Methods, systems, and apparatus's for improving orthodontic treatments. In an embodiment, an orthodontic system including a tactile object is provided for modulating an engagement between a tooth attachment and an orthodontic appliance.

Methods, systems, and apparatus's for improving orthodontic treatments. In an embodiment, an orthodontic system including a tactile object is provided for modulating an engagement between a tooth attachment and 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. In many embodiments, the activation forces are arranged to provide force in a direction opposite to an intended direction of tooth movement. The polymeric shell appliances may comprise one or more tooth receiving cavities, in which each of the plurality of tooth receiving cavities is shaped and arranged to provide a counter moment of each of the plurality of teeth.

Polymeric shell appliances are provided in which the polymeric shell appliances are configured to provide one or more activation forces to facilitate tooth movement. In many embodiments, the activation forces are arranged to provide force in a direction opposite to an intended direction of tooth movement. The polymeric shell appliances may comprise one or more tooth receiving cavities, in which each of the plurality of tooth receiving cavities is shaped and arranged to provide a counter moment of each of the plurality of teeth.

A lip advancer is presented for preventing proclining or tipping forward of the lower incisors that causes relapse and gingival recession in retention with forward intermaxillary elastic traction that extends diagonally from posterior bracket hooks in the lower arch anchored to hooks on upper anchorage appliances. In one embodiment, the lip advancer is comprised of an invisible clear liner type plastic retainer for use with a dental arch, and a bumper extending labially from the retainer for pressing against the patient's lip causing the lip muscles to react pushing back with an opposite force thus preventing the anterior teeth from flaring labially. In another embodiment, for use with a plurality of brackets and an archwire, the lip advancer comprises an auxiliary archwire extending from and in contact with the brackets, and a bumper formed on the auxiliary archwire for applying pressure labially to a corresponding lip.

A lip advancer is presented for preventing proclining or tipping forward of the lower incisors that causes relapse and gingival recession in retention with forward intermaxillary elastic traction that extends diagonally from posterior bracket hooks in the lower arch anchored to hooks on upper anchorage appliances. In one embodiment, the lip advancer is comprised of an invisible clear liner type plastic retainer for use with a dental arch, and a bumper extending labially from the retainer for pressing against the patient's lip causing the lip muscles to react pushing back with an opposite force thus preventing the anterior teeth from flaring labially. In another embodiment, for use with a plurality of brackets and an archwire, the lip advancer comprises an auxiliary archwire extending from and in contact with the brackets, and a bumper formed on the auxiliary archwire for applying pressure labially to a corresponding lip.

Described herein are attachments for an orthodontic appliance, such as an aligner, that include a base region configured to be rigidly mounted to a tooth surface and an interface surface region that is configured to engage with the orthodontic appliance, in which the base region and the interface surface region are movably connected. These attachments may be configured as force applying attachments and/or as force redirecting attachments. Also described herein are modular attachments.

A method for providing an orthodontic appliance includes: a step of creating three-dimensional data for an auxiliary mouthpiece and three-dimensional data for an orthodontic mouthpiece based on an intraoral shape and a shape and a bonding position of a protruding piece to be bonded to an orthodontic target tooth; a step of forming, based on the three-dimensional data for the auxiliary mouthpiece, the auxiliary mouthpiece including a recessed portion that corresponds to the protruding piece; and a step of forming, based on the three-dimensional data for the orthodontic mouthpiece, the orthodontic mouthpiece including a pressing portion that comes into contact with the protruding piece.

Systems for force measurement upon orthodontic appliances are described. Generally, a system for measuring a force or moment imparted by an orthodontic appliance may comprise a dentition mold having one or more target teeth each formed upon a fixture and which is movable independently of the dentition mold, a measurement sensor coupled to the fixture, and a processor in communication with the measurement sensor. An orthodontic appliance may be configured for placement upon the dentition mold where the orthodontic appliance imparts a force or moment upon the one or more target teeth such that the force or moment is transmitted to the measurement sensor via the fixture for measurement of the force or moment.

Inventions herein include at least mostly optically clear orthodontic braces and feet orthotics (collectively referred to as “appliances”) with backscatter based sensors. These two categories of appliances share a common property requiring that the given appliance must be correctly custom manufactured to fit a patient's own particular geometry and dimensions of their teeth and/or feet in order to perform as intended. Incorporating such appliances with backscatter based sensors enables simple, easy, fast, efficient, and cost effective measurements, in real-time or near real-time, of stresses, forces, structural changes, and/or the like in the given appliance; which in turn can aid in determining if adjustments or re-manufacture of the appliance may be needed or desired; and/or wherein such measurements may aid in evaluating performance of the given appliance. In some embodiments, such measurements may also be taken remotely away from a practitioner; and then communicated to a remotely located practitioner.