Dental apparatuses, such as palatal expanders and aligners, and methods of forming them. The dental apparatuses may formed by printing different regions of the device with different properties, including hybrid regions formed between adjacent regions having different physical characteristics for performing different functions when worn by a patient as part of a dental treatment. The different regions may be joined together by a transition region configured to hold adjacent regions together during use and provide advantageous properties.

An orthodontic bracket is disclosed having three archwire retention channels in the mesial-distal directions, a central channel and two side channels. The two side channels each include a pair of spaced apart inverted archwire retaining regions having a recess that opens generally towards the bracket base. Each such recess is for grasping or holding an archwire therein. Other aspects are directed to a self ligating orthodontic bracket system that includes a rotatable member for securing an archwire within a slot of a bracket; embodiments that include an orthodontic appliance and method of producing and using the same, and preferably employed in a lingual orthodontic system, that includes friction reducing features between an interior of an archwire slot portion of the appliance and an archwire placed within the archwire slot.

A self-ligating orthodontic bracket has a bonding base adapted for attachment to the crown of a tooth. A body member is attached to the front surface of the base and extends forwardly to a front face. The base defines a torque angle with respect to the front face of the body. Gingival and occlusal projections extend forwardly from the body member. The projections have archwire slot surfaces which, together with a portion of the body member's front face, define an archwire slot. First and second channels defined in the projections are coplanar and are disposed at an angle to the front face of the body member that is substantially equal to the torque angle. A door is disposed in one of the first and second channels. The door is movable between an open position and a closed position to selectably provide or prevent access to and from the archwire slot.

A self-ligating orthodontic bracket has a bonding base adapted for attachment to the crown of a tooth. A body member is attached to the front surface of the base and extends forwardly to a front face. The base defines a torque angle with respect to the front face of the body. Gingival and occlusal projections extend forwardly from the body member. The projections have archwire slot surfaces which, together with a portion of the body member's front face, define an archwire slot. First and second channels defined in the projections are coplanar and are disposed at an angle to the front face of the body member that is substantially equal to the torque angle. A door is disposed in one of the first and second channels. The door is movable between an open position and a closed position to selectably provide or prevent access to and from the archwire slot.

An archwire for use with a passive self-ligation orthodontic bracket is described and which includes a resilient main body which is received in the archwire slot, and which further has a predetermined width dimension, and a variable thickness dimension, and wherein the variable thickness dimension of the archwire can be varied so as to facilitate an adjustable application of a force to the passive self-ligation orthodontic bracket so as to achieve a clinician selectable and controllable second and third order movement of a patient's tooth.

An archwire for use with a passive self-ligation orthodontic bracket is described and which includes a resilient main body which is received in the archwire slot, and which further has a predetermined width dimension, and a variable thickness dimension, and wherein the variable thickness dimension of the archwire can be varied so as to facilitate an adjustable application of a force to the passive self-ligation orthodontic bracket so as to achieve a clinician selectable and controllable second and third order movement of a patient's tooth.

A three-dimensional printing system including a feed source of uncured filled resin material, a print head configured to apply discrete layers of a composition including upconversion phosphors, and a radiation source configured to irradiate layers of uncured filled resin material and deposited layers of the composition is provided. A method of three dimensionally printing a dental article is also provided.

A three-dimensional printing system including a feed source of uncured filled resin material, a print head configured to apply discrete layers of a composition including upconversion phosphors, and a radiation source configured to irradiate layers of uncured filled resin material and deposited layers of the composition is provided. A method of three dimensionally printing a dental article is also provided.

An archwire for use with a passive self-ligation orthodontic bracket is described and which includes a resilient main body which is received in the archwire slot, and which further has a predetermined width dimension, and a variable thickness dimension, and wherein the variable thickness dimension of the archwire can be varied so as to facilitate an adjustable application of a force to the passive self-ligation orthodontic bracket so as to achieve a clinician selectable and controllable second and third order movement of a patient's tooth.

An archwire for use with a passive self-ligation orthodontic bracket is described and which includes a resilient main body which is received in the archwire slot, and which further has a predetermined width dimension, and a variable thickness dimension, and wherein the variable thickness dimension of the archwire can be varied so as to facilitate an adjustable application of a force to the passive self-ligation orthodontic bracket so as to achieve a clinician selectable and controllable second and third order movement of a patient's tooth.