Customized fabrication of orthodontic retainers based on patient anatomy

A method of forming a retainer, the method comprising:

• gathering a three-dimensional (3D) model of a patient's dentition and a target arrangement of the patient's teeth;
• translating the target arrangement of the patient's teeth from the 3D model of the patient's dentition into a two-dimensional (2D) height map of the patient's dentition, wherein translating the target arrangement includes mapping the 2D height map from a scan surface of the 3D model, the scan surface including a plurality of scan curves, wherein mapping the 2D height map comprises projecting a vertex in the 3D model into a scan curve of the plurality of scan curves;
• defining a boundary of a retainer configured to fit onto the patient's dentition when the patient's teeth are in the target arrangement;
• modifying the boundary by adjusting a retainer coverage of the patient's teeth, gingiva and palate;
• building a 2D mesh of an upper surface of the patient's dentition from the 2D height map using the modified boundary;
• converting the 2D mesh of the upper surface of the patient's dentition into a 3D mesh of the upper surface of the patient's dentition;
• forming a bottom surface of a digital model of the retainer using the 3D mesh of the upper surface;
• forming a top surface of the digital model of the retainer at different thicknesses between the top surface and bottom surface of the digital model of the retainer;
• adjusting one or more of a smoothness of the top surface of the distal digital model of the retainer and a thickness between the top surface and the bottom surface of the digital model of the retainer;
• exporting the digital model of the retainer for 3D printing.

A system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory configured to store instructions, that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a computer-implemented method comprising:
• gathering a three-dimensional (3D) model of a patient's dentition;
• translating a target arrangement of the patient's teeth from the 3D model of the patient's dentition into a two-dimensional (2D) height map of the patient's dentition, wherein translating the target arrangement includes mapping the 2D height map from a scan surface of the 3D model, the scan surface including a plurality of scan curves, wherein mapping the 2D height map comprises projecting a vertex in the 3D model into a scan curve of the plurality of scan curves;
• defining a boundary of a retainer configured to fit onto the patient's dentition;
• modifying the boundary by adiusting a retainer coverage of the patient's teeth, gingiva and palate;
• building a 2D mesh of an upper surface of the patient's dentition from the 2D height map using the modified boundary;
• converting the 2D mesh of the upper surface of the patient's dentition into a 3D mesh of the upper surface of the patient's dentition;
• forming a bottom surface of a digital model of the retainer using the 3D mesh of the upper surface;
• forming a top surface of the digital model of the retainer having different thicknesses between the top surface and bottom surfaces of the digital model of the retainer;
• and
• exporting the digital model of the retainer for 3D printing.

A system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory configured to store instructions, that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform a computer-implemented method comprising:
• gathering a three-dimensional (3D) model of a patient's dentition and a target arrangement of the patient's teeth;
• translating the target arrangement of the patient's teeth from the 3D model of the patient's dentition into a two-dimensional (2D) height map of the patient's dentition, wherein translating the target arrangement includes mapping the 2D height map from a scan surface of the 3D model, the scan surface including a plurality of scan curves, wherein mapping the 2D height map comprises projecting a vertex in the 3D model into a scan curve of the plurality of scan curves;
• defining a boundary of a retainer configured to fit onto the patient's dentition when the patient's teeth are in the target arrangement;
• modifying the boundary by adiusting a retainer coverage of the patient's teeth, gingiva and palate;
• building a 2D mesh of an upper surface of the patient's dentition from the 2D height map using the modified boundary;
• converting the 2D mesh of the upper surface of the patient's dentition into a 3D mesh of the upper surface of the patient's dentition;
• forming a bottom surface of a digital model of the retainer using the 3D mesh of the upper surface;
• forming a top surface of the digital model of the retainer at different thicknesses between the top surface and bottom surface of the digital model of the retainer;
• adjusting one or more of a smoothness of the top surface of the digital model of the retainer and a thickness between the top surface and the bottom surface of the digital model of the retainer;
• exporting the digital model of the retainer for 3D printing.