Methods and apparatuses for monitoring either or both the performance of an orthodontic appliance for repositioning a patient's teeth and/or the user compliance in wearing the appliance using a biosensor. The apparatuses described herein may include one or more sensors, including biosensors, electrical sensors, or both, configured to generate sensor data related to user compliance and/or repositioning of the patient's teeth by an orthodontic appliance.

A system for fabricating a dental restoration to restore a tooth at a restoration site in a dentition of a patient is disclosed. The dentition includes a restoration dental arch and an opposing dental arch. The restoration dental arch include the restoration site and the opposing dental arch is opposite the restoration dental arch. The system includes an impression apparatus, a motion capture apparatus, an interface apparatus, and a restoration design system. The impression apparatus is configured to capture an impression of the dentition of the patient. The motion capture apparatus is configured to capture a plurality of location data points that represent the locations of the opposing dental arch relative to the restoration dental arch. The interference model generation system is configured to generate an interference model for the restoration site. The restoration design system is for designing a restoration using the interference model.

A dental diagnostic assembly for diagnosing dental health includes a handle that can be gripped by a dentist. A sensing probe is coupled to the handle and the sensing probe has a curved end which can be positioned against a tooth in a patient's mouth. A diagnostic unit is in remote communicates a diagnostic pulse to the sensing probe to transmit the diagnostic pulse into the tooth. The diagnostic unit analyzes the resistance to the diagnostic pulse to determine the health of the tooth. Moreover, the diagnostic unit includes a display for displaying numbers indicating the value of the magnitude of resistance to visually communicate the health of the tooth to the dentist.

Methods for generating multiple orthodontic treatment options for a digital 3D model of teeth in malocclusion. The method generates a plurality of different orthodontic treatment plans for the teeth and displays in a user interface the digital 3D model of teeth in malocclusion with a visual indication of each of the plurality of different orthodontic treatment plans. The visual indication of the treatment plans can be overlaid on the digital 3D model of teeth in malocclusion and possibly include aligners, brackets, or a combination of aligners and brackets. A doctor, technician, or other user can then select one of the treatment plans for a particular patient.

A method for training a neural network intended to analyze a dental situation of an updated patient. A historical learning database is created that relates to a dental body and to a spatial attribute associated with the dental body. The historical learning database includes more than 1,000 historical records, with each historical record relating to a respective historical patient. Each record including a set of historical images all depicting the dental body in the historical patient, called “historical dental body” and an item of spatial information including, for the historical patient, a set of values for the spatial attribute, called “historical spatial information.” The neural network is trained, by providing it with the sets of historical images as input and with the historical spatial information as output, with the spatial attribute defining an ordered sequence of variables in a three-dimensional reference frame.

Inventions herein include at least mostly optically clear orthodontic braces and feet orthotics (collectively referred to as “appliances”) with backscatter based sensors. These two categories of appliances share a common property requiring that the given appliance must be correctly custom manufactured to fit a patient's own particular geometry and dimensions of their teeth and/or feet in order to perform as intended. Incorporating such appliances with backscatter based sensors enables simple, easy, fast, efficient, and cost effective measurements, in real-time or near real-time, of stresses, forces, structural changes, and/or the like in the given appliance; which in turn can aid in determining if adjustments or re-manufacture of the appliance may be needed or desired; and/or wherein such measurements may aid in evaluating performance of the given appliance. In some embodiments, such measurements may also be taken remotely away from a practitioner; and then communicated to a remotely located practitioner.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method of acquiring an image for dental diagnosis. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method of acquiring a near-infrared image for dental diagnosis, wherein an image for dental diagnosis is acquired using near-infrared radiation and a general image camera rather than using X-rays.

The present invention relates generally to a system and method for measuring the structural characteristics of an object. The object is subjected to an energy application processes and provides an objective, quantitative measurement of structural characteristics of an object. The system may include a device, for example, a percussion instrument, capable of being reproducibly placed against the object undergoing such measurement for reproducible positioning. The system does not include an external on/off switch or any remote on/off switching mechanism. The system also includes a disposable feature or assembly for minimizing cross-contamination between tests. The structural characteristics as defined herein may include vibration damping capacities, acoustic damping capacities, structural integrity or structural stability.

The present invention relates generally to a system and method for measuring the structural characteristics of an object. The object is subjected to an energy application processes and provides an objective, quantitative measurement of structural characteristics of an object. The system may include a device, for example, a percussion instrument, capable of being reproducibly placed against the object undergoing such measurement for reproducible positioning. The structural characteristics as defined herein may include vibration damping capacities, acoustic damping capacities, structural integrity or structural stability.

A system for fabricating a dental restoration to restore a tooth at a restoration site in a dentition of a patient is disclosed. The dentition includes a restoration dental arch and an opposing dental arch. The restoration dental arch include the restoration site and the opposing dental arch is opposite the restoration dental arch. The system includes an impression apparatus, a motion capture apparatus, an interface apparatus, and a restoration design system. The impression apparatus is configured to capture an impression of the dentition of the patient. The motion capture apparatus is configured to capture a plurality of location data points that represent the locations of the opposing dental arch relative to the restoration dental arch. The interference model generation system is configured to generate an interference model for the restoration site. The restoration design system is for designing a restoration using the interference model.