The generally used methods of denture and artificial teeth production are described for example by Zsigmond Weisz in the book'Dentistry In Questions and Answers', (M. T. I. Rt., Budapest 1935) and by Jozscf Bakk'Dental Technology' (Miiszaki K6nyvkiad6, Budapest 1984).

On the basis of the above sources, according to the present state of technology the production of dentures and dental prostheses is performed with the generally known and used technology as follows.

First the patient's lower gum (mandible) and upper gum (maxilla) are moulded, then baseplates are made on the basis of the inverted moulds.

The baseplates made in this way and the moulds are placed in an articulator that models the position of the upper and lower jawbone and their connection with each other. The teeth are placed on the denture baseplates fitting the toothless gums in accordance with the anatomic position, on the top line of the baseplate. The position of the teeth is determined among others, by the so-called Monson curve and Speh curve, and on the basis of anatomic experience these lines are in accordance with the position of the natural teeth on the gums (maxilla, mandible).

For this, on the baseplates placed in the articulator, on the top line fitting the gums a wax block is made and the teeth are planted in this wax on the basis of the patient's mushbite, according to the appropriate anatomic main line, taking into consideration the antagonistic relations between the teeth and their position with respect to each other. If necessary, the position of the teeth planted in the wax is controlled with intraoral trial, and then the appropriately set teeth are fixed in a plaster block or some other fixing material. Then the wax is melted out

and plastic is cast in its place. After the plastic has hardened the plaster is removed and the denture with a plastic baseplate is ready.

For making dentures pre-formed artificial teeth made of hard plastic, generally pressed several times, twice or three times depending on the quality are used, in shapes of the 28 different types of teeth of adult people. According to the general practice, for the purpose of application, the teeth are placed on the so-called tooth-tree in anatomic order, but separated from each other, for example, spread out in a straight line. In the course of the dental technology process the teeth placed on the tooth-tree as above are used as semi-finished products, and the dentures are made from them. Generally on the tooth-tree the artificial teeth are placed in anatomic order following the position of the teeth in the denture, but its shape is not anatomic, because on the tooth-tree, generally, the artificial teeth are not placed in an arch, but in a straight line, and there is no connection or mechanic relation between them at all.

The individual implantation and treatment of the teeth is a slow process demanding great attention, in the course of which the dental technician arranges the appropriate anatomic position of the teeth by putting the individual teeth in the proper order. As presently the teeth are implanted individually, this phase of making a denture is an especially critical and long process.

According to the present state of technology several solutions have become known in connection with producing artificial teeth and dental products made with artificial teeth. The Hungarian patent application filing number P 91 03139 and published on 28/07/1993 under No. 63047 describes a process for making plastic dental form bodies, for example, artificial teeth. In the course of the process the plastic dental base bodies, for example artificial teeth are made by two-stage pressing, using labial and lingual moulding tool parts and malleable plastic. The process is characterised by that after the pressing and heat treatment performed in the first stage the lingual moulding tool part is replaced with a moulding tool part with open-end holes, ensuring a final lingual contour, and after the additional introduction of the plastic

through the open-end holes the pressing and heat treatment is continued until the introduced plastic hardens. The plastic used for pressing is applied in a slice-size suiting the pressing material volume.

A set of artificial teeth and a procedure for the production of sets of artificial teeth is described in the HU 170 898 patent description. The set of artificial teeth is characterised by that it has a form with a contour suiting the shape of the denture and provided with a part embracing the gum, two hardening denture creating material layers above the form and between the two layers, at least on the part of the form embracing the gum, there is an inlay plate. In the course of the process the two layers of the denture creating material lying on each other are created so that an inlay plate is placed between the two layers at least on the part of the form embracing the gum.

The above described solutions do not make it simpler to make dentures and they do not make easier to put the teeth to the dentures.

Our aim with the denture according to the invention is to create a solution which can solve the present problems of the production of dentures and make the production of dentures simpler.

Creating the solution according to the invention we realised that if a set of teeth made of appropriately constructed teeth stringed with fastening units in an articulated way is used instead of individual teeth when placing the teeth on the base body of the denture, then it is significantly easier to make the denture.

So the invention is a set up of teeth for dentures, which consists of artificial teeth arranged next to each other in accordance with the anatomic order of the teeth, to be put to the denture. The set up characterised by that the adjoining artificial teeth in the set up are connected with each other allowing the movement,-preferably at the anatomic contact points of the teeth,-with a connecting element which has a head and a neck. The head of the connecting element is connected to the connecting cavity made inside the artificial tooth with a neck fitting in the gap on the side of the artificial tooth.

In a preferred exemplary embodiment of the solution according to the invention, there is a gap in a part or all of the artificial teeth forming the set up on the one side of the artificial teeth and a connecting cavity inside the artificial teeth joining the gap, while on the other side of the artificial teeth, from the material of the artificial teeth in a given case, there is a connecting element made in one piece with the artificial tooth.

In another preferred exemplary embodiment of the solution according to the invention there is a gap in a part or all of the artificial teeth forming the set up on both sides of the artificial teeth and a connecting cavity inside the artificial teeth joining the gap.

In a preferred embodiment the adjoining artificial teeth are connected with a connecting element provided with a head on both ends of the neck. In a further preferred embodiment, there is a connecting element in a part of the artificial teeth forming the set up on both sides of the artificial teeth, in given case made in one piece and of the same material of the artificial teeth, and these teeth and the artificial teeth provided with a gap on both sides are arranged alternately.

Preferably the artificial teeth are made of plastic, for example polymethacrylate or made of porcelain, and the connecting elements are made of plastic and/or metal.

The solution according to the invention is presented below with the help of the following figures: Fig. 1 shows a part of the set up according to the invention from side view, partly in section.

Fig. 2 shows a part of the set up according to the invention from top view.

Fig. 3 shows the complete upper set up of teeth shaped with the connecting method according to the invention.

Fig. 4 shows the complete lower set up of teeth shaped with the connecting method according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a part of the set up according to the invention from side view, partly in section. It can be seen on the Figure that inside the adjoining 1 artificial teeth a 5 connecting cavity is made extending from the bottom of the 1 artificial tooth to the top of the 1 artificial tooth. The adjoining 1 artificial teeth are connected with 2 connecting elements joining in the adjoining 5 connecting cavities through the 6 gaps on the side of the 1 artificial teeth so that the 3 head of the 2 connecting elements is situated inside the 5 connecting cavities and the 4 neck of the 2 connecting element goes into the 5 connecting cavity inside the 1 artificial teeth through the 6 gaps on the side of the 1 artificial teeth. In one of the preferred embodiments shown on the Figure 1 the 2 connecting elements are dumb-bell shaped and are provided with 3 heads on both ends of the 4 neck, and so they join the 5 connecting cavities through the 6 gaps created in the side of the 1 artificial teeth.

On the Figure 1 the 1 artificial tooth on the left joins the 5 connecting cavity of the adjoining 1 artificial tooth with the 2 connecting element created on its side. The location of the 2 connecting elements, which determines the arrangement of the teeth with respect to each other, takes place preferably at the contact points determined by the anatomic form of the teeth, at the contact points on the approximal sides of the teeth.

The adjoining 1 artificial teeth are connected on the basis of the principle of ball-type joints, and so the 6 gap on the side of the 1 artificial tooth is preferably slightly wider outwards, formed like a cone. The 2 connecting element in the 5 connecting cavity inside the 1 artificial tooth can move freely to a certain extent in the vertical direction, because the 6 gap does not let the 3 head slip out of the 5 connecting cavity. The possible vertical shifting directions are marked on the Figure with arrows.

Fig. 2 shows a part of the set up according to the invention from top view. On the Figure the 2 connecting elements can be seen which connect the 1 artificial teeth with the 3 heads joining the 1 artificial teeth. On the Figure the possible flaring construction of the 6 gaps is

shown which makes an angular displacement of the 1 artificial teeth possible with respect to each other, in a given case at an angle of 20... 30 degrees. On the Figure the possible horizontal displacement directions are marked with arrows. Apart from these, on the basis of the principle of ball-type joints the 1 artificial teeth can turn away from each other due to the ball-shaped construction of the 3 heads in the given case, and they can move in accordance with all possibilities of moving of 2 connecting element. It makes possible to shape the requested form of the set up put together from the 1 artificial teeth.

In the given case the shape of the 5 connecting cavity inside the 1 artificial tooth extends towards the sides so that the 3 head joining into it can move sideways, which makes it possible to move the 1 artificial teeth sideways with respect to each other and to shift them to a certain extent. It is also promoted by the construction of the 6 gap, which is wider towards the outside of the 1 artificial tooth. The 5 connecting cavity is extended so and the 6 gap is constructed so that the 3 head of the 2 connecting element can move to the necessary extent, but it still does not fall out of the 5 connecting cavity. This moving possibility provides enough freedom in the course of making the denture to achieve the necessary anatomic position.

Fig. 3 shows the complete upper set up of teeth shaped with the connecting method according to the invention. On the Figure the 2 connecting elements placed in the elements of the denture and the external B'buccal'side of the denture on the side of the lip and its internal P'palatal'side are marked.

Fig. 4 shows the complete lower set up of teeth shaped with the connecting method according to the invention. On the Figure the 2 connecting elements placed in the elements of the denture and the external B'buccal'side of the denture and its internal L'lingual'side are marked. The 1 artificial teeth connected to each other with the 2 connecting elements and stringed next to each other so that they can be moved create a basic form, due to the principle of ball-type joints, in the course of bending the complete set up which, with good approximation, can be considered as an average anatomic position.

Then, in the course of making the denture, only a slight adjustment is needed to set the individual anatomic position of the teeth, and it can be done by the dental technician easily. Due to the principle of ball- type joints the adjoining teeth can easily move with respect to each other, in a given case they can even turn away from each other.

In a preferred exemplary embodiment of the solution according to the invention the arrangement of the 2 connecting elements takes place at or near the contact points determined by the anatomic form of the teeth. In a preferred case the connecting is performed with a 2 connecting element cast or pressed integral with the 1 artificial tooth.

In the case of a concrete embodiment a ball-shaped 3 head is placed on the part of the 1 artificial tooth towards the middle, and its negative copy, as a 5 connecting cavity, is milled in the other side of the 1 artificial tooth.

One of the advantages of the solution according to the invention is that it makes the production of dentures significantly simpler, because instead of putting in the teeth individually it makes it possible to create a denture appropriately for this purpose, which can be originally produced in this way, and it can be made available for dental technicians pre-formed. By this the method of denture making known so far becomes simpler and quicker.