A robotic system and method involve a fiducial marker engaged with a maxillofacial anatomy, and an end effector at a distal end of an articulating arm member. The end effector receives a dental element comprising a prosthetic device, a surgical guide, or an orthognathic element, in a predetermined spatial relationship therewith. A controller device directly communicates with the fiducial marker, the articulating arm member, and the end effector, to determine an end effector disposition relative to the fiducial marker during end effector movement according to a virtual procedure plan for placing the dental element in aligned relation to the maxillofacial anatomy, and directs the articulating arm member to physically control allowable movement of the end effector, directly relative to the disposition of the end effector with respect to the fiducial marker and according to the virtual procedure plan, to place the dental element for securement to the maxillofacial anatomy.

Methods of planning dental treatments are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes determining a plurality of stages for incremental repositioning of a patient's teeth. The method can include determining, for at least one stage, a shape of a corresponding dental appliance body, and generating instructions for direct fabrication of the dental appliance body. The dental appliance body can include a support formed in a tooth-receiving cavity, one or more coupling structures formed proximate to the support, and an attachment formed proximate to the one or more coupling structures. The dental appliance body can be configured to align the attachment to a predetermined location on a tooth. The one or more coupling structures can be configured to release the attachment with removal of the dental appliance body from the tooth.

A computer system and computerized method in which orthodontic treatment, including midcourse correction of one or more teeth in a dental arch fitted with a dental appliance, comprises a virtual simulation of a dental arch fitted with a virtual dental appliance in which each of the one or more teeth can be discretely moved from an initial position to a final position allowing modification of the fitted dental appliance by computerized selection of one or more brackets and production of a bonding tray adapted to hold the selected brackets in correspondence to determined bracket bonding locations in the virtual simulation of dental arch.

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to orthodontic devices. In some embodiments, an orthodontic device comprises a bonding tray, a plurality of support structures, wherein the plurality of support structures are integral to the bonding tray, and a plurality of orthodontic appliances, wherein the plurality of orthodontic appliances are secured to the bonding tray via the support structures and oriented based on a patient's dentition, and wherein the plurality of orthodontic appliances are integral to the bonding tray.

Disclosed is a system and method for treating mal-alignment of teeth using super-elastic nickel titanium, heat activated nickel titanium coated or uncoated orthodontic wires with composite resins in order to effectuate desired tooth alignment. The composite resin is formed into beads that hold the wire in place preferably on the lingual surface of the teeth. Alternate embodiments using composite brackets are disclosed. The overall purpose of this invention is to provide a close contact, low profile orthodontic system, in particular, a lingual orthodontic system that is significantly more comfortable than existing orthodontic systems, completely concealed and effective.

The present technology comprises methods of manufacturing an orthodontic appliance. For example, a method can include forming an orthodontic appliance in an intermediate configuration by a casting process. The method can further include securing the appliance to a shape forming fixture such that the appliance assumes a desired configuration. The shape forming fixture can comprise a gingiva portion including a surface having a shape corresponding at least in part to a gingiva of a patient and a securing portion carried by the gingiva portion and configured to releasably secure to a portion of the appliance. The method can further include setting a shape of the appliance while the appliance is secured to the shape forming fixture.

A dental template for positioning an object on teeth of a patient and method for fabricating the same. The method includes creating a digital model of the patient's teeth, creating a simplified template model based on the digital model, and fabricating the dental template based on the simplified template model. The template model is simplified by removing certain features of the patient's tooth anatomy. The dental template can be located on a patient's teeth using four or fewer positioning teeth.

A method of three-dimensional (3D) printing includes heating a photo-curable material and extruding the photo-curable material from a nozzle to form a first layer of an object according to a digital file, wherein the first layer has a first shape specified by the digital file, and wherein the first shape has a first minimum line width based on a diameter of the nozzle. The method further includes directing a light beam onto the first layer according to the digital file or an additional digital file to cure a portion of the first layer, wherein the cured portion of the first layer has a second shape, wherein the second shape may comprise features that are smaller than the first shape.

An overbite correction device for use on an upper incisor or canine tooth is provided. The device has a bracket body including two rounded lingual protrusions, and a vertical slot therebetween; and a base for bonding to the upper incisor or canine tooth at a lingual side thereof by means of a bonding pad. The two curved lingual protrusions feature a curved lower-facing surface for receiving an incisor, to prevent incisor interference during grinding. The device may feature an aperture for receiving an elastic thread or metal ligature to tie multiple overbite correction devices together. Advantageously, if one device breaks off from a tooth, it is not ingested.

A 3D printer comprises a platform, a dispenser and a light source. A heating element heats a material and a nozzle extrudes the heated material onto the platform to form a first layer, having a first shape specified by one or more digital files. The first shape corresponds to a first minimum line width based on a diameter of the nozzle. The light source emits a light beam that is directed onto the first layer according to the one or more digital files to cure a portion of the first layer to create a first cured layer that corresponds to a second shape of a 3D object specified by the one or more digital files. The light beam has a beam diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the nozzle, and the second shape has a second minimum line width that is smaller than the first minimum line width.