AN ASSEMBLY FOR THE ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT OF A PATIENT'S TEETH AND AN ORTHODONTIC SYSTEM FOR SUCH A TREATMENT, A METHOD FOR THE PLACEMENT OF AN ASSEMBLY FOR THE ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT OF A PATIENT'S TEETH AND A METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SUCH AN ASSEMBLY, AND A USE OF SUCH AN ORTHODONTIC SYSTEM

Abstract

Assembly for the orthodontic treatment of a patient's teeth, method for the placement of an assembly for the orthodontic treatment of a patient's teeth and use of the orthodontic system, the assembly including a pearl and a cap, the pearl being provided with a slot into which an orthodontic wire can be inserted, the cap being shaped individually to the shape of the tooth, wherein the cap is connected to the pearl.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. An assembly for the orthodontic treatment of a patient's teeth, the assembly comprising a pearl and a cap, the pearl being provided with a slot into which an orthodontic wire can be inserted, and having a surface opposite to the surface in contact with the teeth which does not comprise any sharp corner, the cap being shaped individually to the shape of the tooth, wherein the cap is connected to the pearl.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the assembly further comprises a connector, the connector being breakable for detaching the pearl from the cap.

18. An orthodontic system for the orthodontic treatment of a patient's teeth, the orthodontic system comprising several assemblies according to claim 16.

19. The orthodontic system of claim 18, wherein the assemblies are each placed on a different tooth.

20. A method for the placement of an assembly for the orthodontic treatment of a patient's teeth, the assembly comprising a pearl and a cap, the pearl being provided with a slot into which an orthodontic wire can be inserted, the cap being shaped individually to the shape of the tooth, and the cap being connected to the pearl, wherein the assembly is positioned on the tooth so as the cap is in contact with the corresponding shape of the tooth and the pearl is in contact with the tooth.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the pearl is attached to the teeth.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the pearl is detached from the cap.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising a step wherein an orthodontic wire is inserted into the slot of the pearl.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the orthodontic wire is inserted into the slot of the pearl prior the placement of the assembly on the patient's tooth.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the orthodontic wire is inserted into the slot of the pearl after the placement of the assembly on the patient's tooth.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the orthodontic wire is inserted into the slot of the pearl after the placement of the assembly on the patient's tooth, the pearl being attached to the tooth.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein several assemblies are placed respectively on a tooth.

28. A method of manufacturing an assembly for the orthodontic treatment of a patient's teeth, the assembly comprising a pearl and a cap, the pearl being provided with a slot into which an orthodontic wire can be inserted, the cap being shaped individually to the shape of the tooth, wherein the cap is connected to the pearl, wherein the pearl is obtained by additive manufacturing.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the additive manufacturing is made with ceramic material.

30. A method for a contention treatment, comprising placing the orthodontic system of claim 18 on a patient's teeth.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] Further features and advantages of the disclosure will emerge in the course of the following description of one of the embodiments thereof, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the drawings attached. In the various figures, the same references denote identical or similar elements.

[0054] In the drawings:

[0055] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an appliance according to the prior art;

[0056] FIG. 2A is a schematic perspective view of an appliance according to the disclosure;

[0057] FIG. 2B is a bottom view of the positioning of the appliance in FIG. 2A after separation from the cap;

[0058] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a pearl of the appliance in FIG. 2A;

[0059] FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the pearl in FIG. 3A;

[0060] FIG. 4A is a perspective side view of a pearl according to a further embodiment,

[0061] FIG. 4B is a perspective front view of the pearl in FIG. 4A;

[0062] FIG. 4C is a perspective side view of the assembly according to the disclosure;

[0063] FIG. 4D is a perspective front view of the assembly in FIG. 4C;

[0064] FIG. 4E is a perspective front view of the assembly of the disclosure, the assembly being placed on the lingual side of the tooth to be treated;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0065] FIG. 1 illustrates schematically an orthodontic appliance 510 known in the prior art and placed on a patient's teeth 511 according to a method known from the prior art. The appliance 510 comprises an orthodontic wire 512 and a plurality of brackets 516 and bases 514. Each base 514 is fixed between a corresponding tooth 511 and bracket 516. Each bracket 516 is provided with a slot 518 wherein the orthodontic wire 512 is inserted.

[0066] Generally, as disclosed in document U.S. Pat. No. 8,678,817 B2, such a bracket includes a mounting base for attachment to a tooth surface and an archwire slot formed upon the base and sized for receiving an orthodontic archwire (or orthodontic wire).

[0067] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an appliance 510 known in the prior art that consists of a labial version, wherein the brackets are arranged on the outer (labial) surface 511A of the teeth 511. The orthodontic wire 512 is inserted into the slots 518 of the brackets 516 so as to align the teeth 511 over the course of the treatment. In this version, the brackets 516 are visible when the patient smiles.

[0068] Due to their geometry and/or dimensions, such known brackets 516 are easily visible, that make the brackets 516 unaesthetic. Furthermore, and especially when the brackets are placed on the lingual surface of a tooth (not depicted on the figs.), the brackets as already known could cause a discomfort, when, for example, the tongue touches the brackets.

[0069] The patient prefers for this reason to have an appliance 10 according to the disclosure and described hereinafter.

[0070] FIG. 2A illustrates a schematic perspective view of an appliance 10 according to the disclosure.

[0071] This embodiment consists of a lingual version, wherein pearls 15 that replace the brackets 16 and bases 14 are arranged on the inner (lingual) surface 11B of the teeth 11. The pearls 15 are then outwardly invisible. The disclosure is however not limited to such a version, the labial version being also part of the disclosure also not depicted on the figures.

[0072] In both versions (lingual or labial), the placement of the appliance 10 would be a difficult procedure should it be necessary to position each pearl 15 individually; the pearl 15 is generally bonded onto the tooth 11. However, according to the disclosure, this difficulty is overcome thanks to the assembly 30 (described below) and to the fact that the pearls are linked and placed together optimally on each tooth 11 to be treated.

[0073] Such a pearl 15 allows notably being blended with the tooth. More precisely, with a pearl defined in the disclosure, the patient does not feel (or barely) it in his/her mouth. Besides, such a pearl is very aesthetic since it is little or no visible. The pearl 15 has the function of a bracket for the orthodontic wire 12, but it is smaller than the brackets known from the prior art. Therefore, the pearls 15 according to the disclosure are less incommoding. In addition, with the appliance 10 of the disclosure, no base is needed on the contrary to the appliance known from the prior art, where a base is placed between the tooth and the bracket.

[0074] As for embodiments known from the prior art, the embodiment in the lingual version (FIG. 2A) is more visually appealing than in a labial version (not depicted). In addition, the labial version is more visually appealing than the embodiment known from labial version from the prior art (FIG. 1) and the lingual version (FIG. 2A) is more visually appealing than the embodiment known from the prior art (not depicted). However, the lingual version (FIG. 2A) is more difficult to place on the patient's teeth 11, since access to the teeth 11 is more difficult on the lingual side than on the labial side.

[0075] As seen more clearly in FIGS. 3A and 3B, each pearl 15 is provided with a slot 18 wherein the archwire or orthodontic wire 12 is inserted (not shown in FIGS. 3A-3B). This slot 18 may have a square cross-section, as represented in FIG. 3B, but the cross-section may also be rectangular or circular or any other shape. The orthodontic wire 12 may for its part have a round or square cross-section or a cross-section of any other shape.

[0076] The pearls 15 may be of any shape, they may for example include wings, an intermediate part for optionally receiving chains, a second slot. The pearls 15 are attached to the teeth 11 using known attachment means, for example by bonding.

[0077] A first embodiment of the pearl according to the disclosure is depicted on FIGS. 3A and 3B and a second embodiment of the pearl according to the disclosure is depicted on FIGS. 4A to 4E. The second embodiment has a surface opposite to the surface in contact with the teeth which does not comprise any sharp corner. In other words, there is no surface irregularity or roughness on the surface. The surface is therefore smooth. The surface thus shaped in such a way that it completes the external aspect of a tooth 11.

[0078] In addition, the surface has a domed shape. As depicted in FIG. 4C for example, the surface is convex. The convexity of the surface may be more or less pronounced.

[0079] More precisely, mathematically speaking, in the second embodiment, the surface opposite to the surface in contact with the teeth can be represented as a smooth function. The smooth function has its curves and at least its first derivate continuous. For example, the function which represents the surface opposite may be of class C.sup.1 if only first derivates are continuous. In another example, the function may be of class C.sup.2, and its first and second derivates are continuous. In another example, the function may be of class C.sup.3, and its first, second and third derivates are continuous. In other words, the function may be of class C.sup.n, and its n derivates are continuous, n being a positive integer.

[0080] Advantageously, according to the tooth onto which it will be placed, the dimensions of the pearl 15 is comprised between 2.0 mm and 3.0 mm in width W and between 3.0 mm and 4.0 mm in length L. Preferably, the volume is comprised between 2.0 mm.sup.3 (cubic millimeter) and 25.0 mm.sup.3. The pearl 15 has thus a particular compact size relative to a tooth. For example, on an adult tooth, the pearl 15 occupies between 20% and 99% of the lingual surface of the tooth. The pearl may have a shape that is anatomic and/or isomorphic with the teeth. In other words, for a tooth that is wider on its top free end than on its base, the shape of the pearl 15 can also be wider toward the top free end of the tooth than toward the base of the tooth.

[0081] In addition, the pearl weights between 1 g (gram) and 10 g.

[0082] The pearl 15 is for example made of ceramic material. Ceramic has a similar color to the one of a tooth, which improves the aesthetic property of the pearl 15. In addition, ceramic is biocompatible, which means that it is compatible with an utilization for a human body. Ceramic is also well a material resistant to load, which provide a good bearing of the pearl 15 regarding the load applied by the orthodontic wire 12 on the pearl 15. However, the pearl 15 may be made of other materials such as biocompatible resins.

[0083] Manufacture in one piece makes it possible to do away with any assembly problems associated with manual handling. Such an orthodontic appliance 10 is especially manufactured in one piece when it is made of plastic material, for instance biocompatible resins.

[0084] Besides, it may be manufactured in at least two parts assembled together by attaching means, like snap-fitting for instance. Such a manufacture in two parts allows an optimization of the quantity of material used and allows thus a reduction of the costs. The manufacture in at least two parts may be particularly applied when the orthodontic appliance 10 comprises other material such as ceramic. Actually, the ceramic materials are generally more expensive than the plastic ones. In addition the materials used in orthodontic treatment (plastic and ceramic) need to be biocompatible. Besides, the manufacture in at least two parts may be applied for technical/economic reasons.

[0085] Besides, the pearl can be coated. More precisely, the external surface of the pearl 15 can be coated. In fact, the pearl 15 could be manufactured in metal for technical or economic reasons and coated with a smooth material at its surface to increase the patient's comfort. Likewise, the pearl 15 can be made of a smooth material; in that case, the slot 18 can be in metal in order to facilitate the insertion of the wire and to reduce the friction between the wire and the slot.

[0086] A smooth material is for instance a ceramic material or a plastic material.

[0087] These particular dimensions of the pearl 15 provide an aesthetic result of the pearl. In addition, when a person runs his/her tongue over his/her tooth, he/she does not have the feeling the tooth comprises a foreign connector on its surface. Due to the small dimensions of the pearl, the tongue does not hook on the pearl, or is not skinned when running over the pearl.

[0088] FIGS. 4C and 4D illustrate an assembly 30. The assembly 30 is used for the placement of the pearl 15 on the tooth 11. The assembly 30 comprises the pearl 15 and a cap 24.

[0089] The cap 24 is destined to be placed on the tooth 11. More precisely, the cap 24 is destined to be placed on the occlusal or incisive surface of the tooth 11. The cap 24 determines the placement of the pearl 15 on the tooth 11, as depicted in FIG. 4E. In other words, the cap 24 is like a guide for the correct placement of the pearl 15 on the tooth 11.

[0090] The cap 24 is shaped individually to the shape of the tooth 11. The cap 24 is thus custom made according to the tooth 11 on which it is destined to be placed.

[0091] Still with reference to FIGS. 4C and 4D, the cap 24 is connected to the pearl 15. The connection of the cap 24 and the pearl 15 is made via a connector 27.

[0092] The connector 27 is easily breakable, so as to separate the pearl 15 to the cap 24. The connector 27 represents a pre-fracture zone of the assembly 30. The rigidity of the connector 27 is chosen such that, on one hand, the cap 24 and the pearl 15 are rigidly maintained together and, on the other hand, it is easy to break the connector 27. In order to be easily breakable, each connector 27 can have a fracture zone near the pearl 15; such a breakable zone allows a complete separation of the pearl 15 from the connector 27.

[0093] As a result, when the pearl 15 is fixed onto the tooth 11, for example by bonding, the cap 24 can be separated from the pearl 15 by breaking the connector 27.

[0094] In addition, the cap 24 may be provided with an arm 25.

[0095] FIG. 4E is a perspective front view of the assembly 30 with the arm 25, the whole placed on the lingual side 11B on a tooth 11 to be treated. The whole could obviously be arranged on the side of the outer face 11A of the teeth 11. The cap 24 is arranged on a tooth 11. In this position, the pearl 15 is correctly positioned on the tooth 11.

[0096] When several assemblies 30 are placed on the teeth, i.e. an assembly 30 per tooth 11, the pearls 15 form a first part of the appliance 10. The orthodontic wire 12, when provided within the slots of the pearls 15, forms the second part of the appliance 10.

[0097] Regardless of the version (lingual or labial), the appliance 10 may be placed on the lower jaw (mandible) or on the upper jaw (maxilla).

[0098] Furthermore, regardless of the version, the appliance 10 may include the same number of pearls 15 as teeth 11 in the mandible or indeed a lower number. Indeed, not all the teeth 11 in a jaw necessarily need to be treated and, in this case, it is appropriate to only place pearls on the teeth to be treated. As such, the appliance 10 may include pearls which are not all arranged in succession from one tooth to the adjacent tooth. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2B, the jaw includes twelve teeth 11, whereas only eight are to be treated; therefore, the appliance merely includes eight pearls 15. In this example, the pearls are in succession from one tooth to the other. The appliance may for example be arranged on merely two teeth, but can be arranged on more than two teeth as disclosed above.

[0099] When the pearls 15 are in succession from one tooth to the other, the slots 18 of the pearls 15 form a channel for the orthodontic wire 12. Indeed, the pearls are sufficiently close from each other to form a sort of tube that determines a passage of the orthodontic archwire 12.

[0100] In order to facilitate the placement of an orthodontic appliance 10 as described above and ensure correct positioning of each of the pearls 15 on the relevant tooth 11, the disclosure relates to a placement method.

[0101] The placement method according to the disclosure is described with reference to the appliance 10 illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B is a lingual appliance, but it is understood that it is applicable in the same way to the placement of a labial version appliance 10.

[0102] According to the disclosure, the positioning of the pearl 15 is carried out using the assembly 30.

[0103] The caps 24 are preferably shaped individually to the shape of the teeth 11. As such, by way of example, the cap 24 is shaped to a tooth 11, whereas the adjacent cap is shaped to the adjacent tooth to be treated.

[0104] In order to facilitate the placement of an orthodontic appliance 10 as described above and ensure correct positioning of each of the pearls 15 on the relevant tooth 11, at least one mark 15′ may be provided on the assembly 30.

[0105] Such a mark 15′ facilitates the placement of the assembly 30 on the correct tooth. For instance, each pearl 15 or preferably each cap 24 is provided with a mark 15′.

[0106] For instance, the mark 15′ may correspond to the tooth number onto which the corresponding pearl is to be placed (see FIGS. 4D and 4E). In the examples depicted, the mark 15′ may be 13 as depicted on FIG. 4D and the mark 15′ may be 34 as depicted on FIG. 4E.

[0107] In order to use the assembly 30 and so as to position the pearl 15 and/or the orthodontic archwire 12 correctly, a digital setup of the orthodontic treatment is required. The digital setup is a simulation of the corrected position of the teeth performed on the basis of the malocclusion. The digital initial (malocclusion) model is obtained directly from the output of an intraoral scanner or from the scan of an imprint (for example in silicone) of the patient's teeth.

[0108] Once this simulation has been carried out, the corrected position of the teeth is used to design and position the orthodontic arches 12 and the pearls 15 correctly.

[0109] Subsequently, the assembly 30 is manufactured so as to be able to place correctly the pearl 15 and thus the appliance 10, in the mouth.

[0110] To position the pearl 15 on the patient's teeth 11, the method according to the disclosure consists of inserting the assembly 30 into the patient's mouth, the assembly 30 being moved closer to the teeth of the jaw (inferior or superior) to be treated, until the cap 24 comes into contact with the respective teeth 11; at this time, the pearl 15 is in contact with the relevant teeth 11 and is correctly positioned.

[0111] Once the pearl is 15 attached to the teeth 11 using attachment means, the cap 24 is separated from the pearl 15. For instance, the separation may occur in breaking the connectors 27 located between the pearl 15 and the cap 24. Such a break may be done manually (i.e. without any tool) or not (cut).

[0112] After separation, only the pearl 15 remains in the mouth.

[0113] The placement method of a pearl 15 on a tooth 11 is repeated as much as necessary. Finally, one or several teeth comprise a pearl 15.

[0114] In an example, regarding the orthodontic wire 12, it may be inserted into the slot 18 of each of the pearls prior to positioning the assembly 30 on the teeth 11, i.e. prior to placing the pearls 15 on the teeth 11. In this case, the orthodontic wire 12 connects together the assemblies 30. Thus, once the assembly 30 has been placed on the teeth 11 and the pearls 15 attached, the cap 24 are detached from the pearls 15 and the appliance 10 is then correctly placed in the mouth.

[0115] In another example, the orthodontic wire 12 may be inserted into the slot 18 of each of the pearls 15 after positioning the assembly 30 on the teeth 11, i.e. after placing the pearls 15 on the teeth 11. In this case, once the assembly 30 has been placed on the teeth 11 and the pearls 15 attached, it is appropriate to insert the orthodontic wire 12 into the slots 18 of the pearls 15.

[0116] The caps 24 may be detached from the pearls 15 prior or after the insertion of the orthodontic wire 12 into the slots 18. The appliance 10 is then correctly placed in the mouth.

[0117] Another object of the disclosure is a method of manufacturing the assembly 30.

[0118] According to the disclosure, the assembly 30 is manufactured by additive manufacturing. For example, the additive manufacturing is three-dimensional printing. Three-dimensional printing reduces costs and increases productive capacity.

[0119] Advantageously, the assembly 30 can be made of ceramic materials or biocompatible resin.

[0120] In another example, the assembly 30 is manufactured by subtractive manufacturing. For example, the subtractive manufacturing is done by cutting materials with a CNC (computer numerical control) milling machine or with a laser cutting machine.

[0121] In another example, the assembly 30 is made by casting metal or ceramic or PEEK from a mould.

[0122] According to the disclosure another use of the appliance 10 than the orthodontic treatment described above, is for a contention treatment. Such a contention treatment is generally made during the entire life of the patient. After orthodontic treatment as disclosed above, the appliance is not removed from the month of the patient, but maintained in order to avoid any future teeth displacement.