Apparatuses and methods for three-dimensional dental segmentation using dental image data
Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number:
12272067
Methods and apparatuses (including systems and devices), including computer-implemented methods for segmenting, correcting and/or modifying a three-dimensional (3D) model of a subject's oral cavity to determine individual components such as teeth, gingiva, tongue, palate, etc., that may be selective and/or collectively digitally manipulated. In some implementations, artificial intelligence uses libraries of labeled 2D images and 3D dental models to learn how to segment a 3D dental model…
Methods for selective post-curing of additively manufactured objects
Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number:
12269226
Methods for manufacturing objects are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a dental appliance formed using an additive manufacturing process, the dental appliance including a plurality of appliance portions. The method can include identifying, based on sensor data, a location of a subset of the appliance portions on the dental appliance. The method can further include applying energy to a subset of the appliance portions to selectively modify one or more…
Diagnostic intraoral methods and apparatuses
Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number:
12268574
Intraoral scanning systems configured to perform computer-implemented methods for identifying dental features. The methods may include engaging a trained machine learning network to identify one or more dental features in one or more regions of a patient's dentition. Each of the dental features may be present in at least one of multiple records. Each of the records may include multiple images of the patient's dentition and may be taken with a different imaging modality. The confidence…
Treatment planning for aligning a patient's teeth
Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number:
12268569
Methods and systems (including software) for creating a treatment plan to align a patient's teeth using a plurality of removable aligners to be worn in sequential stages. These methods and systems may generate a plurality of potential treatment plan variations. Each variation may be optimized to best address the user's treatment goals, as well as approximating as closely as possible an ideal or target final position.
Compact intraoral scanner
Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number:
12268474
An intraoral scanner comprises a housing, a light source for generating light, an optics system for focusing the light, a detector for detecting returning light reflected off an intraoral object, and a focus shifting mechanism configured to shift a focal plane of the optics system. The optics system is configured such that, after having passed through the optics system, an outermost chief ray of the light with respect to an optical axis of the optics system is divergent to the optical…
Orthodontic appliance systems for correcting malocclusions
Granted: April 1, 2025
Patent Number:
12263060
A system for correcting malocclusions may include a maxillary appliance having tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a maxilla and a first elastic coupling at gingival line of the maxillary appliance. The first elastic coupling may be configured for receiving an elastic. The system may also include mandibular appliance having tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a mandible. The system may also include a corrective appliance having a first coupling configured…
Dynamic thermoforming of dental appliances
Granted: April 1, 2025
Patent Number:
12263632
A method includes identifying one or more images of a mold of a dental arch, identifying a digital model corresponding to the mold of the dental arch, providing the one or more images and the digital model as input into a trained machine learning model, receiving, from the trained machine learning model, output, and determining, based on the output, whether the mold matches the digital model.
Orthodontic aligner manufacturing and quality assessment system
Granted: April 1, 2025
Patent Number:
12263620
Implementations describe systems and methods for manufacturing and performing quality assessment of dental appliances. In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a dental appliance comprises receiving, at a holder, a feature of the dental appliance, the feature comprising a first surface having a first shape, wherein the holder holds the feature of the dental appliance at a reference position. The method further includes automatically placing an object against the feature at the…
Intraoral scanning apparatus
Granted: April 1, 2025
Patent Number:
12263064
Methods and apparatuses for generating and displaying a model of a subject's teeth. Described herein are intraoral scanning methods and apparatuses for generating a three-dimensional model of a subject's intraoral region (e.g., teeth). These methods and apparatuses may be used for identifying and evaluating lesions, caries and cracks in the teeth.
Intraoral scanning apparatus
Granted: April 1, 2025
Patent Number:
12263063
Methods and apparatuses for generating and displaying a model of a subject's teeth. Described herein are intraoral scanning methods and apparatuses for generating a three-dimensional model of a subject's intraoral region (e.g., teeth). These methods and apparatuses may be used for identifying and evaluating lesions, caries and cracks in the teeth.
Unitary dental model
Granted: April 1, 2025
Patent Number:
12263050
Improved dental models for use in dental procedures are provided. In one aspect, a unitary dental model of an intraoral cavity of a patient having a dental implant comprises a physical surface representative of gingival tissue of the patient. The model can comprise a channel shaped and oriented to receive an abutment corresponding to a physical abutment to be connected to the dental implant, in which the channel extends to an opening in the physical surface. The channel can comprise a…
Methods, systems and accessories useful for procedures relating to dental implants
Granted: April 1, 2025
Patent Number:
12263049
A method and system are provided for manufacturing a physical dental model. A virtual model is provided representative of at least a portion of the intra-oral cavity including at least one dental implant implanted therein, and the virtual model includes a virtual portion representative of each dental implant. The virtual spatial disposition of each such virtual portion is determined with respect to the virtual model, corresponding to a real spatial disposition of the respective implant…
Intraoral scanner sleeve authentication and identification
Granted: April 1, 2025
Patent Number:
12262869
Apparatuses, including sleeves, intraoral scanning systems to use these sleeves, and methods of using the sleeve, that authenticate the sleeve for use with an intraoral scanning system. Authentication may include verifying that the sleeve is new (unused) and/or verifying that the sleeve is appropriate and/or intended for use with the intraoral scanning system. Once authenticated, operation parameters of the intraoral scanning system can be automatically set based on information from a…
3D printed object having overcure region
Granted: March 25, 2025
Patent Number:
12257773
A three-dimensional (3D) object comprises a plurality of layers representative of an additive manufacturing process, wherein each layer of the plurality of layers approximately has a first thickness. A first layer of the plurality of layers forms at least a portion of a first surface of the 3D object, the first layer comprising a support region and an overcure region, wherein the first layer approximately has the first thickness at the support region and a greater second thickness at the…
Indicia for dental appliances
Granted: March 25, 2025
Patent Number:
12257125
A method for forming dental appliance having an ornamental indicia carrier may include forming a polymeric shell, forming a first adhesive layer configured to be adhered to the polymeric shell, the first adhesive layer including a pressure sensitive adhesive layer, forming a first adhesion layer over the first adhesive layer, and applying a colorant between the first adhesion layer and the pressure sensitive adhesive layer.
Systems and methods for taking images of a patient's teeth with a mobile device
Granted: March 25, 2025
Patent Number:
12256905
Methods and systems for taking images of a patient's teeth for tracking a progress of an orthodontic procedure. The methods and systems include a mobile device holder with one or more adjustable stops for providing a compressive force on a mobile device placed therein; a cheek retractor coupled to the mobile device holder; and a user interface on the mobile device indicating whether the mobile device holder is in a correct position relative to the patient's teeth as the mobile device…
Full-scanner barrier for an intra-oral device
Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number:
12251186
Removable barrier devices for covering an intraoral scanner. The barrier device includes a cover that is adapted to fit over a probe of the scanner. The cover includes a distal portion having walls defining an internal cavity for accommodating a distal end of the probe and formed of a first material, wherein at least one of the walls includes at least one window for allowing transmission of an optical signal between the probe and an external environment. The cover also includes a…
Methods of using an orthodontic appliance having a ridge
Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number:
12251289
A method may include administering to a patient an orthodontic appliance. The orthodontic appliance may include a shell having teeth receiving cavities shaped to receive and reposition the patient's teeth, at least one of the cavities shaped to apply a resilient repositioning force to move at least one of the patient's teeth from a current arrangement toward a target arrangement, a ridge having a width and a length greater than the width, the ridge configured to apply at least a portion…
Variable direction tooth attachments
Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number:
12251288
Tooth attachments are provided comprising one or more convex surfaces for engagement by a surface of an orthodontic appliance. Polymeric shell appliances are provided in which the polymeric shell appliances are configured to provide one or more activation forces to facilitate tooth movement. The polymeric shell appliances may comprise one or more tooth receiving cavities. The polymeric shell appliances may further comprise an engagement portion with a surface configured to engage a…
Aligners with enhanced gable bends
Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number:
12251287
Systems, methods, and devices for improved orthodontic treatment of a patient's teeth are provided herein. In some aspects, a method for fabricating an orthodontic appliance for treating a patient's teeth is disclosed. The method may comprise determining a movement path to move a tooth from an initial arrangement towards a target arrangement; determining a force system to move the tooth along the movement path; determining a variable gable bend to produce the force system; determining a…
