A dual-purpose aligner which can serve as both an engager template and an aligning appliance includes is used for treating a patient according to a predetermined orthodontic treatment plan. The dual-purpose aligner can be seated on the teeth of the patient as an engager template having an engager void which is filled with a predetermined composite for bonding to a tooth of a patient. The engager template aligns the engager void with a corresponding tooth. A light-curing process cures the predetermined composite in the engager void through the dual-purpose aligner appliance to fabricate the engager and attach the engager to the corresponding tooth. The dual-purpose aligner can also be seated on the teeth of the patient as an aligner appliance for moving the teeth of the patient from a first position to a second position according to the predetermined orthodontic treatment plan.

Presented herein is an optical filter system for visible light, which has a first average transmittance T.sub.1 between a limit wavelength λ.sub.G and a wavelength of 700 nm and a second average transmittance T.sub.2 between a wavelength of 380 nm and the limit wavelength λ.sub.G. In this case: 410 nm<λ.sub.G<520 nm and 0.05

[00001]$<\frac{T_1}{T_2}<0.60.$

The present invention relates in a first aspect to an adhesion material for use in an individual containing encapsulated phase-change material. In particular, the adhesion material is for cosmetical or medicinal use in the body of an individual. The adhesion material contains encapsulated phase-change material having preferably a phase transition temperature above 40° C., like above 55° C. The adhesion material is particularly useful for adhering elements, like dental restorations, e.g. crowns or bridge, or brackets on elements in the body of an individual, like teeth or implants. That is, the adhesion material is particularly useful for adhering material in dental applications. In another aspect, a method is provided allowing removing a bracket, a crown or bridge, from implants, abutments or teeth. Furthermore, dental implant restoration systems and kits for permanent fixation of implants allowing improved removal thereof are provided.

The present invention relates to a device to photocure and/or photoactivate a photosensitive material. The device comprises several subsystems to transmit light towards an area of interest where a photosensitive material is applied as well as to collect light reflected by the applied photosensitive material. Reflected light is analyzed by an optical detector to monitor the photocuring and/or photoactivation process. Further means to inject or otherwise apply a photosensitive material can be combined in the same device. Methods for applying a fluent polymerizable material to a target site and for effecting polymerization of the fluent light-sensitive material in situ are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for the cleaning of a circumferentially closed canal by means of a light guide conducting a laser beam. The entry of the laser beam into the light guide is interrupted when the free end of the light guide is outside of the canal and/or the movement of the light guide within the canal is monitored and that if there is no movement or the movement is below a threshold value then a signal is triggered and/or the laser radiation is turned off or its output is reduced.

The invention relates to a device and a method for the production of three-dimensional objects, in particular of at least parts of dental prosthetic restorations, by a stripping device wiping off plastic material, which protrudes vertically beyond a container, into a collecting container and forms a projection surface. According to the invention, a stripping device and a light source are coupled and simultaneously guided, at a defined distance, across the liquid light-curing plastic material, whereby the stripping device is guided at a defined distance right ahead of the light source and forms the projection surface for the illuminated field of the light source.

Disclosed is a smart lighting system for applying light to teeth in the context of tooth whitening. This particularly concerns teeth that have been provided with a light-curable whitening varnish. The system comprises a light-generating unit, a light-patterning unit, a mouth imaging unit, a mouth image sensing unit, and an image processing and control unit, and is adapted so as to allow the image processing and control unit to adjust the light-patterning unit on the basis of information obtained from the mouth image sensing unit. By doing so, prior to allowing the light-generating unit to emit light, it can be ensured that light emitted to assist tooth whitening, does not affect soft tissue.

A dental matrix according to the present invention comprises (a) a metal matrix band comprising an internal surface and an external surface; and (b) an organic light emitting diode (OLED) layer disposed on at least a first portion of the internal surface of the metal matrix band, the OLED layer comprising a first electroluminescent polymer disposed between a first and a second electrode layer. Applying an electrical current across the OLED generates light energy suitable for curing dental restoration material with the light energy being applied from the interproximal space.

The invention relates to a flashlight device comprising at least one unit for generating flashlight and at least one unit for focusing the generated flashlight. The invention further relates to methods for the use thereof and to a set comprising at least one flashlight device according to the invention and a light-curable material, and to a device.

Radically polymerizable dental material which contains (a) at least one polyfunctional radically polymerizable monomer, (b) at least one further radically polymerizable monomer which can be monofunctional or polyfunctional, (c) at least one photoinitiator for the radical polymerization and (d) at least one filler. The material is characterized in that the mixture of the monomers (a) and (b) has a refractive index of from 1.50 to 1.70 and in that the refractive index of the monomer mixture before the curing corresponds to the refractive index of the filler used or is higher by up to 0.013 and after the curing is higher than the refractive index of the filler by at least 0.02.