Abstract: A system for repositioning teeth comprises a plurality of individual appliances. 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.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved devices, systems and methods for repositioning teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a final tooth arrangement. Repositioning is accomplished with a system comprising a series of polymeric appliances configured to receive the teeth in a cavity and incrementally reposition individual teeth in a series of successive steps. This is accomplished by applying force to specific surfaces of the teeth through stiffness of the appliance. However, such stiffness creates limitations in ease of use, patient compliance, and overall cost in material, manufacturing labor and treatment time. To overcome these limitations, the present invention utilizes polymeric or other material appliances with portions differing in rigidity or stiffness. Alternatively, elastic moduluses may differ from one appliance to the next in a successive series to accomplish various treatment goals.

Abstract: A computer obtains a digital model of a patient's dentition, including a dental model representing the patient's teeth at a set of initial positions and a gingival model representing gum tissue surrounding the teeth. The computer then derives from the digital model an expected deformation of the gum tissue as the teeth move from the initial positions to another set of positions.

Abstract: The present invention provides a manipulable or reconfigurable dental model system and methods for its use to model a series of tooth configurations corresponding to sequential tooth movements during an orthodontic treatment. When a patient undergoes orthodontic treatment, teeth and bite configurations are realigned in a series of stages. Each stage represents a new pattern or dental configuration that will eventually lead to a proper final positioning of the entire dentition. Progress from the initial configuration, through the intermediate stages and finally to the final configuration may be accomplished using any one or a combination of different dental appliances. Of particular interest to the present invention, many of these appliances may be made using a dental mold representing the patient's dental configuration. In particular, thermoformable plastic positioning appliances which fit over the patient's teeth may be formed over a three-dimensional mold of the patient's dentition.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved devices, systems and methods for producing dental molds, each having portions representing a patient's oral soft tissue and a desired tooth configuration. These molds are designed for use in the fabrication of appliances used in orthodontic treatment, particularly, elastic repositioning appliances. However, they may also be used in the fabrication of traditional appliances, such as retainers and positioners, used, for example in the final or finishing stages of an otherwise conventional treatment. The dental molds are comprised of a mold or relief of the patient's soft tissue, such as a palate, facial gingival tissue and/or lingual gingival tissue, and a separate or separable mold or relief of the patient's dental arch having teeth in a desired tooth configuration.

Abstract: Orthodontic treatment is achieved using a series of successive, removable repositioning appliances, such as thin polymeric shell appliances referred to as aligners. A set of aligners is originally provided to the patient. If the patient's treatment goes off course using the original set of aligners, further aligners are designed and fabricated to move the deviant tooth arrangement back to a target tooth arrangement which was part of the original treatment program.

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.

Abstract: Methods and corresponding apparatus for segmenting an orthodontic treatment path into clinically appropriate substeps for repositioning the teeth of a patient. The methods include providing a digital finite element model of the shape and material of each of a sequence of appliances to be applied to a patient; providing a digital finite element model of the teeth and related mouth tissue of the patient; computing the actual effect of the appliances on the teeth by analyzing the finite elements models computationally; and evaluating the effect against clinical constraints. The appliances can be braces, polymeric shells, or other forms of orthodontic appliance.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating a computer model of one or more teeth by receiving a digital data set of meshes representing the teeth; creating a parametric representation of the digital data set; and displaying the computer model of the teeth using the parametric representation. The model can be modified or transmitted for viewing or for fabricating dental appliances.

Abstract: A system, apparatus and computer-implemented method for arranging a computer model of teeth. According to one implementation, the method includes generating an archform representing an arrangement of teeth; placing a plurality of teeth according to the archform; determining a differential distance between each tooth and its neighbors; and moving each tooth according to the differential distance.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved devices, systems and methods for repositioning teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a final tooth arrangement. Repositioning is accomplished with a system comprising a series of polymeric shell appliances configured to receive the teeth and incrementally reposition individual teeth in a series of successive steps. The individual appliances may be formed from layers having different stiffnesses (elastic moduluses), and the stiffnesses of successive appliances may be different, or both.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus fit a set of upper and lower teeth in a masticatory system by generating a computer representation of the masticatory system and computing an occlusion based on interactions in the computer representation of the masticatory system.

Abstract: A programmed computer is used to create a digital model of an individual component of a patient's dentition. The computer obtains a 3D digital model of the patient's dentition, identifies points in the dentition model that lie on an inter-proximal margin between adjacent teeth in the patient's dentition, and uses the identified points to create a cutting surface that separates portions of the dentition model representing the adjacent teeth.

Abstract: A system for repositioning teeth comprises a plurality of individual appliances. The appliances are configured to be placed successively on the patient's teeth and to incrementally reposition the teeth from a 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.

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.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method separates gingiva from a model of a tooth by defining a cutting surface along the gingiva; and applying the cutting surface to the tooth to separate the gingiva from the tooth.

Abstract: The present invention provides dental appliances, systems and methods which allow orthodontic practitioners to more easily monitor patient treatment progress. When using elastic repositioning appliances in orthodontic treatment, a patient may wear such an appliance until their teeth have repositioned to the tooth configuration prescribed by the appliance. At that point, the patient should progress to the next appliance for repositioning to the next tooth configuration in the treatment plan. Indications that the appliance is no longer supplying significant repositioning forces may be beneficial in the determination of progressing the patient to the next appliance or next stage in treatment. Mechanical stress in the material of the appliance, when the appliance is in place over the patient's teeth, may serve as an indicator of repositioning force applied against the teeth. Such stress may be visualized with the use of photoelastic material in or on the appliance.

Abstract: The invention is a system for sound file recording, comparison, and archiving for network-based language and communications training, or other applications. The invention allows capture of multimedia data from a user, and allows the user to play back his or her self-created sound inputs and to view various comparisons of his or her sound inputs with model sounds. The invention displays a waveform or spectrogram of a model sound superimposed over a waveform (or spectrogram) of the user's sound input. It can display a failure/success indication for the user's sound input relative to a predetermined standard. Further, the invention allows a user to archive sound files for subsequent review and analysis.

Abstract: A digital camera that operates inside and in conjunction with a non-digital camera, enabling the user to continue to use the non-digital camera, controls and associated lens, flashes, etc. The digital camera includes an imager which senses the image to be recorded and a light detector which detects the existence of light due to the opening of the shutter aperture of the non-digital camera. The light detector controls the imager such that an image is recorded and output from the imager when the light detector detects the opening of the shutter aperture which occurs when the photographer depresses the shutter button to take a picture. Preferably the digital camera includes a memory for storage of the images recorded. These images can then be subsequently output to an external device for further processing or display.