Abstract: Dental appliances, materials, and methods of forming such appliances and materials for improved laser marking are provided herein including the use of a particulate material for enhancing laser marking.

Abstract: Methods for treating a patient are provided. These methods may include receiving scan data of a patient's teeth, forming a modified image of the teeth to simulate a dental treatment, combining the modified image of the teeth with an image of the patient's face to show an image of the patient's smile as it would appear according to the dental treatment, displaying the modified image to the patient, and treating the patient according to the simulated dental treatment.

Abstract: A grinding or polishing brush is provided and includes a main body which is rotatable about a central axis and is provided with bristles which extend with their center axes substantially in the direction of the central axis. In order, with such brushes, to permit pin point working, it is proposed that the center axes of the bristles have an inclination in the circumferential direction and/or inward in the radial direction. The effect which can therefore be achieved with the bristles is that they are supported against one another. In order to improve this, the bristles can be provided in an axial portion with film elements connecting them. The film elements may be able to come apart depending on wear.

Abstract: A custom tool for bonding orthodontic appliances in a mouth of a patient, the custom tool comprising: a facial body for a patient-specific, customized fit with the facial side of a plurality of teeth of the patient, a lingual body for a patient-specific, customized fit with the lingual side of the plurality of the teeth of the patient, wherein the lingual body. wherein the facial body and lingual body are configured to combine with the teeth of the patient to position orthodontic appliances on the plurality of teeth.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a medical device for freeing an implant from the bone of a patient to which the implant adheres to and to an implant for insertion into a bone of a patient, designed such that the implant is more homogenously heatable or coolable in a controlled way. Also provided is a method of removing an implant from a bone of a patient and a computer readable storage medium having recorded thereon a database structure.

Abstract: Provided are a dental implant with a nano bacteriostatic structure ring at a transgingival part and a machining method thereof. The transgingival part of the dental implant has a three-level micro-nano composite structure, and the three-level micro-nano composite structure endows a surface of the transgingival part of the implant with functions of promoting adhesion and proliferation of a gingival fibroblast and a gingival mesenchymal stem cell and inhibiting adhesion and growth of various oral bacteria. A preparation method thereof comprises: firstly, injecting bioactive, wear-resistant or corrosion-resistant C, N, Ca and P elements into the transgingival part of the dental implant by a plasma injection method; and then, preparing the three-level micro-nano composite structure at a part in which the elements are injected.

Abstract: A self-ligating orthodontic bracket comprising a body and a locking shutter. A mesio-gingival reference plane is defined tangent to a lingual-most point of the archwire slot. The body further includes an occlusal-gingival opening that intersects the reference plane. The locking shutter includes a lingual end located in the opening at a closed lingual location when the locking shutter is in a closed position, and at an open lingual location when the locking shutter is in an open position. The locking shutter further includes a labial end located at a closed labial location when the locking shutter is in the closed position and at an open labial location when the locking shutter is in the open position. A first occlusal-gingival distance from the closed lingual location to the open lingual location is at least about 70% of a second occlusal-gingival distance from the closed labial location to the side surface.

Abstract: A cradle, assembly, system, and method for installing a prosthesis at a surgical site. The cradle temporarily engages the prosthesis and holds it in the correct orientation and position adjacent the surgical site. An aperture is defined in the cradle and a portion of the prosthesis is received therein. In one embodiment, the cradle, assembly and system are used to install a final dental prosthesis in a patient's mouth in a single visit to the dentist's office. A securement member pins the surgical template and subsequently the cradle to the jaw. A metal sub-structure on the final dental prosthesis is received in the aperture in the cradle. Cylinders attached to implants anchored in the jaw extend through holes in the sub-structure and are bonded to the prosthesis. The cradle is detached from the jaw and from the prosthesis prior to screws being re-inserted through the cylinders and into the implants.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for forming an anti-microbial layer on an apparatus. Also disclosed is a method for improving the anti-bacterial properties of a titanium device coated with titanium-nitride (TiN). Also disclosed is a medical apparatus comprising an anti-microbial layer prepared by the disclosed methods. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

Abstract: Ablation probe tips (108, 148, 320, 360) and physical and virtual stents (110) for use in tooth bud ablation procedures that result in tooth agenesis as well as tooth bud ablation methods are described herein.

Abstract: An aligner placement system allows for precise holding of a hook or other tool to carefully place, position or remove a dental device, like an aligner, in the mouth. The system uses a handle end that is configured to allow a person to firmly grip the system and hold it in the desired position to properly seat the dental device.

Abstract: The present invention provides assemblies, kits, and methods including a compressible material. Optionally, a hardenable dental composition (e.g., an adhesive or primer) is in contact with the compressible material for bonding a dental article (e.g., an orthodontic appliance) to a tooth structure. Removal of excess hardenable and/or hardened dental composition, if desired, can be facilitated for embodiments in which the hardenable dental composition is an unfilled or a lightly filled composition.

Abstract: A system having at least one dental blank and an associated shade guide. The dental blank exhibits a non-uniform color shading, and the shade guide comprises a plurality of shade specimens each exhibiting a particular color shading representing the same color shading present in a partial area within the dental blank. A method of making a dental restoration includes the use of the system. The invention facilitates making a dental restoration having a color shading resembling the color shading of a natural tooth.

Abstract: An exemplary dental composite blade includes a mounting portion and a tool portion. The tool portion may extend between a proximal end and a distal end along an arcuate tool path defined within a transverse plane. The tool portion further includes a proximal section adjacent the proximal end, a distal section adjacent the distal end, an intermediate section between the proximal and distal sections, and first and second lateral edges disposed on opposing sides of the transverse plane. The lateral edges are each preferably convex at the proximal section with respect to the transverse plane, and concave at the intermediate section with respect to the transverse plane. The mounting portion may include an elongated mounting slot for receiving a blade retention element of a blade holder. Particular embodiments of the dental composite blade may include one or more securement flaps for auxiliary engagement of the blade holder.

Abstract: Method for producing a dentist tool formed by an overlay to be used by a dentist in removing tooth structure, said method comprising the steps of: acquiring three-dimensional data relating to a shape of a tooth and at least a part of a neighbouring tooth; processing said three-dimensional data with a computer so as to determine an overlay fitting said tooth and fitting at least said part of said neighbouring tooth; further processing said three-dimensional data with said computer so as to determine a predetermined part of tooth structure to be removed from said tooth so as to prepare said tooth for further treatment; determining at least two guiding edges of which a first and a second guiding edge are spaced apart from each other by a distance d of at least 0.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, devices, and systems for adjusting a tooth position. A system for adjusting a tooth position can include an attachment configured to be attached to a tooth to be moved, a dental appliance including a guide slot configured to receive the attachment and to define an adjustment trajectory of the tooth, and an adjustment band to generate force on the tooth to move the tooth along the adjustment trajectory.

Abstract: A method for treating a subject's teeth. A target configuration for the subject's teeth is determined. Receiving features are produced on a dental base in response to the target configuration, the receiving features being configured to receive physical tooth models. The physical tooth models are assembled on the dental base to form a physical arch model. A dental aligner is produced using the physical arch model to move the subject's teeth to the target configuration.

Abstract: An implant device configured to be at least partially in contact with bone on implantation has an improved osteoinductive feature to enhance new bone formation. The implant device has one or more bone growth surfaces extending from a structurally solid feature of the implant device. The one or more bone growth surfaces are configured to mimic adult trabecular bone by having trenches, grooves or surface recesses or prominences exhibiting numerous structural elements or walls not perpendicular to the surface that are non-coplanar or arched extending 20 to 500 microns in depth having an increasing inclination from the surface extending inwardly and not parallel to opposing or adjacent walls forming a random or non-random network. The one or more bone growth surfaces configured to mimic trabecular bone have discernable nano features on the structural elements or walls exhibiting nano scale features of less than 200 nano meters within the network.

Abstract: A method and a system for determining an orthodontic treatment for a subject are provided. The method comprises: obtaining an indication of a current and target position of the given tooth; determining a tooth movement trajectory of the given tooth during the orthodontic treatment, the tooth trajectory defining a path of the given tooth from the current to the target position, the determining the tooth trajectory comprising determining a movement of the given tooth along the tooth trajectory by: determining, a plurality of movement components for the given tooth to be performed to displace from the current to the target position; obtaining, for a given one of the plurality of movement components, a respective magnitude value, the respective magnitude value being indicative of a path length at which the given tooth is to displace towards the target position thereof performing the given one of the plurality of movement components.

Abstract: A medical apparatus having a bar, the bar having a slot extending laterally along the bar; and a plurality of hooks, wherein the bar is an arch bar that is configured to be attached to a mandible or a maxilla. Such medical apparatuses may also have a plurality of arch bar fasteners, wherein each arch bar fastener is a bone screw having a threaded shaft and a compound head, the compound head having a threaded bore configured to receive a set screw. The medical apparatus may be used in methods to fixate a maxillary or mandibulary arch, or to aid in reducing a fracture of the mandible or maxilla.