System and method for releasing tooth positioning appliances
OwnerMuhammad Chishti, Loc X. Phaninventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved dental appliance system, and methods for using and fabricating the improved appliance, including a polymeric overlay or shell having a teeth-receiving cavity formed therein. The dental appliance having the necessary stiffness or strength to firmly secure the appliance on the teeth and provide controlled forces required for repositioning the teeth, until such time as removal of the appliance is desired. The appliance may be configured for use with a removal mechanism. The removal mechanism provides for selective release of the appliance from the teeth as the removal mechanism undergoes a state change stimulated by an environmental stimulus or environmental switch.
Claims63
A dental positioning adjustment appliance comprising:
- a shell including at least one layer of a polymeric material and having a cavity which fits closely over a contiguous group of teeth, the at least one layer of polymeric material being reversibly shiftable between a first state where the appliance is held onto the teeth and a second state where the appliance may be removed from the teeth.
A dental positioning adjustment appliance comprising:
- a polymeric shell having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth from one arrangement to a successive arrangement;
- and
- a removal mechanism coupled to the polymeric shell, the removal mechanism being reversibly switchable from a first state where the shell is held onto the teeth to a second state where the shell may be removed from the teeth.
A dental positioning adjustment appliance comprising:
- a polymeric shell having a cavity shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth from one arrangement to a successive arrangement;
- and
- an attachment device which couples to the shell, the attachment device having a first state where the shell is held onto the teeth and a second state where the shell may be removed from the teeth, wherein the attachment device is reversibly switchable between the first and second states.
A dental positioning adjustment appliance comprising:
- a shell including at least one layer of a polymeric material and having a cavity which fits closely over a contiguous group of teeth;
- and
- an attachment device coupled to the shell and positionable between an outer surface of the teeth and an inner surface of the cavity,
- the at least one layer of polymeric material and the attachment device each having a first state where the shell is held onto the teeth and a second state where the shell may be removed from the teeth.
An improved method for removing and replacing a dental appliance from over teeth, the appliance including a polymeric shell having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth, wherein the improvement comprises (1) reversibly transforming a component of the appliance from a first state, where the appliance is held onto the teeth, to a second state where the appliance may be removed from the teeth with less force than would be required in the first state, (2) removing the appliance from the teeth while the component is in its second state, and (3) replacing the appliance back over the teeth.
An improved method for removing and replacing a dental appliance from over teeth, the appliance comprising a polymeric shell having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth to produce a final tooth arrangement, wherein the improvement comprises (1) transforming an interface between the shell and the teeth from a first state, where the interface holds the shell on the teeth, to a second state where the shell may be removed from the teeth, (2) removing the appliance while the interface is in the second state, (3) replacing the appliance back over the teeth.
A system for repositioning teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a final tooth arrangement, said system comprising:
- a plurality of dental position adjustment appliances including
- a polymeric shell with cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth;
- and
- a removal mechanism coupled to the polymeric shell, the removal mechanism being switchable from a first state where the shell is held onto the teeth to a second state where the shell may be removed from the teeth, the appliances including:
- a first appliance having a geometry selected to reposition the teeth from the initial tooth arrangement to a first intermediate arrangement;
- one or more intermediate appliances having geometries selected to progressively reposition the teeth from the first intermediate arrangement to successive intermediate arrangements;
- a final appliance having a geometry selected to progressively reposition the teeth from the last intermediate arrangement to the final tooth arrangement;
- and
- wherein each position adjustment appliance is formed of at least one layer of a polymeric material, the polymeric material transformable from a first state, where the appliance is held onto the teeth to a second state, where the appliance can be removed from the teeth, the transformation activated by an environmental stimulus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.