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.
Claims38
A system for repositioning teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a final tooth arrangement, said system comprising a plurality of dental incremental position adjustment appliances including:
- a plurality of digitally generated appliances, each having a geometry selected to reposition the teeth from a first arrangement to a second arrangement, wherein the appliances comprise polymeric shells having cavities and wherein the cavities of successive shells have different geometries shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth from the first to the second arrangement;
- and
- one or more wire and bracket systems to progressively reposition the teeth from one arrangement to a successive arrangement, the wire and bracket systems and appliances being deployed in seriatim to reposition teeth from the initial tooth arrangement to the final tooth arrangement.
A method for repositioning teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a final tooth arrangement, said method comprising the following steps performed in a preselected order:
- successively placing three or more appliances having geometries selected to progressively reposition the teeth from a first arrangement to successive arrangements;
- and
- placing one or more wire and bracket systems to progressively reposition the teeth from one arrangement to a successive arrangement, the brackets and appliances being deployed in seriatim to reposition teeth from the initial tooth arrangement to the final tooth arrangement.
An improved method for repositioning teeth using appliances comprising polymeric shells having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth to produce a final tooth arrangement, wherein the improvement comprises determining at the outset of treatment geometries for at least three appliances to be used in combination with at least one wire and bracket system, the appliances are to be worn successively by a patient to reposition teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to the final tooth arrangement, wherein the cavities of successive shells have different geometries.
An improved method for repositioning teeth using appliances comprising polymeric shells having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth to produce a final tooth arrangement, wherein the at least three appliances are applied successively to a patient's teeth to reposition the teeth, wherein the improvement comprises repositioning the teeth using a wire and bracket system to initially reposition the teeth prior to applying the polymeric shell appliances.
A method for treating a dental malocclusion, said method comprising:
- providing criteria to distinguish between a less severe malocclusion and a more severe malocclusion;
- determining whether an individual patient's malocclusion is more severe or less severe according to the criteria;
- if the malocclusion is determined to be less severe, treating the patient with a plurality of successive polymeric shell appliances having different geometries selected to resiliently reposition teeth to a final desired arrangement;
- and
- if the malocclusion is determined to be more severe, treating the patient successively in a predetermined order with (a) at least one wire and bracket system, and (b) a plurality of successive polymeric shell appliances having different geometries selected to resiliently reposition teeth, wherein the combined treatment repositions the teeth to a final desired arrangement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.