Patent classifications
A61C9/0006
Intraoral device with a pair of articulated dental aligners
An intraoral device (1) with a pair of dental aligners (10), each aligner having an outer shell (100) of rigid plastic in the shape of a rounded V defining branches joined at the front part (10a) of the outer shell. The front part has a truncated part in the form of an elongate notch (104), which confers flexibility on the outer shell in a plane orthogonal to the median sagittal plane of the aligners by bringing together or spacing apart the branches of the V. The outer shell includes an impression (106) formed in the front part on the outer face of the outer shell and extending on either side of the elongate notch. The notch cooperates with an attached wedge (50) which serves as a mechanical abutment for blocking flexion of the outer shell at a given curvature when the attached wedge (50) is fixed in the impression (106).
Intermediate prosthesis for dental prosthesis installation
Methods for generating and providing a full arch prosthesis from a pre-existing prosthesis are presented, starting from the pre-existing prosthesis. This prosthesis is removed from the mouth, scanned, and replaced within the mouth. An intermediate prosthesis is generated from the scan, and modified to match a final physiological target configuration of the patient's mouth. The intermediate prosthesis is used to generate a final virtual representation of the target configuration, from which final virtual representation the final working prosthesis is fabricated. The intermediate prosthesis is mounted in the patient's mouth in sections, for desirable repositioning, sections then being bonded together. Copings can be digitally subtracted to enable press fit new copings to be installed. Alternatively, the intermediate prosthesis can include integrated false copings. The intermediate prosthesis is scanned to generate a final digital model or virtual representation of the desired final prosthesis. The final working prosthesis may then be fabricated using the final virtual representation.
EDENTULOUS SPECIFIC SUPPORT AND AESTHETIC RESTORATIVE APPLIANCE
An edentulous mouth insert appliance for mounting upon the edentulous gum of a patient, comprises a u-shaped frame formed of a rigid flexible material, with a portion to embrace the gum and a portion extending beyond the gum with an exposed surface to replicate a bite aligned with the corresponding occlusal plane. The frame has a base supporting a pair of inner and outer side walls spaced apart by the base a distance allowing the frame to encircle and cover the edentulous gum with a space between inner surfaces of the frame and the gum. A fill within the frame fills the space between the frame and the gum upon which the appliance is fitted, providing a void-free seal between the apparatus and the gum.
METHODS FOR GENERATING COMPOSITE IMAGES OF A PATIENT
A computer-implemented method for generating a virtual depiction of an orthodontic treatment of a patient is disclosed herein. The computer-implemented method may involve gathering a three-dimensional (3D) model modeling the patient's dentition at a specific treatment stage of an orthodontic treatment plan. An image of the patient's face and dentition may be gathered. A first set of reference points modeled on the 3D model of the patient's dentition and a second set of reference points represented on the dentition of the image of the patient may be received. The image of the patient's dentition may be projected into a 3D space to create a projected 3D model of the image of the patient's dentition. Based on a comparison of the first reference points and projections of the second set of reference points, a plurality of modified images of the patient may be constructed to depict progressive stages of a treatment plan.
IMPRESSION REGISTRATION
Systems and methods for providing at least one fixture for use in an image guidance system for determining a registration coordinate mapping between a human jaw and a volumetric image of that jaw. The system includes one or more channeled trays and a moldable thermoplastic material for inserting into a channeled tray. The moldable thermoplastic material is hardenable into an impression part such that when mated to the at least a portion of the human jaw and held within the channel of the channeled tray, the impression part resists displacement relative to the human jaw. At least one channeled tray in the system includes a fiducial region detectable in the volumetric CT image in a fixed spatial relation relative to the coupling surface region and at least one channeled tray is pose-trackable by the image guidance system.
DENTAL BAR
A dental bar is disclosed for accurately determining the separation and relative orientation of two coping cylinders projecting from dental implants in a patients mouth to receive a prosthesis. The dental bar comprises two sockets, for fitting over and securing to the two coping cylinders, connected to one another by a limb formed of telescopically collapsible sections. The telescoped ections of the limb are of differing cross-sectional shape so as to define between them a volume into which a bonding material may be injected through a port, in order to lock all the limb sections permanently relative to one another.
Orthodontic appliance having continuous shape memory
Continuous adjustment appliances are provided that can store a large number of geometries that can be successively accessed throughout orthodontic treatment, with each geometry can correspond to an arrangement of the patient's teeth. An appliance according to the present disclosure can be stimulated to transition among the myriad geometries, which can include changes to the overall shape of the appliance as well as the position and geometry of the cavities corresponding to a patient's teeth. Methods of creating the continuous adjustment appliances and methods of treatment using the continuous adjustment appliances are also revealed.
PROCESSING CT SCAN OF DENTAL IMPRESSION
A computer-implemented method and system of determining a material surface from a volumetric density file includes generating a density frequency distribution of a volumetric density file of a dental impression and determining an iso-value of density between air and a particular material in the density frequency distribution. A computer-implemented method and system of creating a digital model from a CT scan of a physical dental impression includes selecting an iso-value of density for a digital volumetric density file having one or more voxels, generating one or more digital surface points in virtual 3D space for each of one or more voxels, and selecting a subset of digital surface points from the one or more digital surface points. A computer-implemented method and system of optimizing a digital surface includes moving one or more digital surface points to satisfy a criteria of optimum digital surface selection.
PROCESSING DIGITAL DENTAL IMPRESSION
A computer-implemented method and system of automatically detecting and removing extraneous material from a digital dental impression includes detecting one or more dental features in a digital dental impression, filtering the one or more dental features, digitally joining the one or more dental features, and determining one or more regions of interest from the joined one or more digital dental features.
METHODS OF MAKING AND USING A DENTAL APPLIANCE
Customized dental appliances are provided having a flexibly resilient shell with cavities shaped to embrace one or more teeth; wherein the shell is shaped so as to envelop at least the crown of the one or more teeth and at least a portion of the gingiva; and wherein the tooth-facing inner wall of said shell comprises one or more protrusions which press against the gingiva and/or one or more cavitation's which produce a pocket in the appliance.