Rapid palatal expander made of a first and a second main body (5, 6) provided with aligned female threads (7, 8) that are engaged by the threaded stems (4) of an actuator element (2). This actuator element (2) is provided with a drive head (3) from which the stems (4) extend in opposite directions and aligned with opposite threads. Following the rotation of the drive head (2) the main bodies (5, 6) move parallel to the longitudinal extension direction Y of the actuator element (2). During the movement the main bodies (5, 6) are guided by a first and a second pair of rods (11, 12), which are fixed in a single body with the first and the second main body (5, 6), respectively, and are slidably mutually engaged with each other.

A rapid maxillary expander according to an embodiment of the present invention has a structure in which teeth pressing portions are in surface contact with the inner surfaces of teeth and press the teeth outward, instead of a structure in which the teeth pressing portions surround the entire portions of the teen and the gums. Accordingly, a treatment operation may be facilitated, and the foreign body sensation of a patient may be reduced. In addition, since the teeth pressing portions are not exposed to the outside of the teeth, the aesthetic appearance of the patient is not impaired.

A rapid maxillary expander according to an embodiment of the present invention has a structure in which teeth pressing portions are in surface contact with the inner surfaces of teeth and press the teeth outward, instead of a structure in which the teeth pressing portions surround the entire portions of the teen and the gums. Accordingly, a treatment operation may be facilitated, and the foreign body sensation of a patient may be reduced. In addition, since the teeth pressing portions are not exposed to the outside of the teeth, the aesthetic appearance of the patient is not impaired.

The disclosed systems, methods, and apparatus for designing, fabricating, and making directly fabricated metal and polymer dental appliances may include may include receiving patient data and a treatment plan and determining, using the patient data and the treatment plan, an appliance design for treating the patient. The method may include directly fabricating a metal and polymer appliance based on the appliance design. The apparatus may include a directly fabricated metal and polymer appliance.

Systems, devices and methods are disclosed for reshaping airways concurrently with dental and/or orthodontic treatment. The systems can have a series of two or more oral appliances configured to progressively reposition the maxillary and mandibular teeth in two or more successive steps. Each oral appliance in the series can have one or more maxillary blocks, one or more mandibular blocks, a maxillary oral tray, and a mandibular oral tray. One or more maxillary blocks can be attached to or integrated with the maxillary oral tray. One or more mandibular blocks can be attached to or integrated with the mandibular oral tray. The maxillary and mandibular oral trays can be configured to move one or more teeth from a tooth first position to a tooth second position. The maxillary and mandibular blocks can be configured to interact with one another to treat sleep breathing disorders.

Systems, devices and methods are disclosed for reshaping airways concurrently with dental and/or orthodontic treatment. The systems can have a series of two or more oral appliances configured to progressively reposition the maxillary and mandibular teeth in two or more successive steps. Each oral appliance in the series can have one or more maxillary blocks, one or more mandibular blocks, a maxillary oral tray, and a mandibular oral tray. One or more maxillary blocks can be attached to or integrated with the maxillary oral tray. One or more mandibular blocks can be attached to or integrated with the mandibular oral tray. The maxillary and mandibular oral trays can be configured to move one or more teeth from a tooth first position to a tooth second position. The maxillary and mandibular blocks can be configured to interact with one another to treat sleep breathing disorders.

A system for generating a treatment plan for repositioning a plurality of teeth comprises instructions to receive a digital data set representing the plurality of teeth, and determine a movement trajectory for repositioning, each tooth from an initial position and orientation towards a target position and orientation. The movement trajectory of at least one tooth comprises movement along a plurality of different directions. A movement velocity is determined for repositioning each tooth along the corresponding movement trajectory. The movement velocity is determined independently for each tooth, and the movement velocity for the at least one tooth is determined independently for each direction.

An orthodontic appliance comprising a shell shaped to receive a patient's teeth and to urge one or more teeth into a predetermined alignment and/or orientation, the shell including a jaw-biasing region which extends beyond the patient's internal gum line when the shell is worn over the patient's teeth, the jaw-biasing region being configured to apply a bias to the jaw to modify the shaping thereof. By modifying the shape of the jaw to accommodate the patient's repositioned teeth, the present orthodontic appliance may be able to reduce the likelihood and/or severity of orthodontic relapse, thereby achieving a more stable outcome for the patient.

An orthodontic appliance comprising a shell shaped to receive a patient's teeth and to urge one or more teeth into a predetermined alignment and/or orientation, the shell including a jaw-biasing region which extends beyond the patient's internal gum line when the shell is worn over the patient's teeth, the jaw-biasing region being configured to apply a bias to the jaw to modify the shaping thereof. By modifying the shape of the jaw to accommodate the patient's repositioned teeth, the present orthodontic appliance may be able to reduce the likelihood and/or severity of orthodontic relapse, thereby achieving a more stable outcome for the patient.

A removable orthodontic correction device includes a first correction unit, a second correction unit, and several elastic members. The first correction unit is configured to be removably worn on the anterior teeth of the maxillary or mandibular dental arch of a patient and has several first connection parts formed thereon. The second correction unit is configured to be removably worn on the posterior teeth of the same maxillary or mandibular dental arch of the patient and has several second connection parts formed thereon. The elastic members couple the first connection parts to the second connection parts. Thus, the elastic force of the elastic members drives the first correction unit to retract toward the second correction unit, to achieve en masse retraction and intrusion of the anterior teeth during space closure in the treatment of dental protrusion.