WO2020150261A1

WO2020150261A1 - Method and apparatus for forming a model of a dental arch

Info

Publication number: WO2020150261A1
Application number: PCT/US2020/013542
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brian David FUSELIER
Original assignee: Fuselier Enterprises, Llc
Priority date: 2019-01-18
Filing date: 2020-01-14
Publication date: 2020-07-23

Abstract

An apparatus and method provide for the fabrication of an accurate dental arch stone replica of a full human dental arch quickly and easily which can be readily mounted on a dental articulator. The apparatus and method create a way to overcome the inability to pour thick flowable pre-set dental stone into a rubbery dental arch negative mold without distortion and while under a constant vacuum. The apparatus and method eliminate the entrapment of air bubbles throughout the pre-set stone mixture as further eliminate entrapped bubbles along the surface of the hardened dental arch stone replica. The apparatus and method can be used by individuals with little to no formal training to quickly and consistently produce bubble free dental stone models of human dental arches which are ready to be mounted on at least one type of dental articulator, obviating the need for dental laboratory stone trimming.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING A MODEF OF A DENTAF ARCH

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

[0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] This disclosure is directed to dental prosthetics, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for forming a model of a partial or complete dental arch.

BACKGROUND

[0003] The replication of a patient’s bite is useful for a number of dental and medical related applications including, but not limited to reproducing a patient’s dental arch for fabricating splints, nightguards, orthodontic retainers, study models, anti-snoring devices, oral obturators, and intra-oral sleep apnea appliances. At present, the predominant methodology of physically replicating a patient’ s bite is accomplished by the formation of an arcuate dental arch stone model replica of a patient’s upper teeth and lower teeth which are mounted on a dental articulator. The present methodology of physically replicating a patient’s bite is a labor-intensive process which introduces a universal problem of replication degradation caused by exposure of atmospheric air during its formation process. At present the dental arch physical replication process is as follows: First, a rubbery three-dimensional negative mold is made of the upper dental arch and the lower dental arch. Second, pre measured powdered dental stone and water are mixed under a vacuum into a thick mud- like pre-set bubble free mixture that becomes a liquid when exposed to vibratory energy and sets into hardened stone within minutes after being mixed. Third, air bubbles are reintroduced to the thick pre-set bubble free flowable dental stone mixture due to its re-exposure to atmospheric air when it is liquified by exposure to vibratory energy, turned on its side, and then poured into the rubbery dental arch negative mold. Fourth, the pre-set flowable dental stone mixture sets into hardened stone within minutes after being mixed which completes the physical replication process of the dental arch. Fifth, the now set hardened stone dental arches are prepared for mounting onto a dental articulator by using water showered over a rotating stone wheel to trim the stone dental arches to their proper height and their proper perimeter. Sixth, the stone dental arches are positioned in place on a dental articulator, more stone is mixed, the newly mixed stone is positioned and hardens to act as a rigid bridge affixing the stone models to the dental articulator thus completing the physical patient’ s bite replication process. A known problem with this present-day technique is the entrapment of macroscopic and/or microscopic air bubbles throughout the mixed stone which are re-introduced in, the mentioned above, step three, and occur more particularly along its surface resulting in degraded replication of the patient’ s own dental arches in the stone replica dental arches in which all of the above listed appliances are made. These entrapped air bubbles displace the pre-set flowable stone which results in distortion of the shape of the patient’s teeth surfaces in the final stone dental arch replica. This degraded replication ultimately results in a compromise to the fit of the newly made appliance. Therefore, when the prescribing doctor attempts to insert the newly made appliance comfortably into the patient’ s mouth the appliance’s compromised form typically increases chair-side working time.

[0004] One known apparatus does exist for forming a vacuum during the mixing and the pouring steps. However, this apparatus is limited to dental investment stone which is used strictly for making dental crowns or a fixed dental bridge. This apparatus is the Whip Mix Vac-U-Spat, found at https://whipmix.eom/contact-us/. This apparatus is also described in Steinbock, U.S. Patent No. 2,777,177. While Steinbock and the Vac-U-Spat disclose an apparatus and method for mixing and pouring investment compositions in a vacuum, their disclosure is directed only to forming a stone model for fabricating one or at most several crowns, not teeth, and not an entire dental arch. Their disclosure is not suitable for maintaining a vacuum and accommodating a mold as large as a dental arch.

[0005] The present disclosure is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.

SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0006] The apparatus and method disclosed herein allows for the fabrication of an accurate dental arch stone replica of a full human dental arch quickly and easily which can be readily mounted on a dental articulator. This disclosure’ s apparatus and method creates a way to overcome the inability to pour thick flowable pre-set dental stone into a rubbery dental arch negative mold without distortion and while under a constant vacuum. This disclosure’s apparatus and method eliminates the entrapment of air bubbles throughout the pre-set stone mixture as well as eliminating entrapped bubbles along the surface of the hardened dental arch stone replica. This disclosure’ s apparatus and method can be used by individuals with little to no formal training to quickly and consistently produce bubble free dental stone models of human dental arches which are ready to be mounted on at least one type of dental articulator, obviating the need for dental laboratory stone trimming. The result of this disclosure’s apparatus and dental arch stone replication process is a repetitive high accuracy product which cannot be accomplished by even highly trained technicians using the current dental arch stone replication process.

[0007] Various modifications and additions can be made to the embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combination of features and embodiments that do not include all of the above described features.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of particular embodiments may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to similar components. In some instances, a sub-label is associated with a reference numeral to denote one of multiple similar components. When reference is made to a reference numeral without specification to an existing sub-label, it is intended to refer to all such multiple similar components.

[0009] Figs. 1A-1C are plan views of impression trays of the present disclosure;

[0010] Figs. 2A-2C are front elevation views of the impression trays of Figs. 1 A-C, respectively;

[0011] Fig. 3 is a plan view of an impression tray of Fig. 1 illustrating areas required to be free of impression material;

[0012] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an impression tray collar receiving an impression tray of Fig. 1;

[0013] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the impression tray collar of Fig. 4 with a pair of securing arms pivotably attached to the impression tray collar body;

[0014] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the impression tray collar of Fig. 5 with the pair of securing arms releasably attached at their distal ends one to the other; [0015] Fig. 7 is perspective view of the impression tray collar of Fig. 6 being seated in an impression chamber cavity of an impression chamber;

[0016] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a mixing chamber having an integral docking wall being brought into engagement the impression chamber of Fig. 7;

[0017] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the mixing chamber having an integral docking wall in engagement the impression chamber;

[0018] Fig. 10 is a side elevation view of the mixing chamber having an integral docking wall in engagement the impression chamber as shown in Fig. 9;

[0019] Fig. 11 is perspective view of the mixing chamber having an integral docking wall in engagement the impression chamber with a dental stone composition in the mixing chamber;

[0020] Fig. 12 is a schematic elevation view of the mixing chamber having an integral docking wall in engagement the impression chamber with a lid having a mixing paddle attached therethrough covering an open top of the chamber and a motor housing including a mixing motor operatively associated with a shaft of the mixing paddle and a vacuum motor;

[0021] Fig. 13 is a schematic plan view of a mixing motor switch and a vacuum motor switch operatively associated with the mixing and vacuum motors of Fig. 12;

[0022] Fig. 14 is a left side elevation view of the impression chamber of Fig. 12 being brought into operative association with a vibrator;

[0023] Fig. 15 is a left side elevation view of the assembly of Fig. 12 showing removal of the motor housing;

[0024] Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the mixing chamber having an integral docking wall being disengaged from the impression chamber; and

[0025] Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the impression tray collar being disengaged from the impression chamber cavity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] While various aspects and features of certain embodiments have been summarized above, the following detailed description illustrates a few embodiments in further detail to enable one of skill in the art to practice such embodiments. The described examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0027] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that other embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. Several embodiments are described and claimed herein, and while various features are ascribed to different embodiments, it should be appreciated that the features described with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated with other embodiments as well. By the same token, however, no single feature or features of any described or claimed embodiment should be considered essential to every embodiment of the invention, as other embodiments of the invention may omit such features.

[0028] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers used herein to express quantities, dimensions, and so forth used should be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about." In this application, the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise, and use of the terms "and" and "or" means "and/or" unless otherwise indicated. Moreover, the use of the term "including," as well as other forms, such as "includes" and "included," should be considered non-exclusive. Also, terms such as "element" or "component" encompass both elements and components comprising one unit and elements and components that comprise more than one unit, unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0029] Figs. 1A-1C are plan views of standard 10, shallow 12 and short 14 impression trays respectively of the present disclosure intended to accommodate variously shaped human dental arches. More or less such impression trays of varying sizes and depths are within the scope of this disclosure. The most salient features are the arcuate receptacle defined by inner 18 and outer 20 sidewalls each having an inner perimeter edge 22 and outer perimeter edge 24. The inner and outer perimeter edges may be configured to have flanges 26 that overlay the top of the wall like the cross of“T”. This“T” configuration created by the juxtapositioning of the inner flange 26 and the outer flange 27 results in the formation of an inner ledge and an outer ledge. The inner ledge creates an equal and opposite retentive force necessary to prevent the set rubbery mold from disengaging from the impression tray as the impression tray is being removed from the mouth as stated in step one under [0003]. The outer ledge also creates an equal and opposite retentive force necessary to maintain the contiguous contact between the perimeter of the impression tray and the interior wall of the collar while both are being exposed to vibration, vacuum, and changing gravitational vector forces as they are repositioned on their side as denoted in step three under [0003]. Each tray further includes a handle 28 extending from a front portion that also extends below the bottom of the tray as best seen in Figs. 2A-2C. The reference numbers are shown only on the “standard tray” of Fig. 1 A/2B but would be the same on the shallow tray of Figs. 1B/2B and short tray of Figs. 1C/3C.

[0030] In use, a flowable impression material is provided in the arcuate receptacle 16 of the impression tray 10 and using the handle 28 the dental tray 10 is placed in a patient’s mouth to receive the patient’s dental arch within the arcuate receptacle 16 to allow full contiguous contact of the dental arch with the flowable impression material. Once the flowable impression material has set into a rubbery mold the impression tray 10 is then removed from the patient’s mouth. Referring to Fig. 3, it is critical that all excess impression material extending beyond the perimeter of the impression tray be removed.

[0031] Figs. 4-6 are perspective views of the embodiment of an impression tray collar

30. The impression tray collar 30 is made up of a body 32, a right securing arm 40, a left securing arm 42, a central protrusion 34, and three releasable hinge pins 47 which may be indentical. Referring to Fig. 4, the impression tray collar body 32 receives an impression tray 10 of Fig. 1 A-C. The impression tray collar body 32 has a central protrusion 34 that mates with the outer flange 27 of the impression tray’s inner sidewall 18. Spaced from the central protrusion 34 are first and second hinge knuckles 36, 38. Referring to Fig. 5, the embodiment of the impression tray collar 30 includes a right securing arm 40 and a left securing arm 42. Each arm 40, 42 has a pair of spaced hinge knuckles 44 on its proximal end 46 spaced to tightly receive the first and second hinge knuckles 36, 38 as shown. At the distal end 48 of each securing arm 40, 42 are first and second slotted flanges 50, 52 configured to stack with their slots aligned as shown in Fig. 6.

[0032] Referring to Figs. 4-6, this embodiment of the impression tray collar 30 is assembled by mating the first and second hinge knuckles 36, 38 with the spaced hinge knuckles 44 and inserting two of the releasable hinge pins 47 to form a right and a left pivoting hinge. With the impression tray 10 receiving the collar’s central protrusion 34 of the impression tray collar 30, the right and the left securing arms 40, 42 are pivoted inward to contiguously embrace the outer perimeter edge 24 of the outer sidewall 20 and with the first and second slotted flanges stacked together, a releasable hinge pin 47 is inserted in the aligned slots. As assembled, the impression tray collar 30 defines an inner wall in contiguous abutment to the inner and outer perimeter wall edges 22, 24 of the impression tray 10 (more precisely, the corresponding inner and outer flanges 26, 27). The handle 28 of the impression tray 10 is nested under the first and second slotted flanges 50, 52 as seen in Fig. 6 which helps to maintain contact between the impression tray and the collar. [0033] Alternative embodiments of the impression tray collar 30 could have only a single securing arm pivotably attached to the collar body or no securing arms, instead just a single piece collar configured to receive an impression tray.

[0034] Differently internally dimensioned impression tray collars would have to be provided for impression trays of varying external dimensions in order to provide contiguous abutment to the impression trays. However, the external dimension of all collars usable with this dental arch model forming apparatus would preferably be matched to fit a select dental articulator. Embodiments could include varying external dimensions to fit the corresponding dimensions of varying brands of dental articulators.

[0035] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an assembled impression tray collar 30 containing an impression tray 10 of Fig. 6 being seated in an impression chamber cavity 58 of an impression chamber 60. The impression chamber cavity 58 is defined by a side wall 62 of the impression chamber having a peripheral rim 64 within a single plane. The impression chamber cavity is configured to contiguously mate with the external dimension of the impression tray collar 30. Connection notches 66 may be spaced on an outer portion of the peripheral rim.

[0036] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a mixing chamber 70 having a sidewall 72 and an integral docking wall 74 attached to the side wall 72 being brought into engagement with the impression chamber 60 receiving the assembled impression tray 10 and the impression tray collar 30 of Fig. 7. The mixing chamber 70 has an open top 76 (shown engaging a lid 86 in Fig. 8) and an orifice 78 positioned between the mixing chamber side wall 72 and extending through the docking wall 74. A gasket 80 lines the outer periphery of the docking wall 74. Clasps 82 extend form the outer periphery of the docking wall, the clasps being spaced to be received in the connection notches 66 of the impression chamber 60 and to releasably secure the docking wall 74 to the impression chamber with an airtight seal provided by the gasket 80 therebetween and the orifice 78 in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and the impression chamber cavity 58. This configuration is shown in Fig.

9.

[0037] The lid 86 is configured to be releasably attached to the open top 76 with an air-tight seal between the lid and a rim of the open top 76, which in embodiments can include a gasket (not shown) in an inner periphery of the lid 86. In the embodiment shown, the mixing chamber lid sealingly receives a shaft 88 in which the shaft’s distal end is configured into a rotatable mixing paddle 90. A gasket (not shown) can be provided around a hole receiving the shaft 88. The lid 86 further includes a vacuum hole 92 for evacuating air from the chamber and the impression chamber cavity as will be explained below.

[0038] Fig. 10 is a side elevation view of the mixing chamber 70 having the integral docking wall 74 in engagement with the impression chamber 60 as shown in Fig. 9, with the lid 86 removed.

[0039] Fig. 11 is perspective view of the mixing chamber 70 having the integral docking wall 74 in engagement with the impression chamber 60 with a pre-set dental stone composition 94 in the mixing chamber.

[0040] Fig. 12 is a side view of a cylindrical motor housing 96 shown attached to a top of the lid 86. The outer periphery of the top of the lid 86 includes connection brackets 98 configured to receive mating connection flanges 100 around the circular mouth of the motor housing 96. The connection flanges 100 may be inclined to provide for tightening as the housing is rotated securing the connection flanges 100 to the connection brackets 98. A mixing motor 102 is provided in the motor housing 96 and is configured to couple to a proximal end of the shaft 88 with the distal end of the shaft configured into a mixing paddle 90 so that with mixing motor 102 turned on it rotates the shaft 88 and the mixing paddle 90 about its axis. Also provided in the motor housing 96 is a vacuum motor 104 configured so that when it is turned on it evacuates air from the motor housing 96, the chamber 70, as well as the impression chamber cavity 58; and exhausts the evacuated air through an exhaust vent 106. On what in use is the top of the cylindrical motor housing 96 is a mixing motor control 108 and a vacuum motor control 110 for controlling the respective motors. These controls can be simple on/off switches, rheostats, or any kind of fixed or variable controls.

Embodiments may include a vibration motor and a vibration motor control positioned inside the motor housing and on top of the motor housing, respectively, not shown. Embodiments can include the motor housing and the mixing chamber’s lid configured as one piece.

[0041] Fig. 14 is a left side elevation view of the impression chamber 60 of Fig. 12 being brought into operative association with a bench vibrator 112 which, as will be explained below, is used to stimulate the flow of the flowable pre-set dental stone composition inside the mixing chamber to flow into the impression chamber cavity 58.

[0042] A method of using the embodiment of the dental arch model forming apparatus described herein includes at least the following steps:

[0043] 1. Selecting one of the three impression trays 10, 12, 14 that best fits a patient’s upper or lower dental arch. [0044] 2. Providing a flowable impression material in the arcuate receptacle of the impression tray.

[0045] 3. Placing the impression tray, with the arcuate receptacle filled with the flowable impression material, in a patient’s mouth to receive the patient’s tissues that comprise the dental arch, allowing full contiguous contact of the dental arch tissues with the flowable impression material.

[0046] 4. Removing the impression tray from the patient’s mouth once the flowable impression material has set into a rubbery mold and in various embodiments subsequently removing all set rubbery mold material that extends beyond the top of the inner and outer flanges 26, 27 of the impression tray 10 as well as removing any set rubbery mold material that extends beyond the remaining perimeter of the impression tray 10.

[0047] 5. Placing the impression tray 10 in the impression tray collar 30 in which the impression tray collar 30 is assembled in contiguous abutment to the inner and outer perimeter edges of the impression tray 10.

[0048] 6. Placing the assembled impression tray collar 30 with the impression tray 10 therein into the impression chamber cavity 58 of the impression chamber 60.

[0049] 7. Engaging the docking wall 74 of the mixing chamber 70 to the peripheral rim 64 of the impression chamber 60.

[0050] 8. Providing a pre-measured dental stone composition 94 in the mixing chamber 70.

[0051] 9. Docking the mixing chamber lid 86 to the mixing chamber 70, and docking the motor housing 96 to the mixing chamber’s lid 86.

[0052] 10. Evacuating air from the mixing chamber 70 and the engaged impression chamber cavity 58 by actuating the vacuum motor 104.

[0053] 11. Mixing the dental stone composition 94 in the mixing chamber 70 by actuating the mixing motor 102.

[0054] 12. Turning off the mixing motor 102 and orienting the mixing chamber

70 with the orifice 78 facing downward.

[0055] 13. Flowing the mixed dental stone composition into the impression chamber cavity 58 by vibrating the assembly using the bench vibrator 112 (or, in some embodiments actuating an integral vibrating motor which is fixed within the motor housing 96).

[0056] The step of placing the impression tray 10 within the impression tray collar 30 of the illustrated embodiment includes pivoting the securing arms 40, 42 inward to create complete contiguous contact with the outer perimeter edge of the impression tray and releasably securing the collar’s securing arms 40 42 by putting the releasable pin 47 through the slots of the stacked slotted flanges 50, 52.

[0057] 13. After the impression chamber cavity 58 is filled with the pre-set flowable dental stone, the vacuum motor and the bench vibrator can be turned off and the vacuum pressure is allowed to dissipate.

[0058] 14. The mixing chamber 70 and the impression chamber 60 are disassembled as illustrated in Figs. 15-17 and the assembled impression tray and the impression tray collar 30 is removed. After the dental stone has hardened the impression tray can be disassembled from the collar by removing the three releasable pins.

[0059] Thereafter all the parts are cleaned, and the process can be repeated.

[0060] The description of the various embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of the invention to the form disclosed. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the scope of the following claims. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiments described and shown in the figures were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All references cited herein are incorporated in their entirety by reference.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A dental arch model forming apparatus comprising:

an impression tray configured to be received in a patient’s mouth for making an impression of the patent’s dental arch, the impression tray defining an arcuate receptacle corresponding to a dental arch configured to receive a flowable impression material, the arcuate receptacle having an inner and an outer perimeter edge;

an impression tray collar receiving the impression tray, the impression tray collar being configured to secure the impression tray therein with the impression tray collar in contiguous abutment with the inner and outer perimeter edges of the impression tray;

an impression chamber having a chamber cavity receiving the impression tray collar with the impression tray therein, the chamber cavity having a peripheral rim; and

a mixing chamber having an open top and a docking wall attached to a side wall of the mixing chamber transvers the open top, there being an orifice between the mixing chamber side wall and extending through the docking wall, the peripheral rim of the chamber cavity being releasably attached in an air-tight engagement to the docking wall with the orifice communicating with the chamber cavity.

2. The dental arch model forming apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a mixing chamber lid having a releasable air-tight connection to the mixing chamber open top, the mixing chamber lid sealingly receiving a rotatable shaft of a rotatable mixing paddle received in the mixing chamber.

3. The dental arch model forming apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a mixing motor operatively associated with the rotatable mixing paddle shaft to rotate the mixing paddle.

4. The dental arch model forming apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a vacuum source operatively associated with a mixing chamber’ s interior.

5. The dental arch model forming apparatus of claims 4 wherein the mixing motor is in a motor housing attached to the mixing chamber lid opposite the mixing paddle.

6. The dental arch model forming apparatus of claim 5 further comprising the vacuum source being in the motor housing and the vacuum source being operatively associated with the mixing chamber interior by a hole in the mixing chamber lid.

7. The dental arch model forming apparatus of claim 1 wherein the impression tray collar further comprises at least one securing arm pivotably attached to a body of the impression tray collar to releasably secure the impression tray in the collar with the securing arm in contiguous abutment with at least a portion of the outer perimeter edge of the impression tray.

8. The dental arch model forming apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one securing arm comprises two securing arms with each pivotably attached to the body of the impression tray collar at a proximal end and releasably attachable to a distal end of the other securing arm with the impression tray received in the impression tray collar.

9. The dental arch model forming apparatus of claim 1 wherein the impression tray collar is a single integral piece.

10. A method of making a dental arch model of a patient comprising:

providing an impression tray configured to be received in a patient’ s mouth for making an impression of the patent’s dental arch, the impression tray defining an arcuate receptacle corresponding to a dental arch configured to receive a flowable impression material, the arcuate receptacle having an inner and an outer perimeter edge;

providing a flowable impression material in the arcuate receptacle;

placing the impression tray in a patient’s mouth to receive the patient’s dental arch in the arcuate receptacle in contact with the flowable impression material;

removing the impression tray from the patient’s mouth once the flowable impression material has set into a rubbery mold;

providing an impression tray collar configured to secure the impression tray therein with the impression tray collar in contiguous in close abutment with the inner and outer perimeter edges of the impression tray;

placing the impression tray in the impression tray collar;

providing an impression chamber having a chamber cavity configured to receive the impression tray collar with the impression tray therein, the chamber cavity having a peripheral rim;

placing the impression tray collar with the impression tray therein in the chamber cavity;

providing a mixing chamber having an open top and a docking wall attached to a side wall of the mixing chamber transverse the open top, there being an orifice between the mixing chamber side wall extending and through to the docking wall, the peripheral rim of the chamber cavity being configured for releasable air-tight engagement to the docking wall;

engaging the docking wall of the mixing chamber to the peripheral rim of the chamber cavity;

providing a dental stone composition in the mixing chamber; sealing the open top of the mixing chamber

evacuating air from the mixing chamber and the engaged chamber cavity; mixing the dental stone composition in the mixing chamber;

orienting the mixing chamber with the orifice facing downward; and flowing the mixed dental stone composition into the chamber cavity.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the impression tray collar further comprises at least one securing arm pivotably attached to a body of the impression tray collar to releasably secure the impression tray in the collar with the securing arm pivoted inward to make contiguous contact with the outer perimeter edge; and

the step of placing the impression tray in the impression tray collar comprises pivoting inward the at least one securing arm into contiguous contact with the outer perimeter edge and releasably securing at least one securing arm in contiguous contact with the outer perimeter edge.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one securing arm is two securing arms each pivotably attached to the body of the impression tray collar at a proximal end and releasably attachable to a distal end of the other securing arm with the impression tray received in the impression tray collar; and

the step of placing the impression tray in the impression tray collar comprises releasably attaching the distal ends of the securing arms.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of flowing the mixed dental stone comprises vibrating the impression chamber and the mixing chamber.

14. An impression tray collar for receiving an impression tray, the impression tray being configured to be received in a patient’s mouth for making an impression of the patient’s dental arch, the impression tray defining an arcuate receptacle corresponding to a dental arch configured to receive a flowable impression material, the arcuate receptacle having an inner and an outer perimeter edge, the impression tray collar comprising:

an impression tray collar body defining a cavity for receiving the impression tray and at least one securing arm pivotably connected to the impression tray collar body, the impression tray collar being configured to secure the impression tray in the cavity for receiving the impression tray with the impression tray collar cavity walls in contiguous abutment to the inner and outer perimeter edges of the impression tray by pivoting the securing arm into contiguous contact with the impression tray’s outer perimeter edge.

15. The impression tray collar of claim 14 wherein the at least one securing arm is two securing arms each pivotably attached to the body of the impression tray collar at a proximal end and releasably attachable to a distal end of the other securing arm with the impression tray received in the impression tray collar cavity.