Low shrinkage dental material and method

Abstract

The invention provides a low polymerization shrinkage dental composition and a polymerizable dental material selected from the group consisting of wax-like dental material that undergoes ring open polymerization. The dental composition is useful as restorative material and for making artificial teeth, dentures, restoratives, crowns and bridges of high strength dental polymeric material.

1 . A polymerizable dental material having improved resistance to shrinkage, comprising a crystallizable material that can be melted and which exhibits a volume expansion upon melting.  
   
   
       2 . A dental material as in  claim 1 , wherein said crystallizable material is flowable at temperatures above about 40 degrees C. and which is dimensionally stable below about 23 degrees C.  
   
   
       3 . A dental material as in  claim 1 , wherein said crystallizable material is wax-like.  
   
   
       4 . A dental material as in  claim 1 , wherein said crystallizable material can be initiated to undergo ring open polymerization.  
   
   
       5 . A dental material as in  claim 1 , wherein said crystallizable material is formed from an epoxy oligomer.  
   
   
       6 . A dental material as in  claim 5 , wherein said epoxy oligomer is the reaction product of an imiazole and an adipate.  
   
   
       7 . A dental material as in  claim 6 , wherein said imidazole is 2-methylimidazole.  
   
   
       8 . A dental material as in  claim 6 , wherein said adipate is bis(3,4-epoxy-6-methylcyclohexylmethyl)adipate.  
   
   
       9 . A dental material as in  claim 6 , wherein said reaction product is also reacted in the presence of a diol.  
   
   
       10 . A dental material as in  claim 9 , wherein said diol is 1,10 decanediol.  
   
   
       11 . A dental material as in  claim 5 , wherein said epoxy oligomer is the reaction product of an imiazole, an ether and a diol.  
   
   
       12 . A dental material as in  claim 11 , wherein said imidazole is 2-methylimidazole.  
   
   
       13 . A dental material as in  claim 11 , wherein said ether is bisphenol A proxylate diglycidyl ether.  
   
   
       14 . A dental material as in  claim 11 , wherein said diol is 1,10 decanediol.  
   
   
       15 . A wax-like dental material prepared by reacting the oligomer of  claim 5  with an ether and OPPI.  
   
   
       16 . A wax-like dental material formed by reacting is bisphenol A proxylate diglycidyl ether, a diol, OPPI and of 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyidiphenylphosphine oxide.