Methods for correcting tooth movements midcourse in treatment
Granted: March 13, 2003
Application Number:
20030049584
Appliances are made using a dental mold representing a patient's dental configuration. In particular, thermoformable plastic positioning appliances which fit over the patient's teeth may be formed over a three-dimensional mold of the patient's dentition. An apparatus and methods which employ a manipulable or reconfigurable mold to model patient dentition and gingiva at each stage of treatment. The apparatus and methods are particularly useful for performing midcourse corrections during…
Manipulating a digital dentition model to form models of individual dentition components
Granted: February 27, 2003
Application Number:
20030039389
A programmed computer is used to create a digital model of an individual component of a patient's dentition. The computer obtains a 3D digital mode of the patient's dentition, identifies points in the dentition model that lie on an inter-proximal margin between adjacent teeth in the patient's dentition, and uses the identified points to create a cutting surface that separates portions of the dentition model representing the adjacent teeth.
Methods for correcting deviations in preplanned tooth rearrangements
Granted: February 27, 2003
Application Number:
20030039940
Orthodontic treatment is achieved using a series of successive, removable repositioning appliances, such as thin polymeric shell appliances referred to as aligners. A set of aligners is originally provided to the patient. If the patient's treatment goes off course using the original set of aligners, further aligners are designed and fabricated to move the deviant tooth arrangement back to a target tooth arrangement which was part of the original treatment program.
Digitally modeling the deformation of gingival tissue during orthodontic treatment
Granted: February 27, 2003
Application Number:
20030039941
A computer obtains a digital model of a patient's dentition, including a dental model representing the patient's teeth at a set of initial positions and a gingival model representing gum tissue surrounding the teeth. The computer then derives from the digital model an expected deformation of the gum tissue as the teeth move from the initial positions to another set of positions.
Dental decals and method of application
Granted: January 9, 2003
Application Number:
20030008259
A system for repositioning teeth includes a plurality of individual appliances. The system can be esthetically enhanced with one or more dental decorations attached to the surface of each appliance.
Efficient data representation of teeth model
Granted: January 9, 2003
Application Number:
20030009252
A computer-implemented method for generating a computer model of one or more teeth by receiving a digital data set of meshes representing the teeth; creating a parametric representation of the digital data set; and displaying the computer model of the teeth using the parametric representation.
Defining tooth-moving appliances computationally
Granted: January 2, 2003
Application Number:
20030003416
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…
Embedded features and methods of a dental appliance
Granted: December 19, 2002
Application Number:
20020192617
Traditional orthodontic treatment often involves the use of basic repositioning devices, such as braces, and the use of supplementary devices, components or accessories to achieve desired end results. Such components may be mounted on fixed, non-removable devices or they may be part of a removable appliance typically worn prior to the application of the fixed devices. As with traditional treatment, it may be desired to utilize similar components when repositioning teeth with removable…
Systems and methods for varying elastic modulus appliances
Granted: December 12, 2002
Application Number:
20020187451
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…
Systems and methods for removing gingiva from computer tooth models
Granted: November 28, 2002
Application Number:
20020177108
A computer-implemented method separates gingiva from a model of a tooth by defining a cutting surface along the gingiva; and applying the cutting surface to the tooth to separate the gingiva from the tooth.
Method and system for incrementally moving teeth
Granted: October 17, 2002
Application Number:
20020150855
A system for repositioning teeth comprises a plurality of individual appliances. 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 system of appliances is usually configured at the outset of treatment so that the patient may progress through treatment without the need to have the treating…
System and method for releasing tooth positioning appliances
Granted: October 3, 2002
Application Number:
20020142258
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…
Method and system for distributing patient referrals
Granted: September 19, 2002
Application Number:
20020133386
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…
System and method for positioning teeth
Granted: August 29, 2002
Application Number:
20020119423
Methods and apparatus fit a set of upper and lower teeth in a masticatory system by generating a computer representation of the masticatory system and computing an occlusion based on interactions in the computer representation of the masticatory system.
Attachment devices and methods for a dental appliance
Granted: August 8, 2002
Application Number:
20020106604
The present invention provides improved systems and methods for removably attaching a dental positioning appliance to the dental features of a patient during orthodontic treatment. These appliances function by applying force to specific surfaces of the teeth or dental features to cause directed movement. The application of force is improved by the use of one or more attachment devices which may be positioned on the teeth or dental features to provide the appropriate physical features.…
Manipulating a digital dentition model to form models of individual dentition components
Granted: August 1, 2002
Application Number:
20020102009
A programmed computer is used to create a digital model of an individual component of a patient's dentition. The computer obtains a 3D digital model of the patient's dentition, identifies points in the dentition model that lie on an inter-proximal margin between adjacent teeth in the patient's dentition, and uses the identified points to create a cutting surface that separates portions of the dentition model representing the adjacent teeth.
Manipulable dental model system for fabrication of a dental appliance
Granted: July 18, 2002
Application Number:
20020094503
The present invention provides a manipulable or reconfigurable dental model system and methods for its use to model a series of tooth configurations corresponding to sequential tooth movements during an orthodontic treatment. When a patient undergoes orthodontic treatment, teeth and bite configurations are realigned in a series of stages. Each stage represents a new pattern or dental configuration that will eventually lead to a proper final positioning of the entire dentition. Progress…
Method and kits for forming pontics in polymeric shell aligners
Granted: June 27, 2002
Application Number:
20020081546
Systems and methods are disclosed for forming a pontic in a polymeric shell dental appliance, including providing a polymeric shell dental appliance of the type which is removably placeable over a patient's dentition, said shell having a concave trough which conforms to the teeth when the appliance is placed over the dentition and a location in the trough corresponding to a missing tooth; and depositing a flexible, durably affixed material in the location to form the pontic.
Method and system for incrementally moving teeth
Granted: May 30, 2002
Application Number:
20020064747
A system for repositioning teeth comprises a plurality of individual appliances. 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 system of appliances is usually configured at the outset of treatment so that the patient may progress through treatment without the need to have the treating…
System for determining final position of teeth
Granted: May 30, 2002
Application Number:
20020064748
An apparatus and method define a fit a set of upper and lower teeth in a masticatory system of a patient by generating a computer representation of the masticatory system of the patient; and determining an occlusion from the computer representation of the masticatory system using one or more keys.
