A retainer cooperating with a plurality of teeth and configured to stabilize the plurality of teeth, the retainer including at least one elongated arc which is shaped overall adapted to a natural curvature of a lower jaw or an upper jaw, wherein the at least one elongated arc is locally adapted individually to a surface contour of respective abutting teeth, wherein the retainer is machined from a sheet metal plate and includes two mutually parallel surfaces, wherein the sheet metal plate is made from a nickel titanium alloy, preferably a nitinol, wherein the retainer contacts a tooth surface in an installed condition of the retainer, wherein a machined surface of the retainer faces the tooth surface in the installed condition of the retainer, and wherein an upper side or a lower side of the retainer corresponds to an original surface plane of the sheet metal plate.

Disclosed herein are sleeves for use with a fin of a mandibular advancement device (MAD), the sleeve comprising: a shell, having a wall defining a hollow interior, wherein the wall encloses the hollow interior on all sides except one, leaving an opening at one end of the body; the wall has a thickness in the range of from about 1 nm to about 5 mm; the hollow interior comprises approximately the same size and dimensions as the fin of the MAD. Also disclosed are MADs that use the sleeves. Also disclosed are methods of treating a patient using MADs that use the sleeves.

A maxillary tuberosity holding bite block is disclosed. The maxillary tuberosity holding bite block includes a curved tail that embraces a patient's maxillary tuberosity, which allows the bite block to hold the patient's jaws in a stable position, regardless of whether or not the patient has edentulous jaws. Moreover, the maxillary tuberosity holding bite block may serve as a carrier for sensors and endoscopes so it may serve as an intra-oral sensor-based positioning and navigation device that sense and track the movement and position of sensor-equipped surgical instruments.

A retainer for stabilizing a position of teeth of a human dentition, the retainer comprising: an arc that has a parabolic curvature overall so that the retainer is applicable to teeth of an upper jaw or lower jaw of a patient to be treated, wherein the retainer includes a plurality of local shapes that are arranged along a center line of the retainer and that are oriented perpendicular to the center line, wherein the local shapes are respectively adapted to cooperate with interdental spaces between adjacent teeth, wherein the retainer is integrally provided in one piece from a thermoplastic synthetic material which is configured to be processed by a SD pressure method.

A dental stent for tooth restoration, comprising an acrylic outer shell and a set of metal matrix separator strips partially embedded into an inner silicon bed; a method of manufacturing a dental stent including 3D printing of a model wherein tooth forms of teeth to be restored are individually removable from a remainder of the model; a method of tooth restoration using a dental stent, and a kit of parts comprising a dental stent and a composite resin, and optionally a heater, a light cure unit, and a finishing tool kit.

A retainer cooperating with a plurality of teeth and configured to stabilize the plurality of teeth, the retainer including at least one elongated arc which is shaped overall adapted to a natural curvature of a lower jaw or an upper jaw, wherein the at least one elongated arc is locally adapted individually to a surface contour of respective abutting teeth, wherein the retainer is machined from a sheet metal plate and includes two mutually parallel surfaces, wherein the sheet metal plate is made from a nickel titanium alloy, preferably a nitinol, wherein the retainer contacts a tooth surface in an installed condition of the retainer, wherein a machined surface of the retainer faces the tooth surface in the installed condition of the retainer, and wherein an upper side or a lower side of the retainer corresponds to an original surface plane of the sheet metal plate.

Disclosed herein are methods of manufacturing a dental device, the method comprising: obtaining a set of clinical options for the dental device from a health care provider; creating a first data set from the set of clinical options; communicating the data set to a computer aided design (CAD) software; preparing a digital design for the dental device using the CAD software; communicating the digital design to an automated milling apparatus; and automatedly milling a block of polymer to obtain the dental device. Also disclosed are dental devices manufactured by the above method. Further disclosed are methods of treating or ameliorating apnea jaw-related disorder in a patient, the method comprising obtaining a dental device manufactured by the above method and positioning the dental device over the dentition prior to sleep, whereby the mandible is advanced forward relative to the maxilla, thereby ameliorating the symptoms of sleep apnea or the jaw-related disorder.

A bite guard includes an upper portion intended to be engaged, under conditions of use of the bite, with the upper dental arch of a wearer, and a lower portion intended to be positioned, under at least one condition of use of the bite, on the lower dental arch of the wearer. The lower portion includes a guide portion configured and intended to bring about a predetermined controlled forward sliding of the wearer's lower jaw relative to the wearer's upper jaw by sliding the lower dental arch forward on the guide portion and provide at least a partial rest for the back surfaces of a plurality of teeth of the lower dental arch of the wearer. The guide portion can be movable relative to the upper portion.

Methods and devices utilizing a dental appliance for dental retainer wire attachment are disclosed. One such wire attachment appliance includes a shell having one or more cavities formed therein and shaped to receive one or more teeth, at least two wire attachment members provided on the shell, and at least one attachment material reservoir provided on the shell, wherein the attachment material is provided to attach a wire to a tooth adjacent to a particular reservoir of the at least one attachment material reservoir.

Methods and systems are provided for generating a treatment plan for arch expansion where a polymeric shell appliance is utilized to generate one or more activation forces that facilitate 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.