Guide apparatus and methods for making tooth positioning appliances

A method for making a tooth positioning appliance for repositioning a patient's teeth, the method comprising:

• forming a first guide from a digital model of the patient's teeth;
• separating at least one tooth from a three-dimensional model of the patient's teeth;
• placing the at least one tooth in the first guide, wherein the first guide repositions the at least one tooth relative to the rest of the three-dimensional model from an initial position to a first position;
• securing the at least one tooth to the three-dimensional model in the first intermediate position;
• and
• forming a first tooth positioning appliance over the three-dimensional model with the at least one tooth in the first position.

A method for making a plurality of tooth positioning appliances for repositioning a patient's teeth, the method comprising:

• providing a series of guide-forming tooth models, based on a series of digital data sets derived from the patient's teeth;
• forming a series of guides from the guide-forming models;
• separating at least one tooth from a 3D model of the patient's teeth;
• placing the at least one tooth in a first guide of the set of guides, wherein the first guide repositions the at least one tooth relative to the rest of the 3D model from an initial position to a first position;
• securing the at least one tooth to the 3D model in the first intermediate position;
• forming a first tooth positioning appliance over the 3D model with the at least one tooth in the first position;
• and
• repeating the separating, placing, securing and forming steps as many times as desired to provide a plurality of appliances.