Methods for fabricating attachment placement appliances are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes directly fabricating an attachment placement appliance body including a support formed in a tooth-receiving cavity configured to receive a tooth. The method can include directly fabricating one or more coupling structures connected to the support, and directly fabricating an aligner attachment connected to the one or more coupling structures. The attachment placement appliance body can be configured to align the aligner attachment to a predetermined location on the tooth. The aligner attachment can be shaped to engage with an attachment well of a shell aligner and exert one or more forces on the tooth when the aligner attachment is coupled to the attachment well. The one or more coupling structures can be configured to release the aligner attachment with removal of the attachment placement appliance body from the tooth.

The present disclosure provides methods, computing device readable medium, devices, and systems having a dental attachment placement structure. One dental attachment placement apparatus includes a body having an attachment placement surface that is to be placed on an attachment affixing surface of a tooth and wherein the attachment placement surface includes a portion that is shaped to allow placement of an attachment at a particular position on the affixing surface of the tooth and a portion of the body having a contour that is shaped to correspond with a contour of an alignment surface of a tooth and when the contour of the body and the corresponding contour is aligned, the attachment is located at the particular position and can be secured to the affixing surface of the tooth.

A method of manufacturing customized ceramic labial/lingual orthodontic brackets by digital light processing, said method comprises measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, wherein measuring dentition data is performed using a CT scanner or intra-oral scanner, based on the dentition data, creating a three dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth using reverse engineering, and saving the 3D CAD model on a computer, designing a 3D CAD bracket structure model for a single labial or lingual bracket structure, importing the 3D CAD bracket structure model into a Digital Light Processing (DLP) machine, directly producing the bracket by layer manufacturing.

System and methods for positioning 3D virtual brackets on teeth for the precise positioning of conventional brackets and wire. Various reference features may be calculated for the teeth and used to calculate a position for the virtual bracket. Reference features that are calculated include curve of Spee, Andrew's plane, and a facial axis of the clinical crown for the teeth.

Various features are provided for a custom orthodontic appliance manufacturing or designing system. These include features for inputting of data of patient anatomy and practitioner decisions, features for interactively or automatically manipulating data to arrive at applicant characteristics, and features for affecting design or manufacture of the appliance.

A debonding tool for removal of orthodontic brackets includes a handle. An arm extends from the handle. The debonding tool includes first and second opposed fingers. A collar is translatable along the arm and operates to effect relative movement of the first and second opposed fingers between the open and closed positions.

Apparatuses and methods for performing orthodontic treatment planning are provided. Virtual/Augmented Reality devices can be used to virtually manipulate patient's teeth, modify virtual models of the patient's teeth, analyze the fit of a dental appliance on the patient's teeth, analyze the position of attachment sites for dental appliances, and provide overlays showing forces applied to the patient's teeth. The VR/AR devices can be used by physicians and/or the patient to provide and display treatment planning.

The invention relates to an orthodontic device which is particularly economical and as small as possible, and which has hooks and a small tube, produced from a sheet metal plate using stamping and bending techniques and without the use of welding or soldering. The orthodontic device comprises a base plate having a flat region with a gingival and an occlusal edge. An occlusal rolling forms the small tube. The gingival edge has a counter-directional rolling. Concave cuts are formed in the side edges in order to form wing-shaped hooks. Both rollings can hold an applicator/protector, with which the orthodontic device is protected during adhesion, and can then be applied to a tooth in the correct orientation.

A bonding guide for placement of an orthodontic apparatus comprises a tray with a tray surface that is configured to be positioned relative to an occlusal surface of at least one tooth in a dentition of a patient. The bonding guide includes a pin with at least one finger at a free end of the pin. The at least one finger is configured to engage an orthodontic apparatus. A hinge is connected to the pin and moves to position the pin relative to the tray. The pin is movable about the hinge between an open position and a closed position when the pin is in the closed position. The pin defines a predetermined treatment location of an orthodontic apparatus relative to a tooth.

Colored dental floss and a method for using colored dental floss. The colored dental floss includes an elongated filament having a plurality of segments, wherein each segment is a distinct color. The elongated filament is disposed within an interior volume of a container. The container includes an aperture for the elongated filament to pass therethrough. The method of using colored dental floss includes the steps of preparing a lingual side of a plurality of teeth for application of a bonding agent, applying the bonding agent to the lingual side, threading the elongated filament between a desired number of adjacent teeth in sections such that the elongated filament forms a plurality of loops on the lingual side, placing a wire through the plurality of loops, tensioning the elongated filament, applying the bonding agent to a contact point between the lingual side and the wire, curing the bonding agent, and removing the elongated filament.