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US 2014/0193766 A1Published application
Methods and systems for treating teeth
AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.
InventorRoss MILLER
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for repositioning teeth comprises a plurality of individual appliances used with braces. The appliances are configured to be placed successively on the patient's teeth and to incrementally reposition the teeth from an initial tooth arrangement, through a plurality of intermediate tooth arrangements, and to a final tooth arrangement. The appliances may be substituted with braces as appropriate to optimize the treatment of the teeth.
Claims17
A system for determining a treatment plan for repositioning teeth from a first arrangement to a target arrangement, the system comprising:
- a processor;
- a display device coupled to the processor;
- and
- a data storage device coupled to the processor, the data storage device storing instructions executable by the processor to cause the system to:
- receive a digital data set comprising a digital model of the patient's teeth in a first arrangement for determining a severity of a malocclusion of a patient;
- generate, based on the determined severity of the patient's malocclusion, a first treatment plan having data comprising a plurality of intermediate digital data sets each corresponding to a different successive tooth arrangement for repositioning the patient's teeth from the first arrangement toward a target arrangement, the treatment plan prescribing a first phase and a second phase in a pre-selected order, the first phase comprising successively placing polymeric shell appliances having tooth receiving cavities having different geometries selected to progressively reposition the teeth, the second phase comprising placing a wire and bracket system to progressively reposition the teeth;
- receive evaluation data indicating whether repositioning of the teeth is progressing in a satisfactory fashion after the patient has been administered at least some of the polymeric shell appliances;
- and
- generate a second treatment plan data in response to the evaluation data, the second treatment plan comprising a prescribed schedule for transitioning between administering to the patient polymeric shell appliances as in the first phase of the first treatment plan and placing a wire and bracket system to progressively reposition the teeth as in the second phase of the first treatment plan.
6 more elements
A system for formulating a treatment plan for treating a dental malocclusion so as to reposition a patient's teeth toward a desired arrangement, the system comprising:
- a processor;
- a display device coupled to the processor;
- and
- a data storage device coupled to the processor, the data storage device storing instructions executable by the processor to cause the system to:
- receive a 3-D digital model of a current arrangement of the patient's teeth;
- access digital data comprising criteria for determining the severity of a patient's malocclusion;
- identify a more severe malocclusion of the patient's teeth by comparing the current arrangement digital model and the criteria;
- and
- generate treatment plan data based on the received digital data and the identification of the more severe malocclusion of the patient's teeth, the treatment plan comprising prescription of a pre-selected order of in seriatim use of both a wire and bracket system and a plurality of successive polymeric shell appliances having tooth receiving cavities, at least two of the appliance having cavities with different geometries selected to progressively reposition teeth toward a desired or prescribed arrangement;
- wherein the treatment plan data is generated prior to use of the wire and bracket system or plurality of polymeric shell appliances by the patient.
7 more elements
A system for formulating a treatment plan for treating a dental malocclusion so as to reposition a patient's teeth to a desired arrangement, the system comprising:
- a processor;
- a display device coupled to the processor;
- and
- a data storage device coupled to the processor, the data storage device storing instructions executable by the processor to cause the system to:
- receive a digital model of a patient's teeth;
- determine whether the patient's malocclusion is more severe or less severe by accessing digital data comprising pre-determined criteria indicating severity of a malocclusion and comparing the digital model of the patient's teeth and the criteria;
- and
- generate treatment plan data in response to a determination of a more severe malocclusion, the treatment plan comprising prescription of a pre-selected order of in seriatim use of both a wire and bracket system and a plurality of successive polymeric shell appliances having tooth receiving cavities, at least two of the appliance having cavities with different geometries selected to progressively reposition teeth;
- wherein the combined treatment is selected to reposition the teeth toward a desired or prescribed arrangement, and wherein the treatment plan is generated prior to the patient being treated with the wire and bracket system and plurality of successive polymeric shell appliances.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.