METHOD FOR MANIPULATING A DENTAL VIRTUAL MODEL, METHOD FOR CREATING PHYSICAL ENTITIES BASED ON A DENTAL VIRTUAL MODEL THUS MANIPULATED, AND DENTAL MODELS THUS CREATED
Granted: March 15, 2012
Application Number:
20120065952
A 3D virtual model of an intra oral cavity in which at least a part of a finish line of a preparation is obscured is manipulated in virtual space by means of a computer or the like to create, recreate or reconstruct finish line data and other geometrical corresponding to the obscured part. Trimmed virtual models, and trimmed physical models, can then be created utilizing data thus created. The virtual models and/or the physical models may be used in the design and manufacture of copings…
AUTOMATED TREATMENT STAGING FOR TEETH
Granted: February 9, 2012
Application Number:
20120035901
Apparatus, system, and methods for utilizing one or more computing devices to stage the movement of teeth during an alignment treatment are disclosed. The computing device receives an electronic representation of the patient's teeth in their initial position and an electronic representation of the teeth a final position for each tooth. A route each tooth will travel to reach its final position is determined, and the teeth are scheduled to move according to a movement pattern. Moreover,…
PREVENTING INTERFERENCE BETWEEN TOOTH MODELS
Granted: February 2, 2012
Application Number:
20120028220
Systems and methods are disclosed to prevent interference between two physical tooth models in a physical dental arch model by acquiring the coordinates of a plurality of points on the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models and digitally representing the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models by a mesh of points in three dimensions using the acquired coordinates. The meshes representing the surfaces of the two physical tooth models intersect at least at one point to…
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VARYING ELASTIC MODULUS APPLIANCES
Granted: January 19, 2012
Application Number:
20120015314
The present invention provides improved devices, systems and methods for repositioning teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a final tooth arrangement. Repositioning is accomplished with a system comprising a series of polymeric shell appliances configured to receive the teeth and incrementally reposition individual teeth in a series of successive steps. The individual appliances may be formed from layers having different stiffnesses (elastic moduluses), and the stiffnesses of…
PATTERNED DENTAL POSITIONING APPLIANCE
Granted: November 3, 2011
Application Number:
20110269091
Embodiments are provided for a patterned dental positioning appliance. One method embodiment includes receiving a dental mold of a patient's dentition, applying a pattern to a portion of the dental mold, and applying a material to the dental mold to form the removable dental positioning appliance that includes either the pattern on the portion of the dental mold or an inverse thereof.
INDIVIDUALIZED ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT INDEX
Granted: November 3, 2011
Application Number:
20110270588
Embodiments are provided for using an individualized orthodontic treatment index. One method embodiment includes receiving an initial virtual dental model from a first scan of a patient's dentition, modifying the initial virtual dental model to create a target virtual dental model according to a treatment goal, assigning a number of dental references to the target virtual dental model, receiving a treatment outcome virtual dental model from a second scan of the patient's dentition,…
REINFORCED ALIGNER HOOKS
Granted: November 3, 2011
Application Number:
20110269092
Orthodontic positioning devices, and related methods and systems, are disclosed for use with one or more orthodontic elastic members. The disclosed devices are configured to couple with an orthodontic elastic member so as to react a force from the elastic member into the appliance to, for example, generate traction forces on the patient's teeth to produce a desired occlusion. A positioning device includes a patient removable tooth positioning appliance having teeth receiving cavities…
VIRTUAL CEPHALOMETRIC IMAGING
Granted: November 3, 2011
Application Number:
20110268326
Virtual cephalometric imaging includes creating a first 3D virtual model and a second 3D virtual model of a patient's dentition. The first 3D virtual model is based on a first impression taken of the patient's dentition at a first time. The second 3D virtual model is based on a second impression taken of the patient's dentition at a second time. The first and the second 3D virtual models are correlated. A 2D image is generated including a first outline representing a position of at least…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL COMPLETE TOOTH MODELING
Granted: September 1, 2011
Application Number:
20110213598
A system and method for modeling of complete tooth, including root and crown, of a patient to facilitate orthodontic treatment are provided, wherein a generic tooth modeling is combined with a tooth crown modeling for a patient to yield a complete tooth modeling. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a generic tooth three-dimensional model for a particular tooth is morphed with a three-dimensional model of a patient's crown for the corresponding tooth to yield a complete…
CLINICIAN REVIEW OF AN ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT PLAN AND APPLIANCE
Granted: July 28, 2011
Application Number:
20110184762
A computer is used to create a plan for repositioning an orthodontic patient's teeth. The computer receives an initial digital data set representing the patient's teeth at their initial positions and a final digital data set representing the teeth at their final positions. The computer then uses the data sets to generate treatment paths along which teeth will move from the initial positions to the final positions.
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING ALTERNATING USE ORTHODONTIC ALIGNERS
Granted: July 7, 2011
Application Number:
20110165533
Method and system for providing a first appliance configured for positioning substantially around one or more teeth during a first portion of a recurring time period to apply one of a first predetermined force or a predetermined tooth movement on the one or more teeth, the first appliance formed of a first material, a second appliance configured for positioning substantially around the one or more teeth during a second portion of the recurring time period to apply one of a second…
HEALTH-CARE E-COMMERCE SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Granted: June 16, 2011
Application Number:
20110145015
A virtual health-care electronic commerce community includes a network to communicate information relating to the community; one or more patients coupled to the network; one or more treating professionals coupled to the network; and a server coupled to the network, the server storing data for each patient and performing patient data visualization in response to a user request.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATED CONSTRUCTION OF ORTHODONTIC REFERENCE OBJECTS
Granted: June 9, 2011
Application Number:
20110137626
System and method for automatic construction of orthodontic reference objects, such as the occlusal plane, arch form, and the local occlusal plane for a patient's teeth are disclosed. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented system and method for automatic construction of orthodontic reference objects comprises receiving three dimensional data for the teeth, setting an initial direction for a normal of the occlusal plane, determining tips for selected teeth,…
TABBED DENTAL APPLIANCE
Granted: May 26, 2011
Application Number:
20110123941
Embodiments include dental appliances, dental appliance systems, and methods of making and using such appliances. In one embodiment, a dental appliance includes a number of tooth apertures for the placement of teeth therein and a tab representing a position of a tooth that has not fully erupted and oriented to be received over the position of the tooth that has not fully erupted.
TRACKING TEETH MOVEMENT CORRECTION
Granted: May 26, 2011
Application Number:
20110123943
Embodiments are provided for tracking teeth movement correction. One method embodiment includes using a set of positioning appliances shaped to move teeth through a number of successive stages of arrangements of an expected teeth arrangement model where each stage corresponds to a particular positioning appliance, mapping a current teeth position based upon positions of a number of physical markers attached to a number of physical teeth, comparing the positions of the number of physical…
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVED ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN ALIGNERS AND TEETH
Granted: May 26, 2011
Application Number:
20110123944
A system and method for repositioning teeth in a patient jaw includes an attachment bonded to a tooth. The attachment has at least one force receiving component for receiving a force. A polymeric shell repositioning appliance is positioned over at least some of the teeth in the patient jaw. The polymeric shell has at least one force transmitting component for engaging the force receiving component to form a locus of engagement. The locus of engagement transmits the force and moves but is…
SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING FINAL POSITION OF TEETH
Granted: May 12, 2011
Application Number:
20110112804
An apparatus and method define a fit of a set of upper and lower teeth of a patient by generating a computer representation of the teeth; and determining an occlusion from the computer representation of the teeth using one or more keys.
GENERATING A DYNAMIC THREE-DIMENSIONAL OCCLUSOGRAM
Granted: May 5, 2011
Application Number:
20110104630
Methods and systems for generating a three-dimensional occlusogram are disclosed. One method includes determining a virtual three dimensional (3D) mesh model object of at least one tooth of a patient and displaying the determined virtual 3D mesh model object of at least one tooth of a patient wherein the 3D mesh model object includes a plurality of data sets associated with a set of occlusal information for the at least one tooth of the patient.
Activatable Dental Appliance
Granted: March 31, 2011
Application Number:
20110076635
An activatable dental appliance. A concave trough conforms to a plurality of teeth when placed over the plurality of teeth. A first force applying region is configured to apply a first force to at least one tooth of the plurality of teeth for repositioning the tooth. A second force applying region is configured to be selectively activated, wherein when selectively activated the second force applying region applies a force to at least one tooth of the plurality of teeth.
Activatable Dental Appliance
Granted: March 31, 2011
Application Number:
20110077768
An activatable dental appliance. A concave trough conforms to a plurality of teeth when placed over the plurality of teeth. A first force applying region is configured to apply a first force to at least one tooth of the plurality of teeth for repositioning the tooth. A second force applying region is configured to be selectively activated, wherein when selectively activated the second force applying region applies a force to at least one tooth of the plurality of teeth.
