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 30, 2021
Patent Number:
10964425
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…
Direct fabrication of aligners for palate expansion and other applications
Granted: March 30, 2021
Patent Number:
10959810
Systems, methods, and devices for producing appliances for expansion of the palate of a patient are provided. A palate expanding orthodontic appliance comprises a teeth engagement portion comprising a plurality of teeth engagement structures and a force generating portion coupled to the teeth engagement portion and configured to apply force to cause the patient's palate to expand. The orthodontic appliances can be designed according to the specifications provided herein and manufactured…
Curable composition for use in a high temperature lithography-based photopolymerization process and method of producing crosslinked polymers therefrom
Granted: March 23, 2021
Patent Number:
10954334
Provided herein are curable compositions for use in a high temperature lithography-based photopolymerization process, a method of producing crosslinked polymers using said curable compositions, crosslinked polymers thus produced, and orthodontic appliances comprising the crosslinked polymers.
Calibration of an intraoral scanner
Granted: March 23, 2021
Patent Number:
10952827
A method of generating a three-dimensional virtual model of an intraoral object includes capturing, by an intraoral scanner for performing intraoral scans, surface scan data of the intraoral object while changing a position of at least one lens of focusing optics of the intraoral scanner, wherein the surface scan data comprises depth data for a plurality of points of the intraoral object. The method further includes adjusting the depth data for one or more of the plurality of points…
Visual prosthetic and orthodontic treatment planning
Granted: March 23, 2021
Patent Number:
10952816
Systems and methods for improved visual prosthetic and orthodontic treatment planning are provided herein. In some aspects, a method for preparing a tooth of a patient is disclosed. The method may comprise building a model of a dentition of the patient including a model of the initial shape of tooth. The method may also include determining a final prepared shape of the tooth. In some aspects, the method may also include generating a treatment plan comprising a plurality of steps to…
Providing a simulated outcome of dental treatment on a patient
Granted: March 16, 2021
Patent Number:
10945813
Systems and methods of simulating dental treatments are disclosed. A method may include capturing a first 2D image of a patient's face, including the patient's teeth, building a parametric 3D model of the patient's teeth based on the 2D image, developing a simulated outcome of a dental treatment of the patient's teeth by rendering the 3D model with the patient's teeth in one or more positions and/or orientations corresponding to the treatment goals of the dental treatment plan, and…
Systems and methods for accounting for changes in surface topology when scanning a patient's teeth
Granted: March 16, 2021
Patent Number:
10945609
Systems and methods are provided for preparation of orthodontics and prosthodontics. A method may include scanning a patient's teeth to form first 3D data of the patient's teeth including a removable element that obscures part of the dental surfaces of the patient's teeth and non-obscured tooth surfaces, removing the removable element form the patient's teeth so that the removable element no longer obscures the part of the dental surfaces of the patient's teeth, and scanning the…
Method and apparatus for colour imaging a three-dimensional structure
Granted: March 9, 2021
Patent Number:
10944953
A device for determining the surface topology and associated color of a structure, such as a teeth segment, includes a scanner for providing depth data for points along a two-dimensional array substantially orthogonal to the depth direction, and an image acquisition means for providing color data for each of the points of the array, while the spatial disposition of the device with respect to the structure is maintained substantially unchanged. A processor combines the color data and…
Methods and apparatuses for dental images
Granted: March 2, 2021
Patent Number:
10932885
Described herein are methods and apparatuses to obtain an image, or a set of images, of a patient's teeth from one or more predetermined viewing angles. These methods and apparatuses may include the use an overlay comprising an outline of teeth for each predetermined viewing angle. The overlay may be used for automatically capturing, focusing and/or illuminating the teeth. Also described herein are methods and apparatuses for using a series of images of the patient's teeth including a…
Dental materials using thermoset polymers
Granted: February 23, 2021
Patent Number:
10925693
Provided herein are crosslinked polymers useful in orthodontic appliances and light polymerizable liquid compositions and formulations useful for making crosslinked polymers. Also provided are methods of making an orthodontic appliance comprising a cross-linked polymer formed by a direct fabrication technique.
Dental materials using thermoset polymers
Granted: February 23, 2021
Patent Number:
10925692
Provided herein are crosslinked polymers useful in orthodontic appliances and light polymerizable liquid compositions and formulations useful for making crosslinked polymers. Also provided are methods of making an orthodontic appliance comprising a cross-linked polymer formed by a direct fabrication technique.
Filling undercut areas of teeth relative to axes of appliance placement
Granted: February 23, 2021
Patent Number:
10925690
The present disclosure provides computing device implemented methods, computing device readable medium, and molds for filling undercut areas of teeth relative to an axis of placement. Filling undercut areas of teeth relative to an axis of placement can include calculating an undercut area of a tooth relative to an axis of placement of part of a dental appliance over a number of teeth and a height of contour that is defined based on the axis of placement. Filling undercut areas of teeth…
Systems and methods for determining surface topology and associated color of an intraoral structure
Granted: February 16, 2021
Patent Number:
10924720
A device for determining the surface topology and associated color of a structure, such as a teeth segment, includes a scanner for providing depth data for points along a two-dimensional array substantially orthogonal to the depth direction, and an image acquisition means for providing color data for each of the points of the array, while the spatial disposition of the device with respect to the structure is maintained substantially unchanged. A processor combines the color data and…
Method of forming a dental appliance
Granted: February 16, 2021
Patent Number:
10919209
The present disclosure includes dental appliances and methods of making and using such appliances. One method for forming a dental appliance includes forming a liquid thermoset polymer material into a semi-solid first shape, thermoforming the semi-solid first shape of thermoset polymer material onto a dentition mold, and curing the thermoset polymer on the dentition mold with a curative trigger to complete a molecular cross-linking reaction.
Compact confocal dental scanning apparatus
Granted: February 16, 2021
Patent Number:
10918286
Described herein are apparatuses for dental scanning and components of apparatuses for dental scanning. A component of a dental scanning apparatus may include a beam splitter, a transparency and an image sensor. The component may have a first surface and a second surface. The transparency may be affixed to the first surface of the beam splitter, and may comprise a spatial pattern disposed thereon and be configured to be illuminated by a light source of the dental scanning apparatus. The…
Dental appliances with repositioning jaw elements
Granted: February 9, 2021
Patent Number:
10912629
The present disclosure provides method, computing device readable medium, and devices for dental appliances with repositioning jaw elements. An example of a removable dental appliance includes a shell having a number of tooth apertures configured to receive and reposition a number of teeth of a patient along one jaw of a patient, a repositioning jaw element that extends from a buccal or lingual surface of the shell, the element having a first outer surface oriented to face the tongue of…
Reinforced aligner hooks
Granted: February 9, 2021
Patent Number:
10912627
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…
Method and system for fabricating a dental coping, and a coping fabricated thereby
Granted: February 2, 2021
Patent Number:
10905530
A wax model of a required coping is produced using CNC machining techniques based on a virtual model of the coping created from digital data obtained from the intraoral cavity. The dental coping is then fabricated from the wax model.
Identification of intraoral areas of interest
Granted: January 26, 2021
Patent Number:
10898077
In embodiments, a first 3D model of a patient's teeth based on first intraoral scan data taken at a first time is processed to recognize the teeth in the first 3D model. A second 3D model of the patient's teeth based on second intraoral scan data taken at a second time is processed to recognize the teeth in the second 3D model. The first 3D model is compared to the second 3D model and a plurality of AOIs in the second virtual 3D model representative of at least one of tooth wear, tooth…
Systems and methods for improved engagement between aligners and teeth
Granted: January 26, 2021
Patent Number:
10898297
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…
