Dental appliance
AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.
InventorsRick M. Matty, Anthony W. Morefield, Devin K. Webb
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments include dental appliances, dental appliance systems, and methods of making and using such appliances. In one embodiment, a dental appliance includes a shell having a number of cavities to receive one or more teeth, each cavity having an inner surface. Fewer than all cavities are scaled-up in size by a first selected percentage over one or more dimensions of a corresponding tooth surface to provide a uniform space between the cavity inner surface and the corresponding tooth surface.
Claims19
A method of forming a removable dental positioning appliance, the method comprising:
- digitally measuring dimensions of the patient's dentition;
- forming a polymeric shell having a number of cavities shaped to receive the patient's dentition, at least one of the cavities being sized snuggly based on the measured dimensions;
- fabricating fewer than all of the number of cavities corresponding to the dentition that are larger than the measured dimensions by a first percentage to provide space adapted to contain a quantity of chemical in contact with the dentition;
- and
- fabricating at least one of the number of cavities scaled-up in size by a second percentage that is different than the first percentage.
A method of forming a removable dental positioning appliance, the method comprising:
- forming a shell having a number of cavities to receive one or more teeth, each cavity having an inner surface, where forming the shell includes:
- forming fewer than all of the number of cavities scaled-up in size by a first percentage over one or more dimensions of a corresponding tooth surface to provide a space between the cavity inner surface and the corresponding tooth surface for containment of a chemical to treat the corresponding tooth surface;
- and
- forming at least one of the number of cavities scaled-up in size by a second percentage that is different than the first percentage;
- where the inner surface of the cavities that are scaled-up in size have scaled-up proportions of the dimensions relative to the corresponding tooth surface;
- and
- where the first percentage is based on one or more properties of the chemical used to treat the corresponding tooth surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.