One embodiment of the apparatus and method comprises a physical recording instrument (2000) for forming a right and a left side engraved analog (150), the analogs (150) being subsequently attached to a physical articulating instrument (3000), the analogs (150) with timing controls then serving as guides for simulating the motion of mounted patient dental models (142). Another embodiment comprises a digital recording system (4000) for generating the right and left side virtual engraved analogs (150), the analogs (150) being subsequently milled or digitally formed in a CNC rapid prototyping machine, the analogs (150) then being attached to the physical articulating instrument (3000), the analogs (150) with the timing controls serving as guides for simulating the motion. Some of the foregoing embodiments facilitate production of technologist fabricated dental restorative and orthodontic treatments. Another embodiment comprises the digital recording system (4000) for generating the right and left side virtual engraved analogs (150) and a virtual articulating instrument (5000) for virtual simulating of mandibular jaw motion. Some of these digital workflow embodiments facilitate production of milled or digitally fabricated dental restorative and orthodontic treatments.

The invention relates to a model for teaching in dental disciplines, con-sisting of a structure (1) that reproduces a part of the human or animal stomatognathic system, and which comprises two or more areas (a, b, c, d) with different mechanical properties, differentiated from each other by delimiting the various tissues that they reproduce and/or the natural or affected state of same and/or areas to be removed, which areas have a different density and, optionally, a different colour and/or porosity and/or elasticity and/or flexibility. The structure (1) also comprises compatible means (2) for attaching same to a practice phantom.

A vision-haptics fused augmented reality simulator for dental surgical skill training, including a dental simulation training platform constructed based on an artificial head phantom; a dental operation training system based on a haptic feedback device; an observation system based on an augmented reality head-mounted display; generating a virtual dental model by modeling based on CBCT data and scan data of a patient's dental cavity, to construct a virtual dental environment; based on the virtual dental model and feature points obtained through scanning on the artificial head phantom, performing a spatial matching of a virtual dental cavity and a dental model; in a virtual dental surgery simulation method, outputting haptics information and visual information at frequencies of not less than 1000 Hz and 60 Hz, respectively; performing a visual information processing method on grid data; and performing a haptics-vision space calibration method based on information of an operator's head.

A training method for evaluating the bonding accuracy of orthodontic brackets is provided. The evaluation method includes a training device for racket bonding accuracy evaluation which includes virtual teeth with root-shaped connectors and an evaluation base to fix the virtual teeth. Multiple reference lines are marked on the evaluation base, and their intersection is set as the evaluation point. When the virtual tooth is fixed to the evaluation base, the reference lines and the evaluation points are utilized for rapid evaluation of the bonding accuracy of the bracket. Moreover, thanks to their horizontal arrangement, when there are multiple virtual teeth, the evaluation of bracket bonding would be more intuitive and efficient than using the traditional articulator.

An automated dental articulator training system has one or more apprentice's workstations that use data acquired from an instructor's workstation. The instructor's workstation has a dental articulator including teeth, gingiva, a palate, and mechanism; a video streaming system; a set of actuators to drive the mechanism; a set of sensory systems to sense angular or linear velocity or displacement of the mechanism; a data storage unit; and a software showing statistical and graphical information of the system while a dental procedure is performed by an instructor or an apprentice. The apprentice's workstation articulator excludes the video streaming system, but is otherwise identical. The dental articulator training system includes a processing unit to operate the actuation system according to the values set by the instructor or each apprentice. Alternatively, the training system provides the apprentices with audiovisual feedback from the instructor's workstation along with the data of the actuators at the instructor's workstation.

A system and method according to which dental care is provided to a young child or infant using a baby dental chair, a floss dispenser, and/or a dental care apparatus. The baby dental chair is specifically designed for the needs of a young child or an infant during a dental examination. The baby dental chair includes a tower base, a seat, and a plurality of wheels. At least one wheel of the plurality of wheels has two configurations: a wheel locked configuration to prevent the baby dental chair from moving and a wheel released configuration to enable the baby dental chair to move. The baby dental chair provides a safe and secure place to examine the teeth of young children or infants during a dental examination.

A model tooth, that is constructed with multiple layers of material. The object is designed for a particular procedure, such as removal of material to repair a cavity. The 3D area to be removed is provided in a first color, the area bordering the material to be removed is provided in a second color and the area on past the border is provided in a third color. Advantageously, upon performance of a procedure, the object can be visually inspected to determine if all of the first color material is removed, without over removing the material of the second color.

The present invention relates to a virtual reality-based radiology practice apparatus and method in which the practiser is equipped with a head-mounted display (HMD), wears hand-mounted unit in the hands, manipulates virtual radiography equipment and performs virtual radiation practice in a virtual radiation practice environment provided on audiovisual virtual reality, and the hand motion controller receives the position and angle of the hands of the practiser from the hand-mounted unit, causes the virtual radiography equipment operate, and outputs specific results virtually as the virtual radiography equipment is operated. The virtual radiology practice apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising a HMD head-mounting unit, HMD hand-mounted unit, HMD controller, and main server that is detailed as follows: the HMD head-mounting unit that is mounted on the head of the practiser and outputs images containing virtual radiography equipment to the HMD image output unit for virtual radiology practice; the HMD hand-mounted unit that is mounted in the hands of the practiser and contains the hand movement detection unit which detects the hand movement signals of the practiser as the hands of the practiser move to manipulate the virtual radiography equipment on the image; the HMD controller that receives the hand movement signals from the HMD hand-mounted unit, sends it to the main server, and sends the image received from the main server to the HMD head-mounting unit; the main server that receives the hand movement signals from the HMD controller, moves the hand movement indicator which is the virtual hand of the practiser according to the hand movement signals on the image, and sends the image containing the moved hand movement indicator to the HMD controller.

Model teeth 20 for a dental model includes a model teeth base 10 provided with a plurality of insertion holes 13 having an inner surface provided with an insertion hole-side step portion 13b such that a deep side of the holes 13 is narrower than an opening side, and a plurality of the teeth 20 having a tooth crown portion 21 exposed from the holes 13 and a tooth root portion 22 inserted inside the holes 13, when the model teeth are detachably inserted into the holes 13, respectively. The teeth 20 includes a model teeth-side step portion 26 provided on an outer surface of the portion 22 and causes the teeth 20 to move in a direction distance between adjacent teeth 20 is shortened, as the teeth 20 abuts the portion 13b when inserted into the holes 13 and the teeth 20 is inserted deep into the holes 13.

A dental procedure training system has one or more apprentice workstations that use data acquired from an instructor workstation. The instructor workstation has a dental tool and a sensory system to sense an operating characteristic(s) of the dental tool while the dental tool performs a dental procedure. The apprentice workstation has a training tool with a handle grip representative of the handle grip of the dental tool. The training tool may have a vibrotactile actuation system embedded in the training tool to generate vibrotactile feedback through the handle grip of the training tool and a processing unit to operate the vibrotactile actuation system according to the operating characteristic(s) sensed by the sensory system of the instructor workstation. Alternatively, the training tool may be operational to perform said dental procedure, in which the processing unit compares operating characteristics sensed by the apprentice workstation and by the instructor workstation.