Systems and methods for designing and manufacturing an orthodontic appliance

A system for use in the manufacture of an orthodontic appliance for a patient, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory coupled to the one or more processors and including program code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the system to:
• receive a three-dimensional model of one or more intraoral surfaces of the patient in a virtual space, the one or more intraoral surfaces being associated with a plurality of teeth including a first tooth, a second tooth adjacent to the first tooth, and an interproximal region between the first tooth and the second tooth;
• generate a first line around the first tooth and a second line around the second tooth;
• define a scallop plane for the first and second teeth;
• define a first scallop point adjacent to the interproximal region where the scallop plane intersects the first line around the first tooth;
• define a second scallop point adjacent to the interproximal region where the scallop plane intersects the second line around the second tooth;
• define a first transition point a first predetermined distance from the first scallop point along the first line around the first tooth toward a gingival zenith of the first tooth from the first scallop point;
• define a second transition point a second predetermined distance from the second scallop point along the second line around the second tooth toward the gingival zenith of the second tooth from the second scallop point;
• define an initial connector curve including an interproximal segment connecting the first scallop point to the second scallop point, a first transition segment connecting the first transition point to the first scallop point, and a second transition segment connecting the second transition point to the second scallop point;
• define a trimline based at least in part on the initial connector curve;
• generate machine code from the trimline for a corresponding orthodontic appliance;
• and
• use the machine code to control a trimming process of a machine to produce the orthodontic appliance having an edge corresponding to the trimline.

A computer program product for use in the manufacture of an orthodontic appliance for a patient, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium;
• and
• program code stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:
• receive a three-dimensional model of one or more intraoral surfaces of the patient in a virtual space, the one or more intraoral surfaces being associated with a plurality of teeth including a first tooth, a second tooth adjacent to the first tooth, and an interproximal region between the first tooth and the second tooth;
• generate a first line around the first tooth and a second line around the second tooth;
• define a scallop plane for the first and second teeth;
• define a first scallop point adjacent to the interproximal region where the scallop plane intersects the first line around the first tooth;
• define a second scallop point adjacent to the interproximal region where the scallop plane intersects the second line around the second tooth;
• define a first transition point a first predetermined distance from the first scallop point along the first line around the first tooth toward a gingival zenith of the first tooth from the first scallop point;
• define a second transition point a second predetermined distance from the second scallop point along the second line around the second tooth toward the gingival zenith of the second tooth from the second scallop point;
• define an initial connector curve including an interproximal segment connecting the first scallop point to the second scallop point, a first transition segment connecting the first transition point to the first scallop point, and a second transition segment connecting the second transition point to the second scallop point;
• define a trimline based at least in part on the initial connector curve;
• generate machine code from the trimline for a corresponding orthodontic appliance;
• and
• use the machine code to control a trimming process of a machine to produce the orthodontic appliance having an edge corresponding to the trimline.