Dental crown, coping and method

Claim 2

A .[.jacket.]. .Iadd.dental .Iaddend.crown comprising a composite body .[.including.]. .Iadd.formed from .Iaddend.a thin foil of high fusing temperature metal having a surface geometry conforming to a die to which it has been adapted .[.with the foil having at least a minimum of three folded over pleats with each pleat forming a triangular like flap in the unfolded position,.]. a thin coating of a .[.noble.]. .Iadd.gold .Iaddend.based .Iadd.noble .Iaddend.metal composition superimposed over one surface of said .[.thin metal foil and disposed beneath the folded over pleats.]. .Iadd.high fusing temperature metal with said composite body having a plurality of folded over sections which radially extend from an axis through the center of the foil in a symmetrical arrangement about the center of the foil .Iaddend.and a relatively thick outer coating of a dental veneering material.

Claim 3

A .[.jacket.]. .Iadd.dental .Iaddend.crown as defined in claim 1 wherein said folded over .[.pleats overlap one another.]. .Iadd.sections constitute pleated sections with each pleated section represented by fold lines which form a triangular like flap in the unfolded position.Iaddend..

Claim 4

A .[.jacket.]. .Iadd.dental .Iaddend.crown as claimed in claim 2 wherein said thin foil is composed of platinum and wherein said veneering material is fired on dental porcelain.

Claim 5

A .[.jacket.]. .Iadd.dental .Iaddend.crown as claimed in claim 2 wherein said .[.noble.]. .Iadd.gold .Iaddend.based .Iadd.noble .Iaddend.metal composition comprises at least 50% gold and at least one of the following elements selected from the group consisting of: silver, palladium, iridium, copper and aluminum.

Claim 6

A .[.jacket.]. .Iadd.dental .Iaddend.crown as claimed in claim 4 wherein the weight of said noble based metal in said jacket crown is between about 20 to 30 milligrams.

Claim 7

A dental coping for a .[.jacket.]. crown restoration comprising a thin foil of high fusing temperature metal .[.arranged in a prefolded geometrical configuration having at least a minimum of three pleated sections with each pleated section represented by fold lines which form a triangular like flap and a coating of a noble based metal composition superimposed upon the surface of said thin foil over said pleated sections.]. .Iadd.having a thin gold based noble metal composition disposed upon the surface of said thin foil with said thin foil arranged in a prefolded geometrical configuration having a plurality of overlapping sections.Iaddend..

Claim 8

A dental coping for a .[.jacket.]. crown restoration comprising a thin foil of high fusing temperature metal .[.arranged in a prefolded geometrical configuration having at least a minimum of three pleated sections with each pleated section represented by fold lines which form a triangular like flap and a coating of a noble based metal composition superimposed upon the surface of said thin foil over said pleated sections.]. .Iadd.having a thin gold based noble metal composition disposed upon the surface of said thin foil with said thin foil arranged in a prefolded geometrical configuration having a plurality of overlapping sections.Iaddend..

Claim 9

A dental coping as defined in claim .[.6.]. .Iadd.20 .Iaddend.wherein each .[.pleated section is of a size such that upon folding it will overlap an adjacent pleated section.]. .Iadd.section is pleated and represented by fold lines which form a triangular like flap in the unfolded configuration..Iaddend.

Claim 10

A dental coping as defined in claim .[.7.]. .Iadd.6 .Iaddend.wherein said thin foil was circular in shape before folding.

Claim 11

A dental coping as defined in claim 8 wherein said fold lines radially extend from an unfolded area substantially in the center of said coping with the unfolding area being small compared to total area of the foil.

Claim 12

A dental coping as defined in claim 9 wherein said thin foil is composed of platinum.

Claim 13

A dental coping as defined in claim 10 further comprising a plurality of small slotted opening arranged about the periphery of said coping.

Claim 16

A method as claimed in claim 12 further comprising the step of forming small slotted openings about the periphery of said coated foil substrate following the folding step.

Claim 17

A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said slotted openings are formed along the fold lines.

Claim 18

A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said veneering material is a fired on procelain.

Claim 19

A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said heating step is performed by placing said inner structure under the flame of a bunsen burner for between 5 to about 30 seconds. .Iadd.

Claim 20

A method of forming a dental coping for a dental crown comprising the steps of forming a thin foil metal composite of a high fusing temperature metal and a superimposed low fusing temperature metal, prefolding said foil to form a plurality of foldable sections which radially extend from an area in the center of the foil adapted to be mounted over the occlusal surface of the tooth to be restored in a symmetrical arrangement with respect to the center of the foil, folding the sections over, adapting said composite foil to a die of the tooth to be restored, removing said composite foil from said die and heating said composite foil to a temperature above the low fusing metal temperature so as to cause said low fusing temperature metal to melt for forming a compact matrix between said high fusing temperature metal layer, the folded over sections of foil, and the melted gold based low fusing temperature metal. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. A method as defined in claim 17 wherein said composite body is heated by subjecting it to the flame of a bunsen burner or in a furnace at a temperature of about 1020° C. to 1070° C. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. A method as defined in claim 18 wherein the folded over sections of said composite body are folded to overlap one another. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20. A dental coping as defined in claim 9, wherein said folded over sections overlap. .Iaddend.