Orthodontic aligner auxiliary system

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates generally to the field of orthodontic appliances. More specifically, the present invention discloses a method and apparatus of orthodontic treatment in which any of a variety of orthodontic aligner auxiliaries can be used in conjunction with a removable aligner for orthodontic treatment.

#2. Statement of the Problem

#The present invention can be more readily understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a patient's lower teeth 10 and a removable orthodontic aligner 20 with an opening 26.

#FIG. 1(a) is a cross-sectional view of the orthodontic aligner 20 taken through one of its cavities 24,

#Turning to FIG. 1, an exploded perspective view is shown of a patient's lower teeth 10 and a removable orthodontic aligner 20. For the purposes of this discussion, a removable aligner of the type marketed under the Invisalign® brand is depicted in FIG. 1. However, it should be understood that other types of removable orthodontic aligners and positioners could be substituted. In particular, the removable aligner 20 has a polymeric shell with a plurality of cavities 24 to receive the patient's teeth 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1(a). The aligner 20 can be used to engage the patient's upper teeth, lower teeth, or a subset of either of these.

#A number of openings 26 extend into the shell of the aligner 20 from selected cavities 24. These openings 26 can be formed during the molding process for the aligner 20 or subsequently created by the practitioner. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the practitioner creates openings at desired locations in selected cavities 24 using a hand-held instrument to pierce the shell of the aligner 20. An opening 26 can either extend completely through the shell or extend only partially into the shell from its interior surface depending on the type of orthodontic aligner auxiliary 30 to be inserted into the opening 26, as will be discussed below.

#FIG. 2 is an exploded detail perspective view of an orthodontic aligner auxiliary 30 being inserted into an opening 26 in an aligner 20. The embodiment of the orthodontic aligner auxiliary 30 shown in FIG. 2(a) is a “tack” having a head 32, an opposing tapered tip 34, and recessed circumferential groove 36 between the head 32 and tip 34. The dimensions of the tip 34 and groove 36 are selected so that the tip 34 can be pushed through the opening 26 in the aligner 20 by application of a nominal axial force. The tack 30 can be made of a resilient polymer so that the tip 34 re-expands to its normal size after passing through the opening 26 in the aligner 20. In contrast, the dimensions of the head 32 of the tack 30 are selected so that it will not readily fit through the opening 26. Thus, after insertion of the tip 34 through the opening 26, the head 23 and tip 34 are on opposing sides of the aligner 20 and thereby secure the orthodontic aligner auxiliary 30 to the opening 26. For example, depending on the designer's choice of materials and dimensions, the tack 30 can be secured by a snap fit or a friction fit with the opening 26. The direction of insertion of the tack 30 is also a matter of design choice. The tip 34 of the tack 30 can be inserted from the outside of the aligner 20 so that the head 32 will be located on the exterior of the polymeric shell and the tip 34 will contact the tooth 10 to exert a therapeutic force on the tooth when the aligner 20 is in placed in the patient's mouth. Alternatively, the tip 34 can be inserted from the inside of the aligner 20 so that the head 32 will be located on the interior of the shell and will contact the tooth 10.