Creating a replacement tooth or set of teeth by using the patient's mouth as an intra-oral articulator. Also, a medical appliance can be created by using the patient's mouth as an intra-oral articulator. A mechanism is fitted within the patient's mouth which can hold one or more replaceable teeth. The dentist adjusts the size, color, location and placement of the teeth within the patient's mouth until a best fit is achieved. Then, the device, with the artificial and temporary teeth secured thereto, is further processed into a final replacement tooth (teeth). Also, the present system can be used for any dental or medical appliance in or about the mouth, i.e., using the mouth of the patient as the intra-oral articulator will result in superior results.

A system for dental implant restoration is provided. It includes universal aligning adaptors and prosthetic components having co-operable indices, which together form a translational, integrating system which aligns, synchronizes, and references the prosthetic components about an implant's central axis of rotation. Rotation of an adaptor about a prosthetic component, with its reference point becoming aligned to a predetermined reference point on the prosthetic component, followed by the rotation of the adaptor/prosthetic component assembly about the implant, situates the prosthetic component in a predetermined position such that all other prosthetic components become synchronized to the adaptor's reference point. The prosthetic component is mechanical for clinical or lab bench use, or is virtual for restoration design in a software program, prior to milling prosthetic abutments or devices. Abutments, healing caps and screw access holes are realigned to preferred positions and synchronized with minimal deviation from the ideal direction.

Methods and apparatus for producing controlled tooth-moving forces are provided. An orthodontic appliance includes one or more occlusal surface features that modify bite forces between opposing teeth during intercuspation to aid in realignment of the teeth. The interception bite forces can be applied between appliance shells on opposing arches, or between an appliance shell and an opposing tooth. These modified bite forces can be used to supply or augment tooth-moving forces, and the tooth moving forces can produce moments to urge rotational movement of a tooth. Also described herein are orthodontic appliances having an occlusal outer surface contours that are distinct from the occlusal inner surface contour within the dental appliance and may be configured to selectively intercuspate.

A dental impression kit and method is provided. The kit includes a single-use container filled with a polyvinyl siloxane (PVS) base, a single-use container filled with a PVS catalyst, a dispenser filled with a light body PVS, an impression tray having a curved channel sized and shaped to surround one of an upper or lower dental arch and an instruction packet. The method includes opening the single-use containers, and mixing the PVS base and PVS catalyst to form a PVS mixture. The method includes pressing the PVS mixture into the impression tray, pressing the impression tray onto one of an upper or lower dental arch to form a first dental impression. The method includes opening the single use dispenser, ejecting the light body PVS over the first dental impression, and reseating the impression tray to form a second dental impression.

The invention relates to a method for virtually modeling a dental arch (10), wherein a plurality of overlapping images of the dental arch (10) and of a reference body (30) is captured from different angles of view and a virtual, three-dimensional dental arch model is computed from the captured images. The invention is characterized in that a partial impression (32) of the dental arch (10) on an impression plate (22) of known dimensions is used as the reference body (30), which impression plate is provided with a pattern.

A molded breathing appliance for supporting a nasal oxygen tube having an upper bite rim, a lower bite rim, a moldable material disposed within the upper bite rim and lower bite rim for conforming to a patient's maxillary bite impression and mandibular bite impression, respectively, an L-shaped member extending outwardly perpendicular to the upper bite rim, and a transverse support disposed on the L-shaped member and configured with a plurality of sets of oxygen tube finger clamps to retain a nasal oxygen tube in proximity with a patient's nostrils.

The invention relates to manufacturing a surgical guide to be placed in a patient's mouth. The patient's mouth is scanned to obtain surgical-region scan data at a region where an implant is to be located. The patient's mouth is also scanned in the opened position to acquire dental conditions opposite from the surgical region to obtain opposing-condition scan data. A virtual model is developed using the surgical-region scan data and the opposing-condition scan data. Using the virtual model, a surgical plan is developed that includes the location of the implant to be installed in the patient. A virtual surgical guide is also developed based on the surgical plan. The dimensions of instrumentation to be used with the surgical guide are checked to ensure they will fit within the mouth by use of the opposing-condition scan data. After checking, final surgical-guide manufacturing information is obtained for manufacturing the surgical guide.

The invention consists of a rapidly crosslinkable, two-component silicone elastomer together with a specially designed tray that serves as a form for the silicone resin and forms an integral portion of a dental appliance.

Embodiments provide the capability to determine a digital 3D model of a patient's teeth obtains projection images acquired by scanning a negative impression of the patient's teeth using a computed tomographic imaging apparatus, where the impression includes a radio-opaque transfer element for a dental implant or crown post. One exemplary method reconstructs, from the projection images, an air volume model within the reconstructed volume and bounded by a transition surface defined according to the negative impression. A transfer element volume model of the transfer element is defined, segmented from the air volume model and from the transition surface. A combined digital 3D model of the patient's teeth is formed according to the air volume model and transfer element volume model. At least a portion of the combined digital 3D model of the teeth is displayed.

Ablation probe tips (108, 148, 320, 360) and physical and virtual stents (110) for use in tooth bud ablation procedures that result in tooth agenesis as well as tooth bud ablation methods are described herein.