Decorated dental appliances and methods for producing same

Abstract

A method includes the steps of providing a disk, wherein the disk has a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a profile, and wherein the disk includes an FDA-compliant plastic material that is configured to be formed into a dental appliance; providing a graphic part, wherein the graphic part includes: a first carrier film, and a graphic disposed on the first carrier film, providing a heat stamping press having a lower platen and an upper platen; positioning the disk on the lower platen; positioning the graphic part on the disk such that the graphic of the graphic part contacts a portion of the first side of the disk; and heat stamping the disk and the graphic part with the heat stamping press, thereby causing the graphic to fuse with the disk to produce a decorated disk.

1 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A device, comprising:
 a disk having a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a profile,
 wherein the first side has a first surface having a first surface area; and 
   a graphic in direct contact with a portion of the first side of the disk and located within the first surface of the disk,
 wherein the graphic has a graphic surface area, 
 wherein the graphic surface area is between 50% and 70% of the first surface area of the first side of the disk, 
   wherein the disk includes an FDA-compliant plastic material that is configured to be formed into a dental appliance.   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the graphic surface area is between 60% and 65% of the first surface area of the first side of the disk. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the graphic comprises an FDA-compliant olefin-based resin. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the profile of the disk is a square. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the square has a side length of between 4 inches and 6 inches. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the square has a side length of 5 inches. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the profile of the disk is a circle. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the circle has a diameter of between 100 millimeters and 150 millimeters. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the circle has a diameter of 125 millimeters.