Apparatuses, components, devices, methods, and systems for determining and tracking movement are provided. An example apparatus that includes a position indicating system having a first light emitter positioned and oriented to emit light in a first direction, a second light emitter positioned and oriented to emit light in a second direction, the second direction being collinear with and opposite to the first direction; and a third light emitter positioned and oriented to emit light in a third direction, the third direction being different than the first direction and the second direction. The third direction may be offset from the first direction by an offset angle that is an acute angle. The apparatus may also include a screen; an imaging system configured to capture an image of the screen. The first light emitter and the third light emitter may both be configured to emit light toward the screen.

Apparatuses, components, devices, methods, and systems for determining and tracking movement are provided. An example apparatus that includes a position indicating system having a first light emitter positioned and oriented to emit light in a first direction, a second light emitter positioned and oriented to emit light in a second direction, the second direction being collinear with and opposite to the first direction; and a third light emitter positioned and oriented to emit light in a third direction, the third direction being different than the first direction and the second direction. The third direction may be offset from the first direction by an offset angle that is an acute angle. The apparatus may also include a screen; an imaging system configured to capture an image of the screen. The first light emitter and the third light emitter may both be configured to emit light toward the screen.

A method of producing a retention piece having a guidance package configured to provide a desired movement profile including: obtaining data descriptive of mandibular and maxillary arches, an index position of the mandibular arch at a maximum closure position, and a temporomandibular joint of a recipient; specifying an appropriate guidance package based on the desired movement profile; positioning a retention piece comprising at least a portion of the specified guidance package about virtual representations of at least one of the mandibular and maxillary arches within a virtual articulator; modeling relative movement of the virtual representations of the mandibular and maxillary arches within the virtual articulator; and generating data that can be used by a computer aided machining (CAM) process to create at least one physical retention piece comprising the specified guidance package configured to provide the desired movement profile.

A method of producing a retention piece having a guidance package configured to provide a desired movement profile including: obtaining data descriptive of mandibular and maxillary arches, an index position of the mandibular arch at a maximum closure position, and a temporomandibular joint of a recipient; specifying an appropriate guidance package based on the desired movement profile; positioning a retention piece comprising at least a portion of the specified guidance package about virtual representations of at least one of the mandibular and maxillary arches within a virtual articulator; modeling relative movement of the virtual representations of the mandibular and maxillary arches within the virtual articulator; and generating data that can be used by a computer aided machining (CAM) process to create at least one physical retention piece comprising the specified guidance package configured to provide the desired movement profile.

Disclosed is a computer-implemented method of using a dynamic virtual articulator for simulating occlusion of teeth, when performing computer-aided designing of one or more dental restorations for a patient, where the method includes the steps of: providing the virtual articulator including a virtual three-dimensional model of the upper jaw and a virtual three-dimensional model of the lower jaw resembling the upper jaw and lower jaw, respectively, of the patient's mouth; providing movement of the virtual upper jaw and the virtual lower jaw relative to each other for simulating dynamic occlusion, whereby collisions between teeth in the virtual upper and virtual lower jaw occur; wherein the method further includes: providing that the teeth in the virtual upper jaw and virtual lower jaw are blocked from penetrating each other's virtual surfaces in the collisions.

Disclosed is a computer-implemented method of using a dynamic virtual articulator for simulating occlusion of teeth, when performing computer-aided designing of one or more dental restorations for a patient, where the method includes the steps of: providing the virtual articulator including a virtual three-dimensional model of the upper jaw and a virtual three-dimensional model of the lower jaw resembling the upper jaw and lower jaw, respectively, of the patient's mouth; providing movement of the virtual upper jaw and the virtual lower jaw relative to each other for simulating dynamic occlusion, whereby collisions between teeth in the virtual upper and virtual lower jaw occur; wherein the method further includes: providing that the teeth in the virtual upper jaw and virtual lower jaw are blocked from penetrating each other's virtual surfaces in the collisions.

A mandibular protrusion device which comprises a maxillary dental tray, a mandibular dental tray and at least two lateral links. Each one of the lateral links has a first end removably engageable with the maxillary dental tray and a second end removably engageable with the mandibular dental tray. The maxillary dental tray, mandibular dental tray and the lateral links have complementary male and female members configured to be engageable and disengageable from one another in at least one engagement/disengagement configuration that is not reached when the device is worn or in normal use.

A method for representing a tooth position under biting forces includes creating first surface data of a portion(s) of a maxilla tooth row and second surface data of an opposing portion(s) of a mandible tooth row, producing a digital surface model from the surface data, creating a data record which includes outer surface data of teeth lying in the portions of the maxilla tooth row and the mandible tooth row in a centric occlusion under biting forces, defining registration regions in the maxilla and mandible in the outer surface data which are not exposed to any force in the centric occlusion, registering the surface data on the outer surface data based on the registration regions, ascertaining movements of individual teeth outside of the registration regions from the outer surface data, transforming the movements ascertained into the surface data, and creating a modified digital surface model under consideration of the movements.

A method of producing a retention piece having a guidance package configured to provide a desired movement profile including: obtaining data descriptive of mandibular and maxillary arches, an index position of the mandibular arch at a maximum closure position, and a temporomandibular joint of a recipient; specifying an appropriate guidance package based on the desired movement profile; positioning a retention piece comprising at least a portion of the specified guidance package about virtual representations of at least one of the mandibular and maxillary arches within a virtual articulator; modeling relative movement of the virtual representations of the mandibular and maxillary arches within the virtual articulator; and generating data that can be used by a computer aided machining (CAM) process to create at least one physical retention piece comprising the specified guidance package configured to provide the desired movement profile.

A method of producing a retention piece having a guidance package configured to provide a desired movement profile including: obtaining data descriptive of mandibular and maxillary arches, an index position of the mandibular arch at a maximum closure position, and a temporomandibular joint of a recipient; specifying an appropriate guidance package based on the desired movement profile; positioning a retention piece comprising at least a portion of the specified guidance package about virtual representations of at least one of the mandibular and maxillary arches within a virtual articulator; modeling relative movement of the virtual representations of the mandibular and maxillary arches within the virtual articulator; and generating data that can be used by a computer aided machining (CAM) process to create at least one physical retention piece comprising the specified guidance package configured to provide the desired movement profile.