A method for capturing digital data for fabricating a dental splint involves displaying a GUI on a display of a smartphone that provides an alignment feature for a user to align a camera of the smartphone to a first position that captures teeth of a person, receiving digital video of the teeth, overlaying the alignment feature on the digital video of the teeth on the display, moving the alignment feature on the screen in a manner that causes the user to move the smartphone relative to the teeth to maintain alignment with the alignment feature, capturing digital image information of the teeth as the alignment feature is moved, the captured digital image information including depth information, and transmitting the captured digital image information, including the depth information, from the smartphone for use in fabricating a dental splint.

Apparatuses and methods for customized retainers to prevent relapse. In particular, described herein are customized retainers, and methods and apparatuses for making customized retainers that specifically reenforce and prevent movement of one or more teeth having a higher likelihood of relapse following completion of an orthodontic treatment plan.

The invention relates to a multi-layer, preferably co-extruded, plastic film with improved modulus properties, which is suitable, in particular, for producing three-dimensionally shaped articles.

For improving the quality of use of intraoral orthodontic devices (1) such as dental splints (2) to be worn on teeth as well as for increasing their functionality, such devices (1) are fabricated at least in part, but preferably fully from bio-based materials (5). In particular when using a design featuring a cap layer (4) covering an inner stiff core (3) and including a bio-based material (5), which can be additionally chosen such that it can take-up a significant amount of liquid by swelling, both the micro-deformability of the device (1) can be improved—resulting in increased wearing comfort for the patient and less microplastic contamination for the patient through fossil-based plastic abrasions—and novel functions can be realized, for example releasing substances (9) such as drugs or flavor molecules or bio-based antimicrobial or protective agents from the device (1).

An off-the-shelf oral splint that is operatively secured to the maxilla and mandible to assist in reduction and provide maintenance of reduction of maxillary and mandibular fractures in the edentulous or partially edentulous patient. The oral splint is fabricated into a plurality of standardized sizes. These sizes are determined by imaging a population of jaws, measuring dimensions thereof, manipulating (e.g., calculating the mean) these dimensions, and generating a size that is representative of a subset of that population. This can be done for all sizes that would represent individuals in that population. The splint itself is fabricated virtually by creating “U-shapes”, splitting them horizontally into halves, creating an evacuation channel, and generating a coupling mechanism to hold the halves together. The splint can then be printed or otherwise manufactured.

An off-the-shelf oral splint that is operatively secured to the maxilla and mandible to assist in reduction and provide maintenance of reduction of maxillary and mandibular fractures in the edentulous or partially edentulous patient. The oral splint is fabricated into a plurality of standardized sizes. These sizes are determined by imaging a population of jaws, measuring dimensions thereof, manipulating (e.g., calculating the mean) these dimensions, and generating a size that is representative of a subset of that population. This can be done for all sizes that would represent individuals in that population. The splint itself is fabricated virtually by creating “U-shapes”, splitting them horizontally into halves, creating an evacuation channel, and generating a coupling mechanism to hold the halves together. The splint can then be printed or otherwise manufactured.

A method for producing a shape memory band of an orthodontic appliance. The shape memory band is one piece, has a cross section that can vary according to the longitudinal position of said cross section, and includes a bonding zone configured so as to exhibit a shape substantially identical to that of a tooth. The method includes: determining an orthodontic treatment suitable for treating the teeth, determining a set of forces to be exerted locally on the teeth in order to obtain the orthodontic treatment and the shape of the surface of the teeth to which bonding zones of the shape memory band are to be bonded, and producing the shape memory band. The local cross section of the shape memory band is determined according to the forces and in such a way as to define bonding zones substantially identical to the surfaces of the teeth.

In an embodiment, a method for determining fitness for a dental splint is disclosed. The method involves starting evaluation application on a smartphone, activating camera of the smartphone, moving the smartphone relative to the teeth of the person as directed by a GUI of the application on a display of smartphone, and deactivating the camera as directed by the GUI of the application.

A splint device for guided robotic surgery, includes an arcuate splint body having first and second ends and opposing concave and convex surfaces. The splint body defines a plurality of holes spaced apart between the first and second ends, with each hole extending between the concave and convex surfaces. A tracking portion is engaged with the convex surface of the splint body between the first and second ends such that at least one of the holes is disposed between the tracking portion and each of the first and second ends. The tracking portion extends outwardly from the convex surface and has a kinematic mount engaged therewith.

An apparatus and a related pair of elements and methods are for aligning or positioning teeth. The apparatus is configured to be worn in a mouth of a wearer and further configured to be supported on the teeth of the wearer, and has elements arranged to be distributed along a set of the teeth and at least one engager member for engaging the elements for moving one or more of the teeth. In such embodiments, at least one pair of the elements can be engaged such that when in use, at least one part of one of the elements in the pair bears against at least one part of the other of the elements in the pair.