Method of making a denture

Abstract

A denture is manufactured in a single visit using a pre-formed dental template chosen from a plurality of different sized dental templates, based on the size of a patient's alveolar edentulous ridge. The dental template includes a base acrylic with prosthetic teeth attached thereto. A viscous material such as an acrylic is added to the selected dental template and the dental template with the added viscous material is placed on the patient's alveolar edentulous ridge. The viscous material is then allowed to solidify to form a rigid or semi-rigid material with the template in proper position in three planes and properly border molded. After solidification a denture is formed that consists of a first base acrylic portion in conterminous relation with a second portion formed of the solidified material that had been added as a viscous material, and with teeth joined to the base acrylic portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for forming a denture for a patient in a single visit, said method comprising:
 providing a plurality of denture templates having different sizes, each having been pre-formed to a pre-formed shape and comprising a base acrylic portion with prosthetic teeth adjoined thereto;   selecting a first dental template of said plurality of dental templates that has a size generally corresponding to a size of said patient's edentulous alveolar ridge but does not fit conformably thereto;   adding viscous material to said first dental template;   positioning said first dental template on said patient's edentulous alveolar ridge thereby urging said viscous material to conform to contours of said patient's edentulous alveolar ridge; and   allowing said viscous material to solidify to produce a solidified molded portion therefrom, thereby forming a denture comprised of said prosthetic teeth, said base acrylic portion and said solidified molded portion.   
     
     
         2 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein said adding viscous material to said first dental template comprises adding a viscous acrylic material to said first dental template such that said solidified molded portion comprises a solidified acrylic portion and said denture comprises said prosthetic teeth, said base acrylic portion and said solidified acrylic portion. 
     
     
         3 . The method as in  claim 2 , wherein said viscous acrylic material comprises at least one of a monomer and a polymer and said allowing said viscous acrylic material to solidify comprises allowing said viscous acrylic material to air dry to produce a long chain polymer. 
     
     
         4 . The method as in  claim 2 , wherein said viscous acrylic material comprises at least one of a mono or poly-methyl methacrylate and said allowing said viscous acrylic material to solidify comprises curing said acrylic viscous material to produce a long chain polymer. 
     
     
         5 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein said denture comprises a maxillary denture and further comprising repeating said method to produce a mandibular denture and wherein said positioning includes positioning a first dental template with respect to said maxillary denture during said repeating. 
     
     
         6 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein said allowing said viscous material to solidify comprises curing. 
     
     
         7 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein said adding comprises inserting said viscous material directly into a recess in said base acrylic portion, said recess adapted for receiving said patient's edentulous alveolar ridge. 
     
     
         8 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein said selecting includes measuring said patient's edentulous alveolar ridge. 
     
     
         9 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein said providing a plurality of denture templates having different sizes comprises providing at least four different sizes. 
     
     
         10 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein said solidified molded portion comprises a rigid or semi-rigid material. 
     
     
         11 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein said adding comprises adding said viscous material to directly contact said base acrylic portion and said denture includes said base acrylic portion being conterminous with said solidified molded portion. 
     
     
         12 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein said positioning includes applying pressure and further comprising trimming excess portions of said viscous material prior to said allowing or trimming excess portions of said solidified molded portion after said allowing. 
     
     
         13 . The method as in  claim 1 , wherein said selecting, said adding, said positioning and said allowing take place in one office visit and said solidified molded portion comprises a semi-rigid material. 
     
     
         14 . A denture comprising:
 teeth; and   a denture base consisting of two acrylic portions including a template formed of a first acrylic portion directly coupled to said teeth and a second acrylic portion being conterminous with said first acrylic portion and being conformal a patient's edentulous alveolar ridge.   
     
     
         15 . The denture as in  claim 14 , wherein said denture template is pre-formed and said second acrylic portion is made in one office visit. 
     
     
         16 . The denture as in  claim 15 , wherein said second acrylic portion is a rigid or semi-rigid material. 
     
     
         17 . The denture as in  claim 14 , wherein said first acrylic portion and said second acrylic portion are formed of a different acrylic. 
     
     
         18 . A denture comprising two acrylic portions including a template formed of a first acrylic portion and having teeth coupled directly thereto and a second acrylic portion conterminous with said first acrylic portion and conformal to a patient's edentulous alveolar ridge, said denture formed according to the method of:
 providing a plurality of denture templates having different sizes, each having been pre-formed and comprising said first acrylic portion with said teeth adjoined directly thereto;   selecting a first dental template of said plurality of dental templates that has a size most closely corresponding to a size of said patient's edentulous alveolar ridge but does not fit conformably thereto;   adding viscous acrylic material to said first dental template;   positioning said first dental template on said patient's edentulous alveolar ridge thereby urging said viscous acrylic material to conform to contours of said patient's edentulous alveolar ridge; and   allowing said viscous acrylic material to solidify to produce said second acrylic portion thereby forming said denture comprising said teeth, said first acrylic portion and said second acrylic portion,   wherein said selecting, said adding, said positioning and said allowing take place in one office visit.   
     
     
         19 . The denture as in  claim 18 , wherein said method further comprises trimming excess portions of said viscous acrylic material or said second acrylic portion and wherein said positioning includes applying pressure. 
     
     
         20 . The denture as in  claim 18 , wherein said viscous acrylic material comprises a methyl methacrylate polymer or copolymer.