restoration profile. Mass isolation via the rubber barrier is very cumbersome and can be skipped because isolation via the rolls is less effective, as this increases the risk of contamination, shortening the life of the prosthesis. Retraction of soft and hard tissue includes manipulation of strings, wedges, and matrix bands, and imperfect techniques may result in contamination, difficult dressing and/or polishing in interproximal areas, and improper contact.

While "bulk fill" repair materials and high intensity curing light help to fill deep cavities (e.g., 4mm-5 mm) relatively quickly, many repairs are done in a single tone, as the physician may not be sure of the correct layering scheme of multiple tones or types of repair materials. Finally, there is little available geometry guidance on the prepared teeth, and the resulting filling level and occlusal geometry may include overfilling with a dental restoration material, and then performing an iterative process of grinding and checking the tooth contact and bite functions on anesthetized patients. This process may be the most time consuming for dental restoration, where mistakes may lead to dental hypersensitivity and review for adjustments.

Commonly assigned patent application: U.S. patent publication nos. 2018/0021113, 2016, 12 and 15, entitled "dental restoration mold" (Dental Restoration Molding Techniques), 16/061362, 2016, 12 and 15, entitled "dental restoration mold" (Dental Restoration Molds), publication nos. WO 2018/022616, entitled "dental restoration mold", and 62/560457, entitled "dental restoration mold", filed on 2017, 7 and 25, and 9, respectively, all disclose dental restoration techniques comprising molding dental restoration material directly onto teeth located in the mouth of a patient.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure relates to methods for dental restoration, custom tools for dental restoration, and techniques for producing custom tools for dental restoration.

In one example, the present disclosure relates to a custom tool for forming a dental restoration in a mouth of a patient. The customization tool includes: a facial mold body for patient-specific custom fitting with a facial side of at least one tooth of the patient, wherein the facial mold body comprises a restoration portion, at least one aperture aligned with a portion of a surface of the tooth to be restored, and at least one gate having an inner surface forming a portion of a mold cavity surrounding a missing tooth structure of the tooth to be restored, wherein the gate mates with the aperture; a lingual mold body for patient-specific custom fitting with a lingual side of a tooth of a patient, wherein the lingual mold body includes a restoration portion; wherein the face mold body and the lingual mold body are configured to interlock together; and wherein the facial mold body and the lingual mold body are configured for combination with the patient's teeth to form a mold cavity that encloses missing tooth structure of at least one tooth to be restored. Wherein the facial mold body further comprises a first engagement portion extending away from the repair portion, wherein the lingual mold body further comprises a first engagement portion extending away from the repair portion, and wherein the first engagement portion of the facial mold body interlocks with the first engagement portion of the lingual mold body; wherein the facial mold body includes a second engagement portion extending away from the repair portion, and wherein the lingual mold body includes a second engagement portion extending away from the repair portion; and wherein the second portion of the face mold body interlocks with the second portion of the lingual mold body.

In another example, the present disclosure relates to a custom tool for forming a dental restoration in a mouth of a patient, the custom tool comprising: a facial mold body for patient-specific custom fitting with a facial side of at least one tooth of the patient, wherein the facial mold body comprises a restorative portion, a first mesial alignment member, at least one aperture aligned with a portion of a surface of the tooth to be restored, and at least one gate having an inner surface forming a portion of a mold cavity surrounding a missing tooth structure of the tooth to be restored, wherein the gate mates with the aperture; a lingual mold body for patient-specific custom fitting with a lingual side of the teeth of the patient, wherein the lingual mold body includes a restoration portion and a second mesial alignment member; wherein the face mold body and the lingual mold body are configured to interlock together; and wherein the facial mold body and lingual mold body are configured for combination with the teeth of the patient to form a mold cavity that encloses missing tooth structure of at least one tooth to be restored.

In another example, the present disclosure relates to a custom tool for forming a dental restoration in a mouth of a patient, the custom tool comprising: a facial mold body for patient-specific custom fitting with a facial side of at least one tooth of the patient, wherein the facial mold body comprises a restoration portion, at least one aperture aligned with a portion of a surface of the tooth to be restored, and at least one gate having an inner surface forming a portion of a mold cavity surrounding a missing tooth structure of the tooth to be restored, wherein the gate mates with the aperture; a lingual mold body for patient-specific custom fitting with a lingual side of the teeth of the patient, wherein the lingual mold body includes a restoration portion; wherein the face mold body and the lingual mold body are configured to interlock together; and wherein the facial mold body and lingual mold body are configured for combination with the teeth of the patient to form a mold cavity surrounding missing tooth structure of at least one tooth to be restored; wherein the facial mold body further comprises a first engagement portion extending away from the repair portion, wherein the lingual mold body further comprises a first engagement portion extending away from the repair portion, and wherein the first engagement portion of the facial mold body interlocks with the first engagement portion of the lingual mold body; wherein the mouth of the patient includes an occlusal surface, and wherein the first engagement portion of the facial mold body and the first engagement portion of the lingual mold body extend substantially perpendicular to the occlusal surface.

In further examples, the present disclosure relates to methods of forming dental restorations and to methods of designing custom tools for forming dental restorations of teeth.

The customization tools and methods described herein may be used in conjunction with any of the foregoing examples to create complete, partial, or sequential restorations in a patient's mouth.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a facial mold body that may be part of a custom tool for forming a dental restoration;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the face mold body of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the face mold body of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of a lingual die body that may be part of a custom tool for forming a dental restoration;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the lingual die body of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the lingual mold body of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the face mold body of FIG. 1 and the tongue mold body of FIG. 4 prior to being interlocked together;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are bottom views that facilitate showing how the facial mold body of FIG. 1 and the lingual mold body of FIG. 4 may be interlocked together to form an embodiment of a custom tool for forming a dental restoration;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the customization tool of FIG. 8B;

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the custom tool of FIG. 9 in the mouth of a dental patient;

FIGS. 11A-11D illustrate exemplary steps for forming a dental restoration in the mouth of a dental patient using the tool of FIG. 9;

FIGS. 12A-12C are bottom views of further embodiments of a custom tool for forming a dental restoration, showing a partial to full arch embodiment in a patient's mouth; and is also provided with

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a custom tool for forming a dental restoration including an injection port.

Detailed Description

Dental restorations may be used to add tooth structure to a patient's dentition, for example, to an existing tooth, in order to improve at least one of the function, integrity, aesthetics, or morphology of a missing or irregular tooth structure. For example, dental restorations may be aesthetic treatments to improve the appearance of a tooth by, for example, changing the shape and/or optical properties (e.g., hue, translucence) of the tooth, which may be accomplished using any suitable technique, such as by applying veneering, managing the position or contour of adjacent soft tissue, reducing or removing voids (gaps), and/or addressing the appearance of misalignment. As another example, dental restorations may be used to adjust the biting or chewing function of teeth to affect tooth function, and/or other aspects of overall oral health such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disease, excessive wear, teeth Zhou Shoulei, gingival atrophy or as part of a larger program to build a healthy and stable oral environment.

In some cases, dental restoration methods include drilling holes into cavities of inflamed teeth or reshaping the teeth by removing undesired tooth structures (e.g., which may be referred to as "preparing" the teeth), and then manually isolating, retracting, filling, and contouring the completed restoration using tools and processes.

Different techniques may be used to isolate the dental prosthesis site. Quality isolation of the dental restoration site via the rubber dam is cumbersome and can be skipped because isolation by the cotton rolls is less effective, as this increases the risk of contamination, shortens the life of the restoration, or both. Retraction of soft and hard tissue may include manipulation of the retraction wire, wedge, and matrix tape. Imperfect retraction techniques can lead to contamination, difficulty in achieving proper tooth contours and symmetry, trimming and/or polishing in interproximal areas, poor contact, or any combination thereof.

While "bulk filling" of repair material and high intensity curing light may help to fill deep cavities (e.g., 4mm to 5 mm) relatively quickly, many repairs may be accomplished in a single tone, as the physician may not be sure of the correct layering scheme of multiple tones or types of repair material. In addition, there is little available geometry guidance on the prepared teeth, and the resulting filling level and occlusal geometry may include overfilling with a dental restoration material, and then performing an iterative process of grinding and checking the tooth contact and bite functions on anesthetized patients. This process may be the most time consuming for dental restoration, where mistakes may result in dental sensitivity and return access for adjustments.

The tools described herein may include features designed to provide interference between the two main mold portions of the tool and certain engaging portions that interlock, which generally help prevent relative movement between the mold portions in multiple directions, help better clamp the tool to the patient's teeth and serve to seal the two mold portions together. Such interference is digitally designed into the custom mold when the custom mold is designed and prepared. Conventional dies do not have digitally designed interference. In order to interlock the two mold sections together or separate the two mold sections from each other, they may need to be deformed or bent. Furthermore, the tools described herein may eliminate the need for external tools such as ring fixtures, and instead are self-contained, thus enabling faster and simpler installation on a patient's teeth. Furthermore, the captive door reduces the individual components that need to be assembled and reduces the likelihood of losing the individual components. Finally, the tools described herein may reduce flash and/or allow for enhanced control of prosthetic material placement as compared to physicians using more traditional skills, tools, and techniques.

In some examples, the tools described herein may be digitally designed. For example, a three-dimensional (3D) model of a patient's dental structure may be used to design a tool (e.g., obtained from an intraoral scan of all or part of a patient's dentition or a scan of a conventional impression or model). The tool may be manufactured, for example, from digital data using additive technology (such as 3D printing) or subtractive technology (such as CAD/CAM milling).

In some examples, the tool for dental restoration may include a mold designed based on a 3D model of the patient's dental structure, and may include additional features to provide advantages over molds formed based on 3D scan only, wax pattern only, or over other molds formed based on patient anatomy and/or desired dental structure only. The disclosed techniques may facilitate high quality dental restorations with improved quality, reduced flash, reduced time, and/or reduced skill requirements as compared to conventional dental restorations techniques.

Exemplary tools for dental restoration are described in the following commonly assigned patent applications: U.S. patent publication 2018/0021113 entitled "dental restoration molding technique" filed on day 12, month 7, 2015, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/061362 entitled "Integrated dental restoration mold" filed on day 12, month 15, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/061350 entitled "dental restoration mold", filed on day 12, month 25, 2017, publication WO 2018/022616 entitled "dental restoration mold", filed on day 7, month 25, and U.S. patent provisional application Ser. No. 62/560457 entitled "dental restoration mold", filed on day 9, month 19, 2017, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Fig. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate an embodiment of a facial portion of a customization tool 10 of the present invention. Fig. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate embodiments of the lingual portion of the customization tool 10 of the present invention. As used herein (including the claims), a "face" refers to a direction that faces the cheeks or lips (i.e., cheeks and lips) of a patient and is opposite to the lingual direction. As used herein (including the claims), the "lingual" refers to a direction toward the tongue of a patient and opposite to the facial direction. Fig. 7, 8A, 8B and 9 illustrate how the facial and lingual portions fit together to form a complete customized tool 10 for forming a patient-specific dental restoration.

Fig. 1-3 are views of a face mold body 12 customization tool 10 for forming a patient-specific dental restoration. The tool 10 includes a facial mold body 12 that may be configured to provide a customized fit with at least one tooth of a patient. For example, the facial mold body 12 may be specifically designed to fit, mate with, and provide a restorative structure for at least one tooth. In the example shown in fig. 1, the face mold body 12 includes a repair portion 16 and an engagement portion 18. The practitioner uses the restoration portion 16 of the custom tool to restore at least one tooth in the mouth of the patient. In the illustrated embodiment, there are two engaging portions 18A, 18B positioned at opposite ends of the repair portion 16, the repair portion being located between the engaging portions 18A, 18B. This is desirable, but also necessary. For example, the facial mold body 12 may include only one engagement portion 18 positioned adjacent to the repair portion 16. In a tool having two engagement portions 18A, 18B, this provides two interlocking points between the lingual die body 12 and the facial die body 14.

Both the first engagement portion 18a and the second engagement portion 18B extend away from the repair portion. In the illustrated embodiment, the engagement portion 18 extends at a substantially right angle relative to the repair portion 16. The engagement portion 18 extends substantially perpendicular to such occlusal surfaces when compared to the mouth of a patient including occlusal surfaces generally indicated by line A-A (in fig. 2).

The length of the engaging portion 18 extends a distance from the repair portion 16 of the face mold body 12. The length of the engagement portion may be customized and optimized for each patient. If the engaging portions are too long, they will stretch the jaw of the patient, causing discomfort or pain to the patient. If the engaging portion is too short, the facial mold body 12 will disengage from the patient's teeth. In one embodiment, the length of the engagement portion may be 1mm to 5cm. However, this may depend on where the engagement portion happens to be located in the mouth of the patient. The engaging portions may be longer if they are attached to teeth (such as incisors) near the front of the patient's mouth. If the engaging portions are attached to the back of the mouth (such as molar teeth), they may be shorter. In addition, the overall opening distance between the patient's upper and lower arches is a consideration.

As shown in fig. 3, the engagement portion 18 of the face mold body 12 may include a variety of engagement surfaces configured to properly mate with engagement surfaces on the tongue mold body 14. The engagement portions 18A, 18B of the face mold body 12 may include protrusions 20A, 20B, respectively, or some other mechanism known in the art for interlocking with the lingual mold body 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the projection 20 includes a first engagement surface 24, a second engagement surface 26, and a third engagement surface 28. The protrusions 20A, 20B are sized and shaped to interlock or snap with the recesses 30A, 30B in the lingual die body 14. Alternatively, the face mold body 12 may include the recess 30 and the lingual mold body 14 may include the protrusion 20. Alternatively, the engagement portion 18 of the face mold body 12 may include a protrusion on one end and a recess on the opposite end, and the tongue mold body 14 may include a recess on one end and a protrusion on the opposite end to allow the two bodies 12, 14 to interlock together. Various structures known in the art may be substituted for the protrusions 20 and recesses 30 as long as they help securely interlock the face mold body 12 to the lingual mold body 14. For example, dove-tail shaped vertical slides or buttons and snaps may also be used as interlocking features for the engagement portions.

The engagement portions 18A, 18B of the face mold body 12 are configured to engage or interlock with engagement portions 31, 32 and 33 on the tongue mold body 14, as explained in more detail below with reference to fig. 7, 8 and 9.

In the illustrated embodiment, the prosthetic mold body 16 is sized and shaped to mate with the anterior teeth of a patient. The engagement portion 18 is sized and shaped to be adjacent to the posterior teeth. However, in other embodiments (not shown), the engaging portion 18 may be adjacent to the anterior teeth and the prosthetic portion 16 may be adjacent to the posterior teeth.

In the example shown in fig. 1, the facial body 12 includes one or more holes 34 that may each be configured to align with a portion of the facial surface of a corresponding tooth to be restored by the patient. In some examples, the portion is a majority of the facial surface of the tooth to be repaired. For example, the aperture 34 may be configured to align with a portion of a majority of a facial surface including one tooth, and the aperture 34 may be configured to align with a portion of a majority of a facial surface including another tooth. The tooth surfaces to be restored and aligned with the corresponding holes 34 may be defined, for example, by existing tooth structures or by dental restorations formed using the facial mold body 12 and lingual mold body 14.

Each of the holes 34 has a suitable configuration (e.g., shape and/or size) for introducing restorative material into a mold cavity defined by the interior surface 42 of the gate 40 and the interior mold surface 64 (as shown in fig. 4) to cover a portion of the surface of the tooth to be restored, where both interior surfaces 42, 64 are surfaces facing one or more teeth to be restored. When the gate 40 is mated with the corresponding aperture 34, the surface 42 of the gate 40 and the patient's dental structure may help shape the restorative material placed in the mold cavity, for example, to define the surface of the tooth to be restored.

In some embodiments, one or more of the holes 34 may be shaped to substantially match the shape of the tooth and/or portions of the tooth to be repaired. For example, the aperture 34 may be substantially non-circular. However, in other examples, the shape of one or more of the holes 34 may be circular.

The aperture 34 may be sized to be larger than the tip of a dental capsule or syringe tip used to introduce the dental restoration material into the mold cavity defined by the mold bodies 12, 14. The holes 34 may be large enough to allow placement and flow of restorative material to cover portions of the tooth surface being restored. Additionally or alternatively, the aperture 34 may be large enough to allow the tip of the capsule or the syringe tip to move within the aperture 34. As another alternative, the customization tool 10 may include an injection port, as discussed in more detail below with respect to fig. 13.

The face mold body 12 may have individual gates 40 that are sized to closely fit the corresponding apertures 34. Some of the gates 40 may be attached to the face mold body 12, as shown, with a hinge 48 and hinge pin 46 at one end and an attachment mechanism 44 at the other end. In this case, the attachment mechanism 44 is a clip 44 designed to clip onto or snap onto an engagement surface 43 on the face mold body 12. Thus, the hinge 48 and hinge pin 46 are adjacent to the occlusal surfaces of the patient's teeth or near the incisal edges of the tooth or teeth to be restored, and the clamp 44 and engaging surface 43 are adjacent to the gums of the patient's teeth. This arrangement facilitates the clip snapping under the occlusal or incisal edges of the patient's teeth, spaced apart from the patient's tongue. However, in other embodiments not shown, their relative positions may be reversed, with the clamp 44 and engaging surface 43 being adjacent to a cut or occlusal surface of the patient's teeth and the hinge 48 and hinge pin 46 being adjacent to the gums.

Additionally, as shown, some of the gates 40 may be attached to the face mold body 12 using a two-part hinge having a first part 56 and a second part 58 and having a hinge pin 46 at one end and an attachment mechanism 44 at the opposite end. In this case, the attachment mechanism 44 is a clip 44 designed to clip onto or snap onto an engagement surface 43 on the face mold body 12. The first portion of hinge 56 has a smaller diameter than the second portion of hinge 58. The two-part hinge facilitates lifting the door 40 out of the aperture 34 when the second part 58 is used. The two-part hinge facilitates the tight insertion of the door 40 into the aperture 34. The hinge pin 46 is movable between a first portion of smaller diameter and a second portion of larger diameter of the hinge 58, as shown in fig. 11A and 11B. In addition, the two-part hinge allows it to be 3D printed as a complete assembly. In addition, the larger diameter in the second portion 58 of the hinge allows for easier removal of excess resin during use and helps prevent the pin 46 from sticking to the hinge.

In the illustrated embodiment, the gate body 40 and the face mold body 12 are mechanically connected to each other through the use of a hinge 48 and a hinge pin 46. This configuration helps to maintain proper alignment between the gate body 40 and the corresponding aperture 34 during use of the customization tool 10. However, the door body 40 and the face mold body 12 may be connected via snap hinges, living hinges, barrel hinges, pin joint hinges, or any other suitable type of hinge. The door hinge 48 and hinge pin 46 may be formed separately from the door body 40 and/or the face mold body 12, or the door hinge 48 and hinge pin 46 may be formed as an integral part of the door body 40 and/or the face mold body 12.

The face mold body 12 may include a first alignment member 52 that aids in properly aligning the face mold body 12 and the lingual mold body 14 prior to interlocking them together. In the illustrated embodiment, the first alignment member 52 is a post sized to fit with the second alignment member 54 in the lingual die body 14, as shown by the slots in fig. 4-7.

The facial mold body 12 and lingual mold body 14 may be configured for combination with at least one tooth of a patient to define a mold cavity that encloses at least a portion of a desired tooth structure of the tooth or teeth to be restored. For example, in the illustrated example, the facial mold body 12 and lingual mold body 14 may be combined with the patient's teeth to define a mold cavity that encloses at least a portion of the desired tooth structure for each of the teeth with the facial portions aligned with the holes 34A and 34B. In some examples, the dental restoration may include a veneering restoration on one or more teeth to be restored, and the holes 34A and 34B may allow a practitioner to better control placement of restoration material in the mold cavity than conventional molds. For example, the holes 34 aligned with a substantial portion of the lingual or facial surfaces of the teeth may allow the practitioner to better control the final appearance of the surface, including the final surface texture, coloration, and delamination of the restorative material.

The door body 40 may include a vent. The vent holes may be configured to allow excess repair material to flow out of the mold cavity, which may be removed prior to curing (e.g., with a scalar instrument), thereby providing easier flash removal. Alternatively or in addition, the vent holes may be configured to allow air to flow out of the mold cavity.

The facial mold body 12 may include a customized gum surface 36 that generally matches the contours of the gums, but does not engage the gums. This allows for clean removal of excess repair material. The face mold body 12 may also include face ribs 38 to provide overall strength to the face mold body.

The customization tool 10 may include a lingual die body 14 that may also be configured to provide a customized fit with at least one tooth of a patient. Fig. 4, 5 and 6 illustrate views of one embodiment of the lingual die body 14. The facial mold body 12 and lingual mold body 14 may be configured for combination with at least one tooth of a patient to form a mold cavity. For example, facial mold body 12 and lingual mold body 14 may be configured to mate with each other and/or attach to at least one tooth to form a mold cavity. In some examples, the lingual die body 14 may be separable from and engageable with the facial die body 12 while maintaining the integrity of the respective die body through the use of their engagement portions 18, 19.

In the example shown in fig. 4 to 6, the lingual die body 14 includes a repair portion 17 and an engagement portion 19. The practitioner uses the restoration portion 17 of the custom tool to restore at least one tooth in the mouth of the patient. In the embodiment shown, there are two engaging portions 19A, 19B positioned at opposite ends of the repair portion 17, which is located between the engaging portions 19A, 19B. This is desirable, but not required. For example, the lingual die body 14 may include only one engagement portion 19 positioned adjacent to the repair portion 17. In a tool having two engagement portions 19A, 19B, this provides two interlocking points between the lingual die body 12 and the facial die body 14 and the lingual die body, respectively.

The tongue mold body 14 includes a first engagement portion 19A and a second engagement portion 19B. The engagement portions 19A, 19B of the lingual die body 14 are configured for engagement or interlocking with the engagement portions 18A, 18B on the facial die body 12 as explained in more detail below with reference to fig. 7, 8 and 9.

Both the first engaging portion 19A and the second engaging portion 19B extend away from the repair portion. In the embodiment shown, the engagement portion 19 extends at a substantially right angle with respect to the repair portion 17. The engagement portion 19 extends substantially perpendicular to the occlusal surface when compared to the mouth of a patient including the occlusal surface shown by reference line A-A (as shown in fig. 6).

As shown in fig. 6, the engagement portion 19 of the lingual die body 14 may include a variety of engagement surfaces configured for proper mating with the engagement surfaces 24, 26, 28 on the facial die body 12. The engagement portions 19A, 19B of the lingual die body 14 may include recesses 30A, 30B, respectively, or some other mechanism known in the art for interlocking with the facial die body 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the recess 30 includes a first engagement surface 31, a second engagement surface 32, and a third engagement surface 33. The recesses 30A, 30B are sized and shaped to interlock or snap with the protrusions 20A, 20B in the face mold body 12. Various structures known in the art may be substituted for the recesses 30 and protrusions 20 as long as they help securely interlock the lingual die body 14 to the facial die body 12.

In the illustrated embodiment, the prosthetic portion 17 is sized and shaped to fit the anterior teeth of a patient. The engaging portion 19 is sized and shaped to be adjacent to the posterior teeth. However, in other embodiments (not shown), the engaging portion 19 may be adjacent to the anterior teeth and the prosthetic portion 17 mated with the posterior teeth.

The facial mold body 12 includes a plurality of engagement surfaces 43 adjacent to the occlusal surfaces of the patient's teeth or near the incisors of one or more teeth to be restored. This arrangement facilitates the clip 44 (shown in fig. 1-3) to snap under the occlusal or incisal surfaces of the patient's teeth, spaced from the patient's tongue. However, in other embodiments not shown, the engagement surface 43 may instead be adjacent to the gums of a patient's teeth, with the clamp 44 likewise in a similar position.

Lingual body 14 includes a die surface 64 that is sized to form one or more appropriate die cavities with inner surface 42 of door 40 (as shown in fig. 1-3) and/or to engage with the patient's dental structure to assist in shaping restorative material placed in the one or more die cavities to define the surface of one or more teeth to be restored.

Lingual die body 14 may include custom lingual ribs 39 to provide additional grip or fit to the mouth of each patient, which helps provide additional rigidity and/or stiffness to lingual die body 14.

The lingual die body 14 may include a second alignment member 54 sized and shaped to conform to the first alignment member 52. In the illustrated embodiment, the second alignment member 54 may be a mesial alignment receiver. In particular, the second alignment member may be a slot sized to receive the post 52 on the face mold body 12.

Fig. 8A, 8B, 9 and 10 may be used to illustrate how the facial mold body 12 and lingual mold body 14 are assembled together and around the teeth of a patient to form the customized tool 10. One of the main benefits of this design is that once assembled, movement between the facial mold body and lingual mold body is limited in multiple directions and multiple rotations. Thus, physicians can create more accurate prostheses for their patients.

With fig. 8A and 8B as a reference point, the practitioner may first place the lingual die body 14 behind the patient's teeth with the second alignment member 54 centered adjacent the occlusal surface of the patient's teeth. The practitioner may then place the facial mold body 12 over the front face of the tooth and align the first alignment member 52 (post) to fit into the second alignment member 54 (hole). However, in other embodiments, the mold bodies 12, 14 may include markings or alignment features (e.g., visual indicators, other forms of mechanical mating features, key holes, notches, inking, etc.) to assist a practitioner in properly aligning and easily engaging the facial mold body 12 and lingual mold body 14 with one another.

The face mold body 12 and the lingual mold body 14 are preferably made of a flexible material to bend them to a radius to successfully interlock them together as shown in fig. 8A and 8B. The practitioner will interlock the mold bodies 12, 14 together by placing the protrusions 20A, 20B into the corresponding recesses 30A, 30B. The peel tabs 22A, 22B may optionally be used to help fit the protrusions 20A, 20B into the recesses 30A, 30B. The custom tool may be made from a wide range of 3D printed materials, molded polymeric materials, or CAD/CAM formed polymeric materials having certain desired strength, flexibility, translucency, or color. For example, the mold material may be a transparent, translucent, or opaque polymeric material. In some embodiments, the optically transmissive or substantially transparent polymeric material can include, for example, one or more of an amorphous thermoplastic polymer, a semi-crystalline thermoplastic polymer, a transparent thermoplastic polymer, and a thermosetting polymer. The thermoplastic may be selected from the group consisting of polycarbonates, thermoplastic polyurethanes, acrylic, polysulfones, polypropylene/ethylene copolymers, cyclic olefin (co) polymers, poly-4-methyl-1-pentene or polyester/polycarbonate copolymers, styrene polymer materials, polyamides, polymethylpentene, polyetheretherketone, and combinations thereof. In another embodiment, the mold may be selected from transparent or substantially transparent semi-crystalline thermoplastics, and composites such as polyamides, polyethylene terephthalates, polybutylene terephthalates, polyester/polycarbonate copolymers, polyolefins, cyclic olefin polymers, styrenic copolymers, polyetherimides, polyetheretherketones, polyethersulfones, polytrimethylene terephthalates, and mixtures and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the mold is a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polycyclodimethylterephthalate, and mixtures and combinations thereof. In additional embodiments, the thermosetting polymer includes acrylic, polyurethane, esters, silicone, thiol-ene, epoxy, olefin metathesis, and combinations thereof.

The custom tool 10 is designed to ensure a relatively tight fit between the mold bodies 12, 14 to ensure accurate and precisely shaped repairs while helping to reduce or eliminate flash along the edges where the two mate together. Any flash that does occur along the cutting edge may be very thin and may be relatively easily removed with a dental instrument. By providing a relatively tight fit along the cut edge or the other edge of the mold body 12, 14, this may facilitate preferential flow of excess repair material toward the vent, where flash may be relatively easily seen and removed during repair of the repair.

Fig. 8B facilitates a description of the clamping force that may be generated between the face mold body 12 and the lingual mold body 14. The face mold body 12 has a certain arcuate length (C) and the lingual mold body 14 has a certain arcuate length (D). The geometry of the face mold body 12 and/or the lingual mold body 14 is changed when the custom tool 10 is manufactured. For example, the arcuate length C of the face mold body 12 may be shortened while maintaining the arcuate length D of the lingual mold body, and this configuration creates a clamping force between the two mold bodies 12, 14 when the two mold bodies are assembled. In addition, the mold bodies 12, 14 are strong enough not to fracture or buckle, and the protrusions 20 and recesses 30 can interlock without creating excessive pressure in the patient's mouth. The clamping force may also be generated by slightly reducing the radius of curvature of the face mold body 12 while maintaining the radius of curvature of the tongue mold body 14. The angle θ shows the latching surface relative to the archwire.

The degree of clamping force between the face mold body 12 and the lingual mold body 14 should be tailored to balance the safety of the tool 10 installed around the patient's teeth and seal the tool against gingival tissue while being easy to install into and remove from the patient's mouth. The degree of clamping force may be increased by increasing the stiffness of the mold bodies 12, 14, the amount of geometric shortening of the face mold body 12, and/or decreasing the radius of curvature of the face mold body 12 via the material. Modifications to the mold bodies 12, 14 may be applied to the entire mold body, for example, by applying an appropriate shrinkage factor, or these modifications may be applied locally to various regions of the mold body and/or the locking mechanism between the two molds. The ease of latch securement and engagement and removal can be tailored by adjusting the latch angle, the length of the latch surfaces (engagement surfaces) 31, 32, 33, and the topography of the surfaces 24, 26, 28 to achieve an optimal balance of performance. Tool finite element modeling may be used to predict the appropriate parameters for a given custom tool based on the test results of previous test cases. Machine learning may be applied to improve predictive power over time, including physician feedback on clinical performance. Digital design and fabrication such as 3D printing or CNC machining is particularly helpful in forming custom tool molds with active clamping forces.

Fig. 10 shows the custom dental restoration tool 10 properly clamped in the mouth 70 of a patient around the patient's teeth 72. The first engaging portion 18A of the face mold body 12 and the first engaging portion 19A of the lingual mold body 14 interlock together within the mouth, offset from the occlusal surfaces of the premolars and extending the direction of the patient's tongue (not shown). Similarly, the second engagement portion 18b of the face mold body 12 and the second engagement portion 19b of the tongue mold body 14 interlock. In the embodiment shown, the patient is repairing five teeth.

Fig. 11A-11D facilitate the method steps of using the customization tool 10 of the present invention after the customization tool is properly applied in the patient's mouth 70. Fig. 11A shows some of the doors 40 open to allow access to the teeth to be repaired. Fig. 11B shows a restorative material 80 applied to a tooth to be restored. FIG. 11C illustrates the curing of the repair material 80 within the customization tool 10. Fig. 11D shows the teeth 72 of the mouth 70 of the repaired patient.

In some examples, the aperture 34 of the tool 10 may allow a practitioner to apply the restorative material 80 directly to the tooth to be restored. However, in other examples, the practitioner may apply the restorative material 80 to the tooth or mold body 12, 14 to be restored prior to applying the mold body 12, 14 to the patient's tooth 72.

By introducing the restorative material 80 through one or more of the holes 34 into a mold cavity defined by the mold bodies 12, 14 and the teeth about which the mold bodies 12, 14 are positioned, a practitioner may fill the mold cavity with the restorative material 80 (fig. 11B). In some examples, a physician may use various tools to place repair material into the mold cavity. In some examples, repair material 80 may be placed in the mold cavity through the plurality of holes 34. A preferred dental restoration material is Filtek ^TM Supreme Universal ^TM Commercially available from 3M company located in santa Paul, minnesota. After introducing at least some repair material 80 into the mold cavity, the practitioner may then close the gate body 40 within the corresponding hole 34 (fig. 11C). The inner surface 42 of the gate body 40 and the mold surface 64 may be used to shape one or more layers of restorative material 80 on the facial or lingual surfaces of the teeth 72, compress the restorative material 80 within the mold cavity, or any combination thereof.

In some examples, the practitioner may cure the repair material 80 while the gate body 40 is closed into the aperture 34 of the face mold body 12. For example, where the repair material is photocurable, a physician may expose the repair material to curing light (e.g., blue light) through one or both of the mold bodies 12, 14, which may be formed of a material that is transparent to the curing light. The practitioner can remove the facial mold body 12 and lingual mold body 14 from the teeth 72, which now have restoration structure 76 defined by restoration material (fig. 11D). Removing the mold bodies 12, 14 from the mouth 70 may include separating the face mold body 12 from the lingual mold body 14, which may include, for example, disengaging one or more of the first engagement portions 18A, 19A of the mold bodies 12, 14 from the second engagement portions 19A, 19B of the mold bodies 12, 14. In some examples, one or more of the gate bodies 40 may leave "reference marks" on the lingual or facial surfaces of the teeth, but such marks may be relatively easy to remove because they are relatively thin. In some examples, a practitioner may trim a tooth that now includes a prosthetic tooth structure defined by a prosthetic material (such as by polishing) to remove burrs or other undesirable surface defects.

In some examples, a physician may place a release film on at least a portion of surface 42 of gate 40 prior to placing gate 40 within its respective aperture 34. The release film may reduce the likelihood of trapping air within the mold cavity during imprinting of the repair material 80 with the gate, and/or may facilitate stripping of the repair material 80 from the surface 42 of the gate 40.

In addition to or instead of a release film, in some examples, a device manufacturer physician may apply a coating on at least a portion of the surface 42 of the gate 40 and/or gate body prior to placing the gate 40 within the respective aperture 34. The coating may reduce the likelihood of trapping air within the mold cavity during imprinting of the repair material with the gate, and/or may facilitate stripping of the repair material from the surface of the gate. The release coating may also be applied to any of the mold parts during the manufacturing process.

The introduction of restorative material 80 into the mold cavity may have sufficient force to separate portions of mold bodies 12, 14 from one another, providing less engagement between facial mold body 12 and lingual mold body 14 and/or less custom fit with one or more teeth. However, the engagement portions 18, 19 help the mold bodies 12, 14 self-align with one another and remain securely fixed relative to one another.

Fig. 12A-12C illustrate additional embodiments of the customization tools of the present disclosure.

Fig. 12A-12C illustrate additional embodiments of the customization tools 400, 402, 404 of the present invention, wherein the hinge 144 pivots adjacent to the incisor face of the patient's teeth. The embodiments shown in fig. 12A-12C are very similar to the embodiments shown in the other figures, except that they engage different portions of the patient's mouth.

Fig. 12A shows an embodiment of a customization tool 400, wherein the customization tool 400 engages a portion of the dental arch of the patient's mouth 70 (specifically, the portion of the patient's dental arch extending between a molar and an incisor). The engagement portion 219 of the lingual die body 214 is combined with the engagement portion 218 of the facial die body 112 to form a complete custom tool 400 for forming a patient-specific dental restoration. The engagement portion 219a engages with the protrusion 220a of the engagement portion 218a to interlock with an adjacent one of the patient's incisors. The engagement portion 219b engages with the tab 220b of the engagement portion 118b to interlock with an adjacent one of the patient's molars. The peel tabs 222a, 222b may optionally be used to facilitate fitting of the protrusions 220a, 220b into the recesses 230a, 230 b. The lingual die body 214 may include custom lingual ribs 239 to provide additional grip or fit to the mouth of the individual patient.

Fig. 12B shows an embodiment of the customization tool 402, wherein the customization tool 402 engages with the full dental arch of the patient's mouth 70 (specifically, the portion of the patient's dental arch extending between one molar and the other molar). The engagement portion 219 of the lingual die body 214 is combined with the engagement portion 218 of the facial die body 212 to form a complete custom tool 402 for forming a patient-specific dental restoration. The engagement portion 219a engages with the protrusion 220a of the engagement portion 218a to interlock with an adjacent one of the patient's incisors. The engagement portion 219b engages with the protrusion 220b of the engagement portion 218b to interlock with an adjacent one of the patient's molars. The peel tabs 222a, 222b may optionally be used to facilitate fitting of the protrusions 220a, 220b into the recesses 230a, 230 b. The lingual die body 214 may include custom lingual ribs 239 to provide additional grip or fit to the mouth of the individual patient.

Fig. 12C shows an embodiment of a customization tool 404, wherein the customization tool 404 engages a portion of the dental arch of the patient's mouth 70 (specifically, the portion of the patient's dental arch extending between a molar and a premolars). The engagement portion 219 of the lingual die body 214 is combined with the engagement portion 218 of the facial die body 212 to form a complete custom tool 404 for forming a patient-specific dental restoration. The engagement portion 219a engages with the protrusion 220a of the engagement portion 218a to interlock with an adjacent one of the patient's incisors. The engagement portion 219b engages with the protrusion 220b of the engagement portion 218b to interlock with an adjacent one of the patient's molars. The peel tabs 222a, 222b may optionally be used to facilitate fitting of the protrusions 220a, 220b into the recesses 230a, 230 b. The lingual die body 214 may include custom lingual ribs 239 to provide additional grip or fit to the mouth of the individual patient.

Fig. 13 shows an embodiment of a customization tool 500 for forming a dental restoration, wherein the customization tool 500 includes an injection port 520, and two different embodiments of the engagement portions 519a and 519 b. The customization tool 520 includes an injection port 520 for delivering a dental restoration material into a mold cavity formed between the facial mold body 512 and lingual mold body 514. In this embodiment, port 520 is formed when face mold body 512 and lingual mold body 514 are fitted together to form a complete custom tool 500 for forming a patient-specific dental restoration. Optionally, the customization tool 500 may include a plug (not shown) for positioning in the port 520 after injecting the dental restoration material into the mold cavity.

The face mold body 512 may include first alignment members 552a, 552b and the lingual mold body 514 may include second alignment members 554a, 554b, all of which facilitate proper alignment prior to interlocking the face mold body 512 and the lingual mold body 514 together. The first alignment member 552a interlocks with the second alignment member 554 a. The first alignment member 552b interlocks with the second alignment member 554 b. In this embodiment, injection port 520 is positioned between alignment members 552a, 554a, 552b, 554b, respectively, although this is not required.

The tongue mold body 514 may include an engagement portion 519a or 519b, as shown. However, other engagement portions may be used as described above.

The custom mold of the present invention is superior to prior art custom molds. As one example, us patent 8366445 (Vuillemot) shows alignment features in fig. 4-5 to register a buccal mold portion and a lingual mold portion. The alignment feature is disposed on an interfacial surface between the buccal mold and the lingual mold. They may have tolerances to provide some frictional resistance to secure the assembled mold. This has several disadvantages compared to engaging the spaced portions of the interlocked portions. For example, retention features as shown in Vuillemot complicate placement and curing of the mold. In order to create space for the retention features, the mold interface area must be stretched, resulting in a more bulky design. If friction is used to secure the mold, these same friction forces must be overcome to seat the mold and it is difficult to know when the mold halves are fully seated. When the composite material flows into the gap during use, the incompletely seated mold will cause burrs. The retention features on the mating surfaces cause the compound to adhere to the mold during the curing process and make removal of the mold extremely difficult.

In contrast, the interlocking joints of the present invention are not placed along the interface, but rather they are separately located away from the interfacial surface. This provides several advantages. The interface between the lingual and facial molds does not expand or become complex due to the fine alignment features, but is smooth, easy to close to the seat, and easy to verify that it is seated. A smooth interfacial surface is present to minimize retention of any flash solidified at the interface. The present latching mechanism (interlocking engagement) is physically separated from the area where burrs may be generated during filling. The present latch mechanism (interlocking engagement portion) is activated separately from the seating and stripping of the face and lingual molds by tabs that are easy to grasp. Finally, the present latch mechanism (interlocking engagement portion) may be configured to provide a designed interference between the face mold and the lingual mold such that when the engagement portions are interlocked, there is residual seating pressure even when the face mold and lingual mold are closed. This seating pressure helps to keep the custom tool firmly closed, even under composite material filling pressure.

Custom tools may be formed based on digital models of the teeth and mouth of individual patients, which may be generated by intraoral 3D scans such as intraoral scanners. In one particular example, the custom tool may be digitally designed using CAD software (such as solid modeling software based on a digital model of the planned prosthetic dentition). The custom tool is designed to fit over one or more teeth of the tooth to be restored (restoration portion) and a portion of the adjacent tooth (engagement portion). The dental structure model of the restored tooth may then be digitally subtracted from the mold block to form the tool. Alternatively, the inverse of the tooth structure can be inverted within the software to define the mold blocks. The engaging portion may be located in an area corresponding to an area from which the tooth is to extend.

Within the digital model, the mold block design may be segmented into two parts (face mold body and lingual mold body) to facilitate final assembly of the tool components on the teeth, with specific geometric interference associated with the arch length selected to provide the desired clamping force, as described above. Within the digital model, the engagement portions are designed with a certain interlocking geometry, the overall height of which is selected based on the position in which the engagement portions are placed within the mouth of the patient, as discussed in more detail above.

The following embodiments are intended to illustrate the disclosure without limiting it.

Exemplary embodiments

Embodiment 1 is a custom tool for forming a dental restoration in a patient's mouth, the custom tool comprising: a facial mold body for patient-specific custom fitting with a facial side of at least one tooth of the patient, wherein the facial mold body comprises a restoration portion, at least one aperture aligned with a portion of a surface of the tooth to be restored, and at least one gate having an inner surface forming a portion of a mold cavity surrounding a missing tooth structure of the tooth to be restored, wherein the gate mates with the aperture; a lingual mold body for patient-specific custom fitting with a lingual side of the teeth of the patient, wherein the lingual mold body includes a restoration portion; wherein the face mold body and the lingual mold body are configured to interlock together; and wherein the facial mold body and lingual mold body are configured for combination with the teeth of the patient to form a mold cavity that encloses missing tooth structure of at least one tooth to be restored.

Embodiment 2 is the customization tool of embodiment 1, wherein the at least one gate includes a hinge for attachment to the lingual or facial mold body.

Embodiment 3 is the custom tool of embodiments 1-2, wherein the hinge comprises a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter.

Embodiment 4 is the customization tool of embodiment 3, wherein the at least one gate includes an attachment mechanism for attaching to the face mold body or the lingual mold body.

Embodiment 5 is the customization tool of embodiment 4, wherein the attachment mechanism is a clamp.

Embodiment 6 is the custom tool of embodiments 1-5, further comprising a first mesial alignment member on the face mold body and a second mesial alignment member on the lingual mold body.

Embodiment 7 is the customized tool of embodiments 1-6, wherein the repair portions of the facial mold body and the lingual mold body mate with anterior teeth of the patient, and wherein the engagement portion is proximate to posterior teeth of the patient.

Embodiment 8 is the customized tool of embodiments 1-7, wherein the repair portions of the facial mold body and the lingual mold body mate with posterior teeth of the patient, and wherein the engagement portion is proximate to anterior teeth of the patient.

Embodiment 9 is the customization tool of embodiments 1-2, wherein the hinge of the door is adjacent to a gum portion of the facial mold body.

Embodiment 10 is the customization tool of embodiments 1-2, wherein the hinge of the gate is adjacent to a bite portion of the face mold body.

Embodiment 11 is the customization tool of embodiments 1-2, wherein the hinge of the gate is attached to the facial mold body adjacent to a mesial side or distal side of the tooth to be repaired.

Embodiment 12 is the customized tool of any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the facial mold body has a customized fit with a facial side of the patient's teeth and the lingual mold body has a customized fit with a lingual side of the patient's teeth.

Embodiment 13 is the customization tool of any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the facial mold body further comprises a first engagement portion extending away from the repair portion, wherein the lingual mold body further comprises a first engagement portion extending away from the repair portion, and wherein the first engagement portion of the facial mold body interlocks with the first engagement portion of the lingual mold body.

Embodiment 14 is the custom tool of embodiment 13, wherein the mouth of the patient comprises an occlusal surface, and wherein the first engagement portion of the facial mold body and the first engagement portion of the lingual mold body extend substantially perpendicular to the occlusal surface.

Embodiment 15 is the customization tool of embodiment 13, wherein the facial mold body includes a second engagement portion that extends away from the repair portion, and wherein the lingual mold body includes a second engagement portion that extends away from the repair portion; and wherein the second portion of the face mold body interlocks with the second portion of the lingual mold body.

Embodiment 16 is the customized tool of embodiment 15, wherein the first engagement portion is proximate to the anterior teeth of the patient and the second engagement portion is proximate to the posterior teeth of the patient, and the repair portion of the facial mold body and the repair portion of the lingual mold body mate with the anterior teeth or the posterior teeth.

Embodiment 17 is the customized tool of embodiment 1, wherein the customized tool is configured for incorporation with a portion of the patient's dental arch extending between a molar and incisors.

Embodiment 18 is the customized tool of embodiment 1, wherein the customized tool is configured for incorporation with a portion of the patient's dental arch extending between one molar and another molar.

Embodiment 19 is the customized tool of embodiment 1, wherein the customized tool is configured for incorporation with a portion of the patient's dental arch extending between a molar and a premolars.

Embodiment 20 is the customized tool of embodiment 1, further comprising a port, wherein dental restoration material is capable of being injected into the mold cavity through the port.

Claims (16)

1. A custom tool for forming a dental restoration in a patient's mouth, the custom tool comprising:

a facial mold body for patient-specific custom fitting with a facial side of at least one tooth of the patient, wherein the facial mold body comprises a restoration portion, at least one aperture aligned with a portion of a surface of the tooth to be restored, and at least one gate having an inner surface forming a portion of a mold cavity surrounding a missing tooth structure of the tooth to be restored, wherein the gate mates with the aperture;

A lingual mold body for patient-specific custom fitting with a lingual side of the teeth of the patient, wherein the lingual mold body includes a restoration portion;

wherein the face mold body and the lingual mold body are configured to interlock together; and is also provided with

Wherein the facial mold body and lingual mold body are configured for combination with the teeth of the patient to form a mold cavity surrounding missing tooth structure of at least one tooth to be restored;

wherein the customization tool has the following features:

(a) The facial mold body and the prosthetic portion of the lingual mold body mate with anterior teeth of the patient and wherein an engaging portion is proximate to posterior teeth of the patient; or alternatively

(b) The facial mold body and the prosthetic portion of the lingual mold body mate with the posterior teeth of the patient and wherein the engaging portion is proximate to the anterior teeth of the patient.

2. The customization tool according to claim 1, wherein the at least one gate includes a hinge for attachment to the lingual mold body or the facial mold body.

3. The customization tool of claim 2 wherein the hinge includes a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter.

4. The customization tool according to claim 3, wherein the at least one gate includes an attachment mechanism for attaching to the face mold body or the lingual mold body.

5. The customization tool according to claim 4 wherein the attachment mechanism is a clamp.

6. The customization tool of claim 1, wherein the customization tool further comprises a first mesial alignment member located on the face mold body and a second mesial alignment member located on the lingual mold body.

7. The customization tool according to claim 2, wherein the hinge of the door is adjacent to a gum portion of the face mold body.

8. The customization tool according to claim 2, wherein the hinge of the gate is adjacent to a snap-in portion of the face mold body.

9. The customization tool according to claim 2, wherein the hinge of the gate is attached to the facial mold body adjacent to a mesial side or distal side of the tooth to be repaired.

10. The customization tool of claim 1 wherein the facial mold body has a customized fit with a facial side of the patient's teeth and the lingual mold body has a customized fit with a lingual side of the patient's teeth.

11. The customization tool of claim 1, wherein the facial mold body further comprises a first engagement portion extending away from the repair portion, wherein the lingual mold body further comprises a first engagement portion extending away from the repair portion, and wherein the first engagement portion of the facial mold body interlocks with the first engagement portion of the lingual mold body.

12. The customization tool of claim 11, wherein the mouth of the patient includes an occlusal surface, and wherein the first engagement portion of the face mold body and the first engagement portion of the lingual mold body extend substantially perpendicular to the occlusal surface.

13. The customization tool according to claim 1, wherein the customization tool is configured for incorporation with a portion of the patient's dental arch extending between a molar and an incisor.

14. The customization tool of claim 1, wherein the customization tool is configured for incorporation with a portion of the patient's dental arch extending between one molar and another molar.

15. The customization tool of claim 1, wherein the customization tool is configured for incorporation with a portion of the patient's dental arch extending between a molar and a premolars.

16. The customization tool according to claim 1, wherein the customization tool further comprises a port through which dental restoration material can be injected into the mold cavity.