Abstract: Methods for designing and fabrication of a series of apparatuses for expanding a patient's palate (“palatal expanders”). In particular, described herein are methods and apparatuses for forming palatal expanders, including rapid palatal expanders, as well as series of palatal expanders formed as described herein and apparatuses for designing and fabricating them.

Abstract: Apparatus for positioning at least one bracket element at a desired location proximate to at least one respective tooth of a subject include a support body supporting and integrally formed with at least one support arm. The support arm is arranged to locate a respective bracket element at a desired location with respect to a respective tooth. At least one locating element serves to locate the support body relative to at least one tooth of a subject.

Abstract: A method of producing a retention piece having a guidance package configured to provide a desired movement profile including: obtaining data descriptive of mandibular and maxillary arches, an index position of the mandibular arch at a maximum closure position, and a temporomandibular joint of a recipient; specifying an appropriate guidance package based on the desired movement profile; positioning a retention piece comprising at least a portion of the specified guidance package about virtual representations of at least one of the mandibular and maxillary arches within a virtual articulator; modeling relative movement of the virtual representations of the mandibular and maxillary arches within the virtual articulator; and generating data that can be used by a computer aided machining (CAM) process to create at least one physical retention piece comprising the specified guidance package configured to provide the desired movement profile.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for presenting an interactive user interface that visually marks locations within a radiograph of one or more dental pathologies, anatomies, anomalies or other conditions determined by automated image analysis of the radiograph by a number of different machine learning models. Annotation data generated by the machine learning models may be obtained, and one or more visual bounding shapes generated based on the annotation data. A user interface may present at least a portion of the radiograph's image data, along with display of the visual bounding shapes appearing to be overlaid over the at least a portion of the image data to visually mark the presence and location of a given pathology or other condition.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, a processing device receives a 3D image of a face of a person. The processing device identifies a first plurality of visible landmarks and a second plurality of visible landmarks on the face from the 3D image, wherein the second plurality of visible landmarks are associated with soft facial tissues. The processing device determines a post-treatment arrangement of the first plurality of visible landmarks based on a first mapping between a current dentition of the person and a post-treatment dentition of the person. The processing device determines, based on applying the post-treatment arrangement of the first plurality of visible landmarks to a second mapping between the first plurality of visible landmarks and the second plurality of visible landmarks, a post-treatment shape of the soft facial tissues. The processing device generates a modified version of the 3D image, wherein the soft facial tissues have the post-treatment shape in the modified version of the 3D image.

Abstract: Method for visualizing a tooth situation.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating a virtual depiction of an orthodontic treatment of a patient is disclosed herein. The computer-implemented method may involve gathering a three-dimensional (3D) model modeling the patient's dentition at a specific treatment stage of an orthodontic treatment plan. An image of the patient's face and dentition may be gathered. A first set of reference points modeled on the 3D model of the patient's dentition and a second set of reference points represented on the dentition of the image of the patient may be received. The image of the patient's dentition may be projected into a 3D space to create a projected 3D model of the image of the patient's dentition. Based on a comparison of the first reference points and projections of the second set of reference points, a modified image of the patient may be constructed and/or modeled.

Abstract: The present application discloses a method for numerically simulating orthodontic effect of an orthodontic appliance.

Abstract: Various embodiments of orthodontic appliances are disclosed to dispose a patient's lower dentition (2) and upper dentition (2) in Class I occlusion. A representative appliance (180) includes an occlusal ridge (182) that extends over the mesio-lingual cusp and the mesio-buccal cusp of a lower first molar (14a) on one side of the patient's dentition (2), and includes another occlusal ridge (182) that extends over the mesio-lingual cusp and the mesio-buccal cusp of a lower first molar (14b) on the other side of the patient's dentition (2). Such an appliance (180) addresses a Class II malocclusion by encouraging or facilitating movement of the mandible in a mesial or anterior direction such that each such occlusal ridge (182) ends up being disposed between a corresponding upper first molar (32a, 32b) and a corresponding second bicuspid (30a, 30b).

Abstract: In a system of manufacturing an orthodontic wire, a method for manufacturing the orthodontic wire using the system, and an orthodontic wire bending machine for performing the system, the system includes a teeth data obtaining part, a simulating part, a calculating part and a wire manufacturing part. The teeth data obtaining part obtains present teeth data of a patient. The simulating part generates final teeth data. The calculating part compares a predetermined threshold to a compared value between the present teeth data of the patient and the final teeth data. The wire manufacturing part selectively manufactures a wire for an orthodontic process or a wire for a dentition maintenance process based on a compared result of the calculating part.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for designing an augmented-reality effect may include displaying a virtual object in a 3D space of a user interface comprising a first and second display areas, wherein the virtual object is displayed from a first perspective in the first display area and displayed from a second perspective in the second display area, the second perspective being different from the first perspective, receiving, via the user interface, instructions to adjust the virtual object, adjusting the virtual object according to the instructions, and displaying the adjusted virtual object in the 3D space of the user interface, wherein the adjusted virtual object is displayed from the first perspective in the first display area and displayed from the second perspective in the second display area.

Abstract: A method of determining an orthodontic treatment comprising: obtaining a 3D model of a simulated position of upper and lower teeth following a simulated orthodontic treatment, the 3D model comprising a point cloud representation comprising a plurality of vector points; in a 3D grid having cells onto which the plurality of the vector points have been mapped, identifying cells containing vectors points representative of the upper teeth and applying a first mask to these cells; identifying cells containing vectors points representative of the lower teeth and applying a second mask to these cells; determining the simulated orthodontic treatment as the determined orthodontic treatment if the 3D grid does not include at least one cell which includes both the first mask and the second mask.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining an orthodontic treatment for a subject are provided. The methods comprises: acquiring a 3D representation of an arch form associated with the subject; segmenting, in the 3D representation of the arch form, associated representations of the plurality of teeth and the gingiva to generate a plurality of segmentation loops; generating, based on the plurality of segmentation loops, a primary central curve; generating, based on the primary central curve, a first inner mesh curve and a first outer mesh curve, the first inner mesh curve; generating a first segment of the reconstructed 3D representation of the gingiva by joining each one from the plurality of primary midpoints with respective ones from the first plurality of inner midpoints and from the first plurality of outer midpoints; and causing display of the first segment of the reconstructed 3D representation of the gingiva for determining the orthodontic treatment.

Abstract: An implant surface mapping and unwrapping method provided by the present invention selects or defines a mesh implant geometry, and places and rotates it in a specific spatial position according to a mesh. Vertex space coordinates, which are interpolated in medical images such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or ultrasound to calculate the gray scale values of these spatial coordinate points, and map them on the surface of the implant. In addition, the implant is irregular. The surface can be further unwrapped through the planar image to help understand its contact with the anatomy. If the medical image is pre-converted to other anatomical, physiological, pathological, and functional parameters, the mapping and unwrapping results will also be displayed with these parameters. Learn more about the relationship between implants and these parameters.

Abstract: Systems and methods of defining a trimline in relation to modeled teeth including modeled gingiva. The trimline is for use to manufacture an aligner. A margin point is placed proximate a gingival margin at each tooth on at least one jaw in the model. A trimline connects the plurality of margin points from which machine code is generated. The aligner manufactured includes an edge that correlates with the trimline according to the machine code. A margin point may be proximate a gingival zenith. At least one tooth cooperates with the modeled gingiva to define a line around the tooth. The trimline includes at least one tooth curve and at least one connector curve connected to the tooth curve at a transition point. At least one control point is on the trimline between two margin points. The trimline is defined by a spline that may be a Bèzier curve.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides computing device implemented methods, computing device readable medium, and molds for filling undercut areas of teeth relative to an axis of placement. Filling undercut areas of teeth relative to an axis of placement can include calculating an undercut area of a tooth relative to an axis of placement of part of a dental appliance over a number of teeth and a height of contour that is defined based on the axis of placement. Filling undercut areas of teeth relative to an axis of placement can also include filling in a part of the undercut area of the tooth with a virtual filler wherein the undercut is filled to within a threshold distance from the tooth that is defined relative to the axis of placement and the height of contour.

Abstract: A method of cutting a dental aligner includes identifying a gingival line in a model representative of a user's dentition where the gingival line is an interface of a teeth portion and a gingival portion of the model, generating a plurality of points in the gingival portion of the model where each point of the plurality of points is generated at a threshold distance from the gingival line, generating a cut line that intersects at least some of the points of the plurality of points, and controlling a cutting system to cut the dental aligner along the cut line.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides method, computing device readable medium, and devices for dental appliances with repositioning jaw elements. An example of a removable dental appliance includes a shell having a number of tooth apertures configured to receive and reposition a number of teeth of a patient along one jaw of a patient, a repositioning jaw element that extends from a buccal or lingual surface of the shell, the element having a first outer surface oriented to face the tongue of the patient surface and a second outer surface oriented to face the cheek of the patient, and a reinforcement member formed along at least one of the first and second outer surfaces to provide reinforcement of the repositioning jaw element.

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining an orthodontic treatment for a subject are provided. The methods comprises: acquiring a 3D representation of an arch form associated with the subject; segmenting, in the 3D representation of the arch form, associated representations of the plurality of teeth and the gingiva to generate a plurality of segmentation loops; generating, based on the plurality of segmentation loops, a primary central curve; generating, based on the primary central curve, a first inner mesh curve and a first outer mesh curve, the first inner mesh curve; generating a first segment of the reconstructed 3D representation of the gingiva by joining each one from the plurality of primary midpoints with respective ones from the first plurality of inner midpoints and from the first plurality of outer midpoints; and causing display of the first segment of the reconstructed 3D representation of the gingiva for determining the orthodontic treatment.

Abstract: Computer-implemented method and an optimized implant site simulation system which performs a simulation of a damaged oral cavity of a patient and defines an implant site adapted to receive a dental implant to repair the damage observed. The invention further describes the optimized implant site simulated (SI) and a dental implant (ID) couplable to the optimized implant site (SI) simulated. The invention further describes a computer program to perform the steps of the method and an optimized implant site (SI) simulation system.

Abstract: A method of orthodontic treatment planning for a patient includes receiving three-dimensional intraoral surface scan data of a dentition of the patient, receiving three-dimensional volumetric scan data of the dentition of the patient, and overlaying the intraoral surface scan data and the volumetric scan data to generate an integrated patient model comprising a root of at least one tooth having a longitudinal axis. The method further includes determining, for use in planning an orthodontic treatment, a center of rotation of the at least one tooth, wherein the center of rotation is defined as a point located a predetermined distance from a base of the root to an apex of the root along the longitudinal axis of the at least one tooth in the integrated patient model.

Abstract: A dental treatment system has a light irradiation device (2) and an image display (3). The light irradiation device has a polymerization light source (5a) for emitting blue light and a camera (6) for capturing a series of images. The system is set up for generating a first marker (11) and a second marker (20) superimposed with the images and to display the first marker (11) in a fixed positional relationship to an image pattern recognized in a first and in a second image of the series of images and to display the second marker (20) in a fixed positional relationship to an image area underlying the images.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for digital dental modeling. One method embodiment includes receiving a three-dimensional data set including a first jaw and a second jaw of a three-dimensional digital dental model and receiving a two-dimensional data set corresponding to at least a portion of the first jaw and the second jaw. The method includes mapping two-dimensional data of the two-dimensional data set to the three-dimensional digital dental model by transforming a coordinate system of the two-dimensional data to a coordinate system of the three-dimensional data set. The method includes positioning the first jaw with respect to the second jaw based on the two-dimensional data mapped to the three-dimensional data set. The method includes using at least a portion of the two-dimensional data mapped to the three-dimensional data set as a target of movement of the first jaw with respect to the second jaw in the three-dimensional digital dental model.

Abstract: Various methods and systems for designing a restored smile are provided. One method includes receiving scan data of a patient's teeth, developing a digital model of the patient's teeth via a computing device, where the model represents the patient's teeth based upon the scan data, creating a dental treatment plan to restore one or more teeth from an initial condition to a successive condition, and wherein a final condition of the one or more is based on the one or more teeth having at least one planned additional restorative tooth structure provided therewith.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to adding customized cut line information to a shell that is to be formed over mold of a dental arch. In one embodiment, a cut line is determined for the shell. A processing device determines one or more markings for the shell that will mark the cut line. The processing device determines one or more features to add to the mold over which the shell will be formed that will cause the shell to have the one or more markings. The processing device generates a digital model of the mold, the digital model comprising the one or more features, wherein the digital model is usable to manufacture the mold having the one or more features.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for generating a model of a subject's teeth. Described herein are intraoral scanning methods and apparatuses for generating a three-dimensional model of a subject's intraoral region (e.g., teeth) including both surface features and internal features. These methods and apparatuses may be used for identifying and evaluating lesions, caries and cracks in the teeth. Any of these methods and apparatuses may use minimum scattering coefficients and/or segmentation to form a volumetric model of the teeth.

Abstract: A plastic shell such as an orthodontic aligner has an interior shape that substantially conforms to a current or future dental arch of a patient. The plastic shell includes a hollow feature comprising a cavity. The plastic shell additionally includes an object inserted into the cavity, wherein the object provides structural strength to the plastic shell at a location of the hollow feature and does not interfere with a fit of the plastic shell onto the dental arch of the patient.

Abstract: Method and system for providing an orthodontic profile indexing and treatment plan including comparing an initial patient condition in each of a plurality of dentition categories with one or more reference conditions in each of the plurality of dentition categories, wherein each of the one or more reference conditions has a corresponding representation, selecting at least one reference condition in one or more of the plurality of dentition categories, where each selected reference condition is similar to the initial patient condition in a same dentition category, and generating a patient identifier based on the corresponding representations of each selected reference condition is provided.

Abstract: A method that generally relates to comparing a current dental setup with a series of preset dental setups. More particularly a method where this comparison is used to determine which aligner should be used from a series of dental aligners for proceeding with an orthodontic treatment. Each aligner in the series of previously manufactured aligners is provided for moving the at least one tooth in the patient's teeth from one dental setup to a subsequent dental setup.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for producing orthodontic appliances are provided. In one aspect, an orthodontic appliance comprises an outer shell comprising a plurality of cavities shaped to receive the patient's teeth and generate one or more of a force or a torque in response to the appliance being worn on the patient's teeth. The orthodontic appliance can comprise an inner structure having a stiffness different than a stiffness of the outer shell. The inner structure can be positioned on an inner surface of the outer shell in order to distribute the one or more of a force or a torque to at least one tooth received within the plurality of cavities.

Abstract: This present system and method provide artificial intelligence systems and methods for automatic identification, localization, recognition, understanding, labelling, analyzing, assessing, deciding and planning related to dento-craniofacial visual assets (‘DCVA’) for creating a report for patient treatment and consultation.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosed subject matter may provide a wearable device that includes an organic light emitting diode (OLED) light source to output light. At least one emissive layer of the OLED light source of the wearable device may have a plurality of segments that are independently controllable to output the light at a duty cycle of less than 100%. The OLED light source of the wearable device may be encapsulated.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment of the disclosure, tooth attachment placement (TAP) device or for assisting a user in placing one or more appliances or attachments on one or more teeth is disclosed. The TAP device comprises single tooth jigs connected through splines. The geometry of the device is automatically designed in the treatment planning unified workstation, thereby generating a digital STL file. Then the device is created from a non-flexible biocompatible material by a 3D printer in accordance with the digital STL file. Appliance, for example, may be a bracket or a bracket shim; and the attachment may be an aligner attachment or a pad. Different embodiments of the TAP device are disclosed. Methods for verifying the accuracy of the placements of the brackets on the teeth using the TAP device are disclosed.

Abstract: A method and a system for determining a center of resistance point of a tooth for orthodontic treatment planning are provided. The method comprises: obtaining a tooth mesh from image data associated with a tooth crown of a patient; identifying a mesiodistal center of the tooth crown; determining a reference plane in the image data to extend through the mesiodistal center; determining an intersection curve based on an intersection of the reference plane and the tooth mesh, the intersection curve following a shape of the surface of the crown at the reference plane; determining a tooth axis of the tooth crown based on the intersection curve; determining a crown height of the tooth crown based on the tooth axis; and determining the center of resistance of the tooth based on the determined crown height and the determined tooth axis.

Abstract: An auxiliary instrument according to the present invention is an auxiliary instrument for dental use used as a reference of alignment for creating three-dimensional intraoral image data by connecting a plurality of pieces of three-dimensional image data obtained by three-dimensionally measuring an inside of an oral cavity, the auxiliary instrument including a sheet portion having a first surface and a second surface opposed to the first surface, and a plurality of identification portions formed in a thickness direction (Z direction) of the sheet portion from the first surface of the sheet portion, each of the plurality of identification portions having a three-dimensional shape configured to be identified.

Abstract: A method and system for making an orthodontic aligner, as well as an orthodontic aligner. The method comprising: determining at least one super contact region between upper teeth and lower teeth of a subject, the super contact region comprising identifying an area around an at least one contact region between the upper teeth and the lower teeth which exceeds a predetermined magnitude of contact between the upper and lower teeth during a predefined upper/lower teeth position; and generating a digital model of the aligner comprising applying the determined super contact region to a digital model of a pre-form aligner such that a thickness of the aligner body at the determined super contact region is less than a thickness of the aligner body at regions which are not determined super contact regions.

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.

Abstract: A system and associated methodology for the generation of digital models that account for the adaptation of the shape of the patient's gingiva is provided. The exemplary system uses an initial scan of the patient's gingiva as a base model, taking into account the type and morphology of the teeth, the shape, orientation and movements of the roots inside the gingiva, and other factors for a more accurate prediction of the changes in the shape of the gingiva throughout every step of the treatment. In particular, the system proactively determines the areas of the model that will be covered by the aligner and prevents changes to such areas, whereas the shape of the model outside these areas is altered in a way to minimize the size of model and to add any necessary features for the manufacturing of the aligners.

Abstract: A set of healing abutments includes a first healing abutment and a second healing abutment. The first healing abutment has an upper surface with a first code thereon. The first code is associated with a size of the first healing abutment. The second healing abutment has an upper surface with a second code thereon. The second code is associated with a size of the second healing abutment. The first healing abutment and the second healing abutment have the same size. The first code is different from the second code.

Abstract: The invention aligns a digital face model from a 3D face scanner with a 3D jaw scan from an intraoral scan produced by an intraoral scanner without using external markers. The alignment proceeds in two steps. In the first step, the teeth part of a subject whose teeth are clenched, referred to as a clenched-teeth face scan, is aligned with an intraoral jaw scan to obtain a first transformation matrix. In the second step, a face model of a subject with a normal facial expression is aligned with the clenched-teeth face model of the same subject to obtain a second transformation matrix. A graphical user interface is provided that enables a user to manually align the 3D jaw scan with a 2D image of the subject's teeth to determine the first transformation.

Abstract: Systems and methods for fabricating indirect bonding trays are disclosed. Physical models of a patient's teeth can be created with non-functional placeholder brackets, impressions of which can be transferred to indirect bonding trays. This can create wells in which functional brackets can be placed into, reducing errors created from transferring functional brackets from the physical model onto the indirect bonding trays.

Abstract: A method of making a dental restoration has the steps of: determining a virtual space available for accommodation of a dental restoration for a tooth to be restored; retrieving a predefined virtual master dental restoration surface from a database; fitting the virtual master dental restoration surface in the space to provide a virtual outer dental restoration surface; creating a virtual inner dental restoration surface independent of a shape of the tooth to be restored; providing a virtual model of a dental restoration based on a combination of the virtual outer dental restoration surface and the virtual inner dental restoration surface; and fabricating the dental restoration based on the dental restoration model.

Abstract: According to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, a server can include processing circuitry configured to receive a virtual modeling file encoded with an orthodontic treatment plan such that the encoded information of the virtual modeling file format allows all steps of the orthodontic treatment plan to be displayed without a separate file for each treatment step. Additionally, the processing circuitry can be configured to download a first treatment step of the virtual modeling file format, receive gingiva and teeth geometries corresponding to the first treatment step, and display the first treatment step. Further, a selected treatment step can be displayed based on information encoded into the orthodontic virtual modeling file format.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for taking, using and displaying three-dimensional (3D) volumetric models of a patient's dental arch. A 3D volumetric model may include surface (e.g., color) information as well as information on internal structure, such as near-infrared (near-IR) transparency values for internal structures including enamel and dentin.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods of managing delivery of an orthodontic treatment plan using treatment guidelines, instructions and appointment planning tools customized to the individual patient being treated. A method includes, e.g., generating a treatment plan for a patient, generating a customized set of treatment guidelines, providing the set of customized treatment guidelines to the practitioner; and providing a set of orthodontic appliances to the practitioner.

Abstract: A system and a method is provided in which a CAD system receives a solid model and receives user input to select points on the surface of the solid model, to create a wire part program file based on the selected points, and to transmit the wire part program file to a bending machine. The wire part program files is configured such that the bending machine will manufacture a wire based on the wire part program file.

Abstract: The invention aligns a digital face model from a 3D face scanner with a 3D teeth model from an intraoral scan produced by an intraoral scanner without using external markers. The alignment proceeds in two steps. In the first step, the teeth part of a subject whose teeth are clenched, referred to as a clenched-teeth face scan, is aligned with the teeth model from an intraoral jaw scan to obtain a first transformation matrix. In the second step, a face model of a subject with a normal facial expression is aligned with the clenched-teeth face model of the same subject using an ICP algorithm.

Abstract: A processing device receives image data of an actual condition of a patient's dental arch at an intermediate stage of a multistage orthodontic treatment plan. The processing device compares the image data of the actual condition of the patient's dental arch to a planned condition of the patient's dental arch for the intermediate stage. The processing device identifies one or more clinical signs that the actual condition of the patient's dental arch has a deviation from the planned condition of the patient's dental arch for the intermediate stage of the multi-stage orthodontic treatment plan based on a result of the comparing. The processing device determines one or more probable root causes for the deviation based on the one or more clinical signs. The processing device additionally determines one or more corrective actions for the multi-stage orthodontic treatment plan based on the one or more probable root causes.

Abstract: A method for determining surface characteristics of an intraoral structure may include illuminating an intraoral structure with light of a first light source passing through focusing optics and capturing depth image data during the illumination with the first light source of light from the intraoral structure passing through the focusing optics. The method may also include illuminating the intraoral structure with a second light source and capturing two-dimensional image data during the illumination with the second light source. Depth data of the intraoral structure may be generated using the depth image data and the two-dimensional image data may be mapped to the depth data.

Abstract: Methods for accelerating orthodontic movement that include administering, within first and second consecutive time periods, light via an intraoral light therapy apparatus having a mouthpiece, are provided herein. During administering, the mouthpiece is disposed within a mouth of a patient, with a light emitter embedded in a flange of the mouthpiece being disposed between alveolar mucosa and buccal mucosa of the patient. A first removable aligner is disposed on a first set of teeth of the patient prior to, during, or subsequent to a first administering. A second removable aligner, different from the first removable aligner, is disposed on a second set of teeth of the patient prior to, during, or subsequent to a second administering. The light directly illuminates a first portion of the alveolar mucosa during the administering.