Abstract:
Detection of placement of dental aligners in patient mouth on teeth for indication of wearing compliance. Described herein are apparatuses and methods for detecting wearing, including compliance, and for reliably transferring data, by wired or wireless direct or indirect communication of electronic compliance information to a smartphone. Also described herein are dental appliances that can detect physiological parameters related to respiration and sleep. Also described herein are aligner cases that enable NFC communication with electronic compliance indicator (ECI) devices and Bluetooth communication with smartphones.
Abstract:
Apparatuses and methods for performing orthodontic treatment planning are provided. Virtual/ Augmented Reality devices can be used to virtually manipulate patient's teeth, modify virtual models of the patient's teeth, analyze the fit of a dental appliance on the patient's teeth, analyze the position of attachment sites for dental appliances, and provide overlays showing forces applied to the patient's teeth. The VR/AR devices can be used by physicians and/or the patient to provide and display treatment planning.
Abstract:
Detection of a state of an oral appliance (such as an aligner, palatal expander, mandibular repositioning device, etc.) to determine if the oral appliance is functioning properly and/or if it has developed a defect.
Abstract:
An orthodontic alignment device can have a palatal contour anchorage (PCA) feature that generally matches the shape of the patient's hard pallet. This PCA feature may be built slightly off-set to deliberately push against the patient's palate and/or gingiva to provide anchorage support of staged translation of the teeth. By transferring the required anchorage away from the teeth and onto the palate, through the PCA feature, the adjacent teeth are no longer subjected to unwanted side effects of reaction forces.
Abstract:
Releasable and removable palatal expander apparatuses (100) for expanding a patient's palate ("palatal expanders") and methods of using and making them. These releasable palatal expanders (100) are adapted for ease in removal by the patient or caregiver, and may include a breach region (167) configured to predictably bend or break when a pulling force is applied. The palatal expander apparatuses (100) described herein may include one or more locks for locking the palatal expander onto the patient's teeth. The lock(s) may be unlocked to release the palatal expander from the teeth. A lock may include a control for manually unlocking the lock. Unlocking the locks may allow the palatal expander to automatically disengage from the patient's teeth.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses for 3D imaging (including 3D optical coherence tomography imaging) to measure the shape of orthodontic aligners, teeth, and other oral structures simultaneously, in-vivo or in-vitro. These methods and apparatuses may be used to determine contact locations of aligners with teeth and/or teeth with other teeth with very high precision, including determining the size of gaps where they are not in contact. These measurements may be used design, modify or replace an aligner and/or to verify aligner fit. 3D models of the whole aligner and teeth may be generated.
Abstract:
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 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.
Abstract:
A removable arch adjustment appliance includes a removable shell having a plurality of cavities formed therein, wherein the plurality of cavities are shaped to receive at least one posterior tooth of a patient on each side of a patient's jaw. The shell can include an elastic transpalatal element that spans a palate of the patient and provides force to expand at least one of the spaces between the posterior teeth on each side of a patient's jaw or the palate of the patient. The transpalatal element can include a predetermined force characteristic, a number of force control elements to control the force provided by the transpalatal element, and/or a regulating structure to balance and direct the force provided by the transpalatal element, wherein the transpalatal element has a width specific to a stage of a treatment plan.
Abstract:
Apparatuses for sanitizing and/or sterilizing a dental/orthodontic appliance are described herein. These apparatuses may include an internal chamber in which one or more sanitizing/sterilizing modes, such as UV light (e.g., UVC light), ultrasound, heat, etc. may be applied to an appliance.
Abstract:
Systems, methods, and devices for producing appliances for expansion of the arch or palate of a patient are provided. In one aspect, a palate expanding orthodontic appliance comprises a teeth engagement portion comprising a plurality of teeth engagement structures and a force generating portion coupled to the teeth engagement portion and configured to apply force to cause the patient's palate to expand. In another embodiment, an arch expanding appliance comprises a force generating portion to apply an arch expansion force and a retention portion to hold the force generating portion on the teeth. The force generating portion is stiffer than the retention portion. The orthodontic appliances can be designed according to the specifications provided herein and manufactured using direct fabrication methods.