A dental appliance and method of treatment are disclosed. The dental appliance attaches to predetermined teeth of an upper jaw of a patient, and includes a constrainment mechanism positioned above a patient's tongue, wherein the constrainment mechanism is shaped to limit movement of a posterior zone of the patient's tongue. The constrainment mechanism allows at least an anterior zone and lateral edges of the patient's tongue to perform movements necessary for speech and swallowing. The method of treatment includes use of the dental appliance to reduce the volume of a patient's tongue and enlarge the airways, and can be combined with use of another dental appliance to correct another aspect of the patient's tongue.

Provided herein are systems and processes to control multiple temperatures in additive manufacturing. Such temperature control adjusts polymer properties and facilitates processing of materials to form 3D objects. The systems and processes disclosed herein also facilitate the processing of typically difficult-to-process materials and deliver such materials to a photocuring zone configured to photopolymerize materials into 3 dimensional objects with a layer-by-layer process. Such processes can include the steps of heating a resin to a flowable temperature, applying the resin to a carrier, cooling the film to increase viscosity or to solidify the resin, and applying the film containing the resin onto an area being printed, then photocuring the film. Also provided herein are resins and related polymer materials having properties that are tunable with exposure to more than one temperature zone. The formed polymers can include multiple regions of polymer material, each independently having distinct properties. Processes and systems are also provided herein that are configured to produce polymeric materials having multiple regions with distinct properties from a single-component formulation.

Provided herein are systems and processes to control multiple temperatures in additive manufacturing. Such temperature control adjusts polymer properties and facilitates processing of materials to form 3D objects. The systems and processes disclosed herein also facilitate the processing of typically difficult-to-process materials and deliver such materials to a photocuring zone configured to photopolymerize materials into 3 dimensional objects with a layer-by-layer process. Such processes can include the steps of heating a resin to a flowable temperature, applying the resin to a carrier, cooling the film to increase viscosity or to solidify the resin, and applying the film containing the resin onto an area being printed, then photocuring the film. Also provided herein are resins and related polymer materials having properties that are tunable with exposure to more than one temperature zone. The formed polymers can include multiple regions of polymer material, each independently having distinct properties. Processes and systems are also provided herein that are configured to produce polymeric materials having multiple regions with distinct properties from a single-component formulation.

Methods for designing and fabrication of a series of apparatuses for expanding a patient's palate (“palatal expanders”). In particular, described herein are methods and apparatuses for forming palatal expanders, including rapid palatal expanders, as well as series of palatal expanders formed as described herein and apparatuses for designing and fabricating them.

Methods for designing and fabrication of a series of apparatuses for expanding a patient's palate (“palatal expanders”). In particular, described herein are methods and apparatuses for forming palatal expanders, including rapid palatal expanders, as well as series of palatal expanders formed as described herein and apparatuses for designing and fabricating them.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a mouthpiece that has an excellent fit and that is not prone to breakage or deformation. This mouthpiece for solving the above problem has: a pair of mouthpiece body parts configured from an upper-jaw mouthpiece body part mounted to the upper jaw, and a lower-jaw mouthpiece body part mounted to the lower jaw; a positioning member for restricting rearward displacement of the lower-jaw mouthpiece body part; and a support part that is disposed between the positioning member and the body parts and that supports the positioning member, so as to cover a portion of a surface that faces a surface of the upper-jaw mouthpiece body part and/or the lower-jaw mouthpiece body part that is mounted to a tooth row, the support part including a material that has a different flexural modulus than the mouthpiece body parts.

A method for generating and fabricating a dental device having a body. The body may have a first plurality of tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a first side of an arch. The body may also have a second plurality of tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a second side of an arch. A palatal portion may extend between the first plurality of tooth receiving cavities and the second plurality of tooth receiving cavities. The palatal portion may be shaped to apply an expansion force to the teeth of the first side of the arch and the teeth of the second side of the arch. The palatal portion may include a plurality of bands that extend between the first plurality of tooth receiving cavities and the second plurality of tooth receiving cavities, each respective band may have a respective different thickness.

The orthodontic appliance includes a spread plate for spreading location of right and left molars of an upper dentition portion by spreading right and left plate portions, and the right and left plate portions include plate body portions arranged respectively on the sides of the molars of the upper dentition portion and the engagement portions extending from the plate body portions to the positions each facing the vicinity of the front teeth of the upper dentition portion, and the engagement portions are configured to be engaged with the lower front teeth when the upper dentition portion and a lower dentition portion are engaged with each other.

The orthodontic appliance includes a spread plate for spreading location of right and left molars of an upper dentition portion by spreading right and left plate portions, and the right and left plate portions include plate body portions arranged respectively on the sides of the molars of the upper dentition portion and the engagement portions extending from the plate body portions to the positions each facing the vicinity of the front teeth of the upper dentition portion, and the engagement portions are configured to be engaged with the lower front teeth when the upper dentition portion and a lower dentition portion are engaged with each other.

A succession of dental appliances may be used to provide airway remodeling. The airway remodeling may provide for treatment of snoring or sleep disordered breathing. The dental appliances may have an outside wall, an inside wall, and a channel to receive a dental arch between the inside wall and the outside wall. The inside wall may extend so as to apply pressure to a bone structure, when worn by a user. The succession of dental appliances may have successively greater arch widths and/or lengths.