Methods and systems for lubricating dental appliances
AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.
InventorLoc X. Phan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for repositioning teeth comprises a plurality of individual appliances that are treated with a lubricious composition. 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 system of appliances is usually configured at the outset of treatment so that the patient may progress through treatment without the need to have the treating professional perform each successive step in the procedure.
Claims38
A method for fabricating a dental appliance, said method comprising:
- providing a digital data set representing a modified tooth arrangement for a patient;
- controlling a fabrication machine based on the digital data set to produce a positive model of the modified tooth arrangement;
- producing the dental appliance as a negative of the positive model;
- applying a lubricious composition to the surface of the dental appliance.
A method for fabricating a dental appliance, said method comprising:
- providing a first digital data set representing a modified tooth arrangement for a patient;
- producing a second digital data set from the first data set, wherein the second data set represents a negative model of the modified tooth arrangement;
- controlling a fabrication machine based on the second digital data set to produce the dental appliance;
- applying a lubricious composition to the surface of the dental appliance.
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 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;
- and
- a final appliance having a geometry selected to progressively reposition the teeth from the last intermediate arrangement to the final tooth arrangement;
- wherein the surface of each appliance has a lubricious composition coupled thereto.
A method for repositioning teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a final tooth arrangement, said method comprising:
- placing a first incremental position adjustment appliance in a patient's mouth, wherein the first appliance has a geometry selected to reposition the teeth from the initial tooth arrangement to a first intermediate arrangement;
- successively replacing one or more additional appliances, wherein the additional appliances have geometries selected to progressively reposition the teeth from the first intermediate arrangement to successive intermediate arrangements;
- and
- placing a final appliance into the patient's mouth, wherein the final appliance has a geometry selected to progressively reposition the teeth from the last intermediate arrangement to the final tooth arrangement, wherein the surface of each appliance has a lubricous composition coupled thereto.
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 which are to be worn successively by a patient to reposition teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to the final tooth arrangement and coating the interior of each of the polymeric shells with a lubricous composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.