Root-based tooth moving sequencing
Granted: September 22, 2005
Application Number:
20050208449
Systems and methods are disclosed for repositioning the teeth of a patient by providing a digital model of each tooth of the patient; determining one or more root parameters from the digital model; and digitally moving one or more tooth models and evaluating a treatment outcome based on one or more root movement clinical constraints.
Methods and systems for modeling bite registration
Granted: September 8, 2005
Application Number:
20050196724
The present invention provides methods and devices for determining an axis of upper and lower jaw articulation of a patient and modeling jaw movement about such an axis, particularly with the use of computerized visual images. The methods comprise providing digital data sets of tooth and bite configuration information which may be used to determine an estimated condylar axis of rotation for a patient. A number of data sets may be acquired and utilized for such estimations. Data sets may…
Systems and methods for temporally staging teeth
Granted: September 1, 2005
Application Number:
20050191593
Systems and methods are disclosed for moving teeth by moving a first tooth; and moving a second tooth while isolating the first tooth at a rest position.
Dental data mining
Granted: September 1, 2005
Application Number:
20050192835
Systems and methods are disclosed providing a database comprising a compendium of at least one of patient treatment history; orthodontic therapies, orthodontic information and diagnostics; employing a data mining technique for interrogating said database for generating an output data stream, the output data stream correlating a patient malocclusion with an orthodontic treatment; and applying the output data stream to improve a dental appliance or a dental appliance usage.
Arch expander
Granted: August 25, 2005
Application Number:
20050186524
Systems and methods are disclosed for making an arch expander for a patient by scanning the patient's dentition; fabricating an appliance adapted to be positioned between posterior teeth and a palatal arch, the appliance having first and second movable portions; and providing an expander between the first and second portions of the appliance.
Systems and methods for providing treatment planning
Granted: August 18, 2005
Application Number:
20050182654
A virtual health-care community is disclosed. The community includes a network to communicate information relating to the community; one or more treatment consultants 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 facilitating secured data sharing by the community.
Surgical dental appliance
Granted: June 23, 2005
Application Number:
20050136371
A dental splint includes upper and lower appliances having cavities shaped to receive teeth on a patient's maxillary and mandibular arches, respectively; and a connection member adapted to fixedly secure the upper and lower appliances together.
Systems and methods for improved engagement between aligners and teeth
Granted: May 19, 2005
Application Number:
20050106525
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…
Dental tray containing radiopaque materials
Granted: May 19, 2005
Application Number:
20050106528
A method to create a digital model of a patient's teeth includes taking an impression of the patient's teeth using a radiopaque dental tray; scanning the impression and the dental tray using a dental tray containing a radiopaque agent; scanning the impression and the dental tray using a radiographic source; and generating the digital model with scanned data.
Dental impression tray with detachable portions
Granted: May 19, 2005
Application Number:
20050106529
A dental tray to receive a dental impression material thereon includes a base having a plurality of prongs the base having one or more openings to allow flowing of the dental impression material; a first wall extending from one side of the base, the first wall having one or more openings to allow flowing of the dental impression material; and at least one detachable portion formed on one end of one prong, the detachable portion being removable to shorten the prong length.
Defining tooth-moving appliances computationally
Granted: April 14, 2005
Application Number:
20050079468
Methods and corresponding apparatus for segmenting an orthodontic treatment path into clinically appropriate substeps for repositioning the teeth of a patient include providing a digital finite element model of the shape and material of each of a sequence of appliances to be applied to a patient; providing a digital finite element model of the teeth and related mouth tissue of the patient; computing the actual effect of the appliances on the teeth by analyzing the finite elements models…
Efficient data representation of teeth model
Granted: March 10, 2005
Application Number:
20050055118
A computer-implemented method generates a computer model of one or more teeth by receiving as input a digital data set of meshes representing the teeth; selecting a curved coordinate system with mappings to and from a 3D space; and generating a function in the curved coordinate system to represent each tooth.
Systems and methods for treatment analysis by teeth matching
Granted: March 3, 2005
Application Number:
20050048432
Systems and methods are disclosed for matching computer models of two sets of teeth each having corresponding matching regions includes calculating a difference for two sets of teeth shapes; finding the position of one set of teeth with respect to the other set of teeth; calculating a positional difference of the corresponding teeth based on the matching regions; and finding a corrective path to bring one set of teeth to the other set of teeth.
Methods and systems for treating teeth
Granted: February 3, 2005
Application Number:
20050026102
A system for repositioning teeth comprises a plurality of individual appliances used with braces. The appliances are configured to be placed successively on the patient's teeth and to incrementally reposition the teeth from an initial tooth arrangement, through a plurality of intermediate tooth arrangements, and to a final tooth arrangement. The appliances may be substituted with braces as appropriate to optimize the treatment of the teeth.
Systems and methods for positioning teeth
Granted: January 27, 2005
Application Number:
20050019721
A computer-implemented method treats teeth by generating a digital arrangement of teeth; specifying a sequence of tooth movements to move the teeth to a target arrangement; and generating one or more appliances in accordance with the specified sequence of tooth movements, the appliances comprise polymeric shells having cavities and wherein the cavities of successive shells have different geometries shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth from one arrangement to a successive…
Dental appliance sequence ordering system and method
Granted: January 6, 2005
Application Number:
20050003319
The present invention provides systems and methods for providing dental appliances, particularly orthodontic appliances, to a patient wherein the patient is easily able to determine the order or sequence in which the appliances should be worn. Typically the appliances are to be worn in a particular sequence to provide desired treatment, such as a progressive movement of teeth through a variety of arrangements to a final desired arrangement.
Systems and methods for fabricating a dental template
Granted: December 16, 2004
Application Number:
20040253562
A dental template to position an object on a patient's tooth includes digitizing the patient's tooth; adding virtual objects to predetermined three-dimensional positions on the digitized tooth; and fabricating the dental template to locate the object at the predetermined 3D position on the patient's tooth. The template can be used for etching or for positioning brackets on teeth.
Systems and methods for providing mass customization
Granted: December 2, 2004
Application Number:
20040243361
A method for mass-customizing a product by fitting a first object by generating a virtual model of the first object, altering the virtual model to generate a transformed virtual model, and generating a second physical object from the transformed virtual model.
Systems and methods for fabricating a dental template with a 3-D object placement
Granted: November 18, 2004
Application Number:
20040229185
A dental template to position an object on a patient's tooth includes digitizing the patient's tooth; adding virtual objects to predetermined three-dimensional positions on the digitized tooth; and fabricating the dental template to locate the object at the predetermined 3D position on the patient's tooth. The template can be used for etching or for positioning brackets on teeth.
System and method for releasing tooth positioning appliances
Granted: October 21, 2004
Application Number:
20040209218
An improved dental appliance system, and methods for using and fabricating the improved appliance, including a polymeric overlay or shell having a teeth-receiving cavity formed therein. The dental appliance having the necessary stiffness or strength to firmly secure the appliance on the teeth and provide controlled forces required for repositioning the teeth, until such time as removal of the appliance is desired. The appliance may be configured for use with a removal mechanism. The…
