DENTAL POSITIONING APPLIANCE HAVING METALLIC PORTION
Granted: April 8, 2010
Application Number:
20100086890
Embodiments are provided for utilizing metallic portions in dental positioning appliances. One embodiment includes a removable dental positioning appliance having a shell having one or more cavities shaped to receive and reposition one or more teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation and where at least a portion of the shell is formed from a metallic mesh material.
SHAPE ENGINEERED ALIGNER - AUTO SHAPING
Granted: March 4, 2010
Application Number:
20100055635
The present invention relates to orthodontic positioning appliances and related methods. An appliance in accordance with the present invention has teeth receiving cavities shaped to receive and apply a resilient positioning force to the patient's teeth. At least one of the cavities of the appliance includes a portion shaped to compensate for non-elastic deformation due to use of the appliance.
TREATMENT ANALYSIS SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Granted: February 11, 2010
Application Number:
20100036682
A dental treatment planning system includes an input form to receive one or more dental patient inputs; and an engine adapted to receive the dental patient data from the input form and validating the dental patient data in a predetermined sequence.
Visualizing and Manipulating Digital Models for Dental Treatment
Granted: January 14, 2010
Application Number:
20100009308
Methods and apparatus for visualizing and manipulating three-dimensional digital dental models and related methods and apparatus for dental treatments are disclosed. In one aspect, a method for visualizing and manipulating a three-dimensional digital dental model may comprise viewing the three-dimensional digital dental model and using hand gestures to instruct a computer to manipulate one or more teeth in the digital dental model. In other aspects, a dental treatment method may comprise…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DISTRIBUTING PATIENT REFERRALS
Granted: November 26, 2009
Application Number:
20090292556
Practitioners are certified to perform a medical procedure, such as an orthodontic procedure. Certified practitioners are maintained in a referral directory and classified within tiers based on criteria such as the number of procedures that they have performed. Inquiries are solicited from prospective patients, and referral lists are provided to those patients who request them. The referral lists are obtained from the referral directory with doctors from higher tiers who have performed…
RECONSTRUCTION OF NON-VISIBLE PART OF TOOTH
Granted: October 1, 2009
Application Number:
20090246726
A computer-implemented method for modeling a complete tooth of a patient to facilitate dental and/or orthodontic treatment. The method includes generating a first set of digital data representing a clinical crown; generating a second set of digital data representing a plurality of digital tooth models of a particular tooth type each having a first parameterization; processing the second set of digital data to obtain a third set of digital data representing an average tooth model of the…
ORTHODONTIC REPOSITIONING APPLIANCES HAVING IMPROVED GEOMETRY, METHODS AND SYSTEMS
Granted: July 30, 2009
Application Number:
20090191502
The present invention provides methods and systems including orthodontic tooth positioning appliances. An exemplary appliance can include teeth receiving cavities shaped such that, when worn by a patient, repositioning the patient's teeth from a first arrangement toward a subsequent or target arrangement. Appliances can include a cavity having one or more shaped features or protrusions shaped and/or positioned so as to apply a desired force to a patient's tooth received in the cavity and…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPTIMIZING DENTAL ALIGNER GEOMETRY
Granted: July 30, 2009
Application Number:
20090191503
Method and system for establishing an initial position of a tooth, determining a target position of the tooth in a treatment plan, calculating a movement vector associated with the tooth movement from the initial position to the target position, determining a plurality of components corresponding to the movement vector, and determining a corresponding one or more positions of a respective one or more attachment devices relative to a surface plane of the tooth such that the one or more…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVED DENTAL GEOMETRY REPRESENTATION
Granted: June 11, 2009
Application Number:
20090148809
A digital data set representing a pre-scanned tooth geometry, including generic crown data, is merged with data representing a scanned patient tooth crown image, which lacks sufficient data to completely represent a complete tooth crown.
AUTOMATED METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CASE MATCHING ASSESSMENT BASED ON GEOMETRICAL EVALUATION OF STAGES IN TREATMENT PLAN
Granted: May 21, 2009
Application Number:
20090132455
Methods and systems for characterizing a dentition of a patient including receiving an initial dentition of a patient, generating an initial profile representing the initial dentition of the patient, identifying an initial malocclusion from the initial profile, comparing at least a portion of the initial profile with one or more reference profiles of reference dentitions, wherein said one or more reference profiles includes a reference malocclusion substantially similar to the initial…
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DENTAL APPLIANCE COMPLIANCE INDICATION
Granted: May 7, 2009
Application Number:
20090117507
An apparatus for monitoring orthodontic treatment compliance includes an appliance adapted to be worn over one or more teeth; and a compliance indicator mounted on the appliance to indicate compliance.
TOOTH MOVEMENT TRACKING SYSTEM
Granted: March 5, 2009
Application Number:
20090061382
A method for determining movement of a tooth model from a first position to a second position, comprising: marking one or more points on the tooth model at the first position using a laser; capturing a first image of the tooth model at the first position; identifying first locations of the points on the tooth model in the first image; capturing a second image of the tooth model at the second position; identifying second locations of the points on the tooth model in the second image; and…
SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR CASTING PHYSICAL TOOTH MODEL
Granted: February 26, 2009
Application Number:
20090053669
A casting chamber for casting a physical tooth model representing a patient's tooth includes a chamber body and a lid. The chamber body includes a cavity adapted to hold a negative impression of the patient's tooth and to receive a cast material, wherein the negative impression and the chamber body are registered by a registration unit. The chamber lid is configured to seal the cast material in the casting chamber to permit the casting material to solidify in the casting chamber to form…
Image-Based Viewing System
Granted: December 25, 2008
Application Number:
20080316209
Systems and methods are disclosed for visualizing changes in a three dimensional (3D) model by receiving an initial 3D model; determining a target 3D model; and generating one or more intermediate 3D models by morphing one or more of the 3D models.
SYSTEMS AND METHOD FOR MANAGEMENT AND DELIVERY OF ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT
Granted: December 11, 2008
Application Number:
20080305452
The present invention provides systems and methods of managing delivery of an orthodontic treatment plan using treatment guidelines, instructions and appointment planning tools customized to the individual patient being treated. A method includes, e.g., generating a treatment plan for a patient, generating a customized set of treatment guidelines, providing the set of customized treatment guidelines to the practitioner; and providing a set of orthodontic appliances to the practitioner.
TREATMENT PROGRESS TRACKING AND RECALIBRATION
Granted: December 11, 2008
Application Number:
20080305453
The present invention relates to systems and methods of developing and tracking delivery and patient progression through an orthodontic treatment plan. One method includes identifying deviations from an orthodontic treatment plan, including receiving a digital representation of an actual arrangement of a patient's teeth after an orthodontic treatment plan has begun for the patient and prior to completion of the orthodontic treatment plan. The method further includes comparing the actual…
TREATMENT PLANNING AND PROGRESS TRACKING SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Granted: December 11, 2008
Application Number:
20080306724
The present invention provides systems and methods of managing planning and delivery of an orthodontic treatment using planning tools, treatment guidelines, instructions and appointment planning tools customized to the individual patient being treated, as well as tools and methods for tracking delivery and patient progression through an orthodontic treatment plan.
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING ALTERNATING USE ORTHODONTIC ALIGNERS
Granted: December 4, 2008
Application Number:
20080299507
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…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EFFICIENT ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
Granted: November 20, 2008
Application Number:
20080288289
Method and system for providing generating an orthodontic treatment data package, generating a patient identifier associated with the orthodontic treatment data package, transmitting the generated orthodontic treatment data package to a remote site, encoding the patient identifier and disposing the encoded patient identifier on a housing of an orthodontic treatment container are provided.
Accurately Predicting and Preventing Interference Between Tooth Models
Granted: November 13, 2008
Application Number:
20080280246
Systems and methods for preventing interference between two physical tooth models in a physical dental arch model includes digitally representing the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models by a mesh of points in three dimensions, interpolating the meshes of points to produce interpolated surfaces to represent the boundaries of the two physical tooth models, wherein the interpolated surfaces representing the boundaries of the two physical tooth models intersect at least at one…
