Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system of devices and a method for preparing a tooth to receive a restoration. The system includes a dental instrument for removal of portions of a tooth in the mouth of a patent and an overlay for guiding the dental instrument during the step of tooth removal. The overlay is designed for temporary installation into the mouth of the patient to guide the dental instrument to remove tooth material. The overlay has one or more sets of guide walls, with a predetermined configuration capable of contacting one or more guide projections of the dental instrument, and a receptacle capable of receiving and attaching to the dental instrument.

Abstract: A root canal treatment instrument 100 continues drive of a cutting tool 5 in forward rotation drive until reaching 180 degrees, and when a load applied to the cutting tool 5 is equal to or greater than a reference load, drive of the cutting tool 5 is switched to reverse rotation drive until reaching 90 degrees. In the root canal treatment instrument 100, when a cumulative amount of rotation is equal to or greater than a reference amount of rotation, change to a drive pattern is made, forward rotation drive is continued until reaching 90 degrees, and when a load applied to the cutting tool 5 is equal to or greater than the reference load, drive of the cutting tool 5 is switched to reverse rotation drive until reaching 180 degrees.

Abstract: A dental implant surgical guide and includes a body having a buccal wall and a lingual wall that is continuously connected by a first end and second end forming an open surgical space connecting a top of the body with a bottom of the body. The bottom is further contoured to receive and rest upon at least a portion of a bone segment of a respective patient's alveolar ridge to guide the surgical alteration of a respective patient's alveolar a ridge. The dental implant surgical guide is capable of locating and securing one or more implants upon the respective patient's alveolar ridge. The dental implant surgical guide fits upon the top, the top being contoured to receive and support the dental implant surgical guide.

Abstract: An assembly for aiding field use of an endoscopic probe is disclosed. The assembly includes a housing assembly for an endoscopic probe and a compatible holder for the housing assembly. The housing assembly includes a tubular conduit for receiving the endoscopic probe and a plug coupled along a distal end of the tubular conduit. The holder includes a pre-configured arm for facilitating an exploration of a pre-determined quadrant of an oral cavity. The explorer includes a plug receiver. Upon coupling the plug receiver with the inversely matching plug, the tubular conduit passes through the opening and into the third axial channel.

Abstract: The invention relates to a denture base having a plurality of tooth socket compartments where one or more of the tooth socket compartments comprises a convex surface configured in step-like structure, and one or more prominences on the step-like structure. The invention further relates to a dental prosthesis including the denture base, at least one bonding agent, and a plurality of artificial teeth. Artificial teeth are bonded within tooth socket compartments such that each artificial tooth can rest upon the top of each prominence in the tooth socket compartment, maintaining a predetermined amount of bonding agent between the artificial tooth and the denture base. The denture base and dental prosthesis of the invention can better address the need for easier, more efficient and reliable set-up of artificial teeth in a denture base, and ensuring more consistent and predictable bonding of artificial teeth in a denture base.

Abstract: A method for representing a tooth position under biting forces includes creating first surface data of a portion(s) of a maxilla tooth row and second surface data of an opposing portion(s) of a mandible tooth row, producing a digital surface model from the surface data, creating a data record which includes outer surface data of teeth lying in the portions of the maxilla tooth row and the mandible tooth row in a centric occlusion under biting forces, defining registration regions in the maxilla and mandible in the outer surface data which are not exposed to any force in the centric occlusion, registering the surface data on the outer surface data based on the registration regions, ascertaining movements of individual teeth outside of the registration regions from the outer surface data, transforming the movements ascertained into the surface data, and creating a modified digital surface model under consideration of the movements.

Abstract: An orthopaedic instrument system including an instrument caddy is disclosed. The instrument caddy is configured to receive one or more cutting broaches to house the cutting broaches between orthopaedic surgical procedures. The instrument caddy is also configured to be used during a surgical procedure to assist a user in assembling the cutting broach with another surgical instrument. A method of assembling a surgical instrument is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for measuring a relative position and/or movement of a mandible (UK) relative to a maxilla of a patient, comprising an emitting coil (8) for emitting an electromagnetic measuring field (5), at least one mandible sensor (US1), said mandible sensor (US1) being placed and/or can be placed on teeth in the mouth (U1-U8) or in the mouth on a mandible device (UK). The mandible sensor (US1) is designed as a sensor at least for determining a position in a measuring field (5) and/or relative to the emitting coil (8), also comprising an evaluation device (3) for determining the relative position and/or relative movement of the mandible (UK) relative to the maxilla (OK) based on positions determined by the sensor (US1). The sensor coil (8) is placed and/or can be placed outside of the mouth on the side or above the maxilla (OK).

Abstract: A dental implant surgical guide includes a body having a buccal wall and a lingual wall that is continuously connected by a first end and second end forming an open surgical space connecting a top of the body with a bottom of the body. The bottom is further contoured to receive and rest upon at least a portion of a bone segment of a respective patient's alveolar ridge to guide the surgical alteration of a respective patient's alveolar ridge. The dental implant surgical guide is capable of locating and securing one or more implants upon the respective patient's alveolar ridge. The dental implant surgical guide fits upon the top, the top being contoured to receive and support the dental implant surgical guide.

Abstract: A measuring instrument for orthodontic appliances including a body with a handle and a rectilinear head oriented orthogonally to the handle; an appendix protrudes from a distal edge of the head and it is orthogonal to the head, that is, the appendix is oriented parallel to the handle, and is formed by a base having a predetermined width from which emerges a pin having a length which is also predetermined; the head is provided with a millimeter scale on at least one side of the appendix; the width of the base is a value selected among a plurality of predetermined values and is equal to the distance between the bodies of a palatal expander in closed configuration.

Abstract: A system and method of automated formation of a preparation stub, based on an a priori created computational geometrical model, configured to conform to a prefabricated fixed dental prosthesis, is described. The system includes a digital imaging facility with an image acquiring device and a three-dimensional data digitizer, a modeling facility with an exterior surface design module and an interior surface design module, a fabrication facility operatively with a computer-aided manufacturing module, as well as an application facility including an ablation tool and in-situ preparation module; application facility preferably includes an intra-oral feedbacking appliance with a distance measurement probe for automated feedback-controlled formation of a preparation stub.

Abstract: Provided is a customizable surgical bone-cutting jigsaw puzzle-type guide device. The customizable surgical bone-cutting jigsaw puzzle-type guide device includes: a main guide portion that includes a main contact surface lengthily formed along a required main incision line of a bone to be cut and shaped to be brought into contact with the bone, and a main guide surface forming a guide line together with the main contact surface along the same line as the main incision line and shaped to be brought into contact with a cutting blade for guiding the movement of the cutting blade during cutting of the bone; and a connection portion extending from the main guide portion and connected to a side of the bone such that the main guide portion may be supported on the bone, the connection portion being configured to be detachably attached to the side of the bone.

Abstract: The invention relates to a measuring system for measuring an implant-implant situation for planning an implant-supported tooth replacement part supported on at least two implants, comprising a scanning template and the at least two set implants. The scanning template has cut-outs for the individual implants, wherein first markings are arranged on surface regions around the cut-outs.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a medical drill device. The medical drill device includes a boring drill including a motor and a drill part; an instrument body coupled to the boring drill; and a plurality of supporting rods coupled to the instrument body so as to support the boring drill to a work area. Each of the supporting rods includes: a straight portion inserted into the corresponding supporting rod insertable part in such a manner that the supporting rod is linearly moved with the instrument body; and a bent portion bent at a predetermined angle from the straight portion. As such, by using the supporting rods having a bent structure to support a boring drill to a work area and simultaneously limiting a boring depth of the boring drill, it is possible to shorten boring time and ensure safety of the boring operation.

Abstract: A dental alignment apparatus for aligning and positioning one or more prosthodontic restoration member relative to at least one reference prosthodontic restoration member disposed on the same jaw.

Abstract: A disclosed modelling method includes: calculating a first function for generating data of a closed surface that contains plural points representing an annular structure in an object, based on positional information of the plural points; generating data of a first point set representing a boundary of the object, from tomographic image data; detecting data of points which are included in the first point set and located inside the closed surface by using the first function; removing the detected data of points from the data of the first point set to generate data of a second point set; calculating a second function for generating data of a shape of the object using the data of the second point set and data of the plural points; and storing data of the shape of the object, which is generated by using the second function, in the memory.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system of devices and a method for preparing a tooth to receive a restoration. The system includes a dental instrument for removal of portions of a tooth in the mouth of a patent and an overlay for guiding the dental instrument during the step of tooth removal. The overlay is designed for temporary installation into the mouth of the patient to guide the dental instrument to remove tooth material. The overlay has one or more sets of guide walls, with a predetermined configuration capable of contacting one or more guide projections of the dental instrument, and a receptacle capable of receiving and attaching to the dental instrument.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inspection apparatus for osseointegration of implants, which comprises an inspection base, a holding end, and an inspection end. The holding end is disposed at one end of the inspection base; the inspection end is disposed at the other end of the inspection base. Beside, the inspection end is disposed on one side of the holding end. The holding end includes a signal processing module and a wireless transmission module therein. The inspection end includes an inspection probe, disposed at one end of the inspection end. The inspection probe includes one or more excitation device and a receiver located on the same side of the inspection probe. According to the present invention, the inspection apparatus detects the condition of an object under inspection in a non-contact manner by using an excitation source. An acquired displacement difference is then transmitted to an electronic apparatus through wireless transmission.

Abstract: According to a dental image display device, a dental surgical operation device, and a dental image display method, a 2D captured image of a tooth as a surgical operation target that is captured with visible light in an articulation face direction, and an articulation face direction converted 2D image obtained as a result of displaying 3D information, which is acquired on the tooth and includes information on a root canal inside the tooth, two-dimensionally on a predetermined plane in the articulation face direction, are displayed in correspondence with each other on a monitor.

Abstract: A three-dimensional printing control apparatus comprises a control command generator configured to: generate a control command for outputting a three-dimensional object having a first shape, and generate, in response to a request for changing a shape of the three-dimensional object from the first shape to a second shape is received while performing a output work for the three-dimensional object, an additional control command for outputting a changed three-dimensional object having the second shape; and a control command transmitter configured to, in response to determining that it is possible to output the changed three-dimensional object through the output work, substitute the additional control command for the control command with respect to a non-printed portion of the three-dimensional object.

Abstract: The present application relates to reference body for intraoral scan procedures adapted to be releasably mountable to a dental implant. The reference body comprises a cylindrical body portion extending along a longitudinal axis from an apical end to a coronal end, the apical end abutting the dental implant in a mounted state of the reference body, a coronal end surface defining the coronal end of the reference body, a first radial protrusion protruding from the body portion in a first radial direction, and a second radial protrusion protruding from the body portion in a second radial direction. The first radial protrusion and the second radial protrusion have different cross-sectional shapes in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the reference body.

Abstract: The centric relation bite registration tool is a tool for recording the centric relation of a patient's mandible in order to obtain proper occlusion to fabricate a full mouth fixed dental prosthesis. The centric relation bite registration tool includes both a vertically adjustable portion and a horizontally adjustable portion. The vertically adjustable portion is adapted for mounting in a dental implant in the patient's mandibular arch, and the horizontally adjustable portion is adapted for mounting in a dental implant in the patient's maxillary arch. The vertically adjustable portion and the horizontally adjustable portion are releasably secured to one another between the mandibular and maxillary arches providing a single tool which is both horizontally and vertically adjustable for recordation of the proper occlusion between the patient's mandible and maxilla.

Abstract: The invention relates to a surgical method of attachment of a first bony segment in relation with a second bony segment, both segments belonging to a same bone, which comprises the steps of: milling said bone and cutting it partially, to separate it in two bony segments linked together by a bony hinge distracting both bony segments around said hinge; fitting an osteotomy implant into the cavity thus obtained; attaching said implant to both bony segments; wherein it comprises the preoperative steps of: determining the position and the direction of the future partial cut, calculating its depth, calculating the relative three-dimensional positions of both bony segments to obtain the final desired alignment of the two bony segments, choosing among several osteotomy implants, one which is wider than the largest distance between the facing sides of said bony segments after distraction, determining the position and the shape of the future implant reception cavity and calculating its dimensions, deducing therefrom

Abstract: A surgical instrument comprises an articulable end effector; a drive shaft connected to the end effector that drives the end effector; an electric motor connected to the drive shaft that drives the drive shaft; a battery unit for supplying power to the electric motor; at least one sensor for sensing a status of the instrument; and an alphanumeric display located on the instrument and in communication with the at least one sensor. The alphanumeric display is for displaying alphanumeric characters that display visually to a user of the instrument a status of the instrument based on an input from the at least one sensor.

Abstract: The device for verifying parallelism of abutment teeth for dental appliance insertion provides a visual indicator for a dental practitioner for determining parallelism in a pair of abutment teeth. The device for verifying parallelism of abutment teeth for dental appliance insertion includes a housing having a top end, a bottom end, and longitudinally-extending slot formed therethrough. First and second rods are received within the longitudinally-extending slot and are longitudinally slidable therein, with each of the first and second rods extending laterally (i.e., perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) through the longitudinally-extending slot. First and second plates are respectively suspended from central portions of the first and second rods and are longitudinally slidable through an opening formed through the bottom end of the housing. First and second ratcheting mechanisms respectively limit rotational movement and rotational direction of the first and second plates with respect to the housing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for diagnosing sleep apnea and for comfortably fitting an oral device to treat the condition. The patient is screened to reduce snoring using a device which changes the airway, and then using an airway dilation simulator having sequentially sized elements to determine the mandibular position maximizing the upper airway dimension. An oral device is then fabricated to retain the maximum position during sleep.

Abstract: An assembly of a patient specific instrument and tracking system comprises a patient specific instrument having a body with a patient specific contact surface negatively shaped relative to a corresponding surface of a bone for complementary contact therewith. An inertial sensor unit with a preset orientation is connected to the body in a planned connection configuration, such that a geometrical relation between the contact surface and the inertial sensor unit is known. A tracking system has a tracking processor connected to the inertial sensor unit, a user interface, and bone orientation data related to the patient specific contact surface, the tracking processor producing orientation tracking data for the bone using the geometrical relation and the bone orientation data when the preset orientation of the inertial sensor unit is initialized, to output the orientation tracking data on the user interface.

Abstract: An operation input device that has multi jointed arms includes: a holding unit that holds proximal ends of the multi-jointed arms in a state in which a relative positional relationship between the proximal ends is fixed; a detection unit that detects a joint movement amount that represents a movement of a joint by a rotation angle or a translational displacement from an unknown initial joint value; engagement units that are provided in distal ends of the multi jointed arms; a data acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of sets of joint movement amounts detected by the detection unit in a time series when engaging and moving the distal ends; and an initial value calculation unit that calculates the unknown initial joint value under a condition that a relative positional relationship between the distal ends is fixed via the engagement units.

Abstract: The present invention is a surgical guide for guiding the insertion of a dental implant into a desired location in a patient's mouth. The implant includes a non-rotational structure. The surgical guide includes a structure and a master tube. The structure has a negative impression surface to be fitted on and placed over gingival tissue, bone, and/or teeth in the patient's mouth. The structure includes an opening through which the dental implant is placed. The master tube is located at the opening. The master tube includes indicia for alignment with the non-rotational structure on the implant such that the non-rotational structure of the implant is at a known angular orientation with respect to the master tube. The present invention includes kits of various components used with the surgical guide and with the dental surgery using the surgical guide.

Abstract: The present invention is a surgical guide for guiding the insertion of a dental implant into a desired location in a patient's mouth. The implant includes a non-rotational structure. The surgical guide includes a structure and a master tube. The structure has a negative impression surface to be fitted on and placed over gingival tissue, bone, and/or teeth in the patient's mouth. The structure includes an opening through which the dental implant is placed. The master tube is located at the opening. The master tube includes indicia for alignment with the non-rotational structure on the implant such that the non-rotational structure of the implant is at a known angular orientation with respect to the master tube. The present invention includes kits of various components used with the surgical guide and with the dental surgery using the surgical guide.

Abstract: A dental Computer-aided design (CAD)/Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) system forms a custom dental preparation guide for guiding a dental tool that alters a shapes a tooth structure to which a custom prosthetic dental item is to be attached. The system acquires an optical measurement and an x-ray of at least one dental structure. The system correlates the acquired optical measurement and the x-ray to form a model of the at least one dental structure. The system generates a model of a reduced tooth structure based on the model of the at least one dental structure. The system also provides at least one dental preparation guide based on the model of the reduced tooth structure.

Abstract: A periosteal elevator has a shaft and a head portion connected to the shaft. The head portion has a blade at a distal end for elevating periosteum from a bone during surgery. The head portion has a distal section, a central section and a proximal section, the distal section being wider than the proximal section and the central section being narrower than both the distal section and the proximal section. Measurement markings are placed on each of the distal section, the central section and the proximal section, the markings measuring the width of each of the sections.

Abstract: Drilling of an implant shaft is carried out with a handpiece tool whose location and angular orientation with respect to a radiographic working guide is updated in real time with respect to the radiographic working guide and anatomical structures of the patient, free of viewing obstructions. Prior to the drilling, the radiographic working guide is fitted to a particular patient. Real-time imaging support is provided on a display of a computer, wherein the radiographic workpiece guide includes a plurality of fiducial markers that define a substantially planar reference surface of the radiographic workpiece guide. The radiographic workpiece guide also includes an alignment structure located a predetermined distance from a pilot hole proximate the work site. The image is updated based on an initial radiographic scan and updated position information from the handpiece tool as to location and angular orientation of the handpiece tool relative to the workpiece guide.

Abstract: A scanning member includes a head portion and a body portion. The head portion has an at least partially flat top surface indicative of a first characteristic of a dental implant, an at least partially flat first side surface indicative of a second characteristic of the dental implant, and a second non-flat side surface that opposes the first side surface. The body portion has a non-rotational feature configured to non-rotationally couple the body portion to the dental implant. The body portion is physically attached to a bottom surface of the head portion to form a generally “T” shape. The scanning member has an internal through hole for receiving a screw to threadably couple with a threaded bore within the dental implant. A set of scanning members includes scanning members having different body portions configured to couple to dental implants from different manufacturers.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inexpensive surgical guide preparation tool by which an insertion hole for implant can be correctly and easily formed at a predetermined position. The surgical guide preparation tool has a pair of marker members opposing to each other and a gauge body which has a support member for connecting the marker members, and the gauge body is attached to a surgical guide body. The surface of each marker member is provided with grid-like lines which are recognizable by a CT scanned image and disposed longitudinally and laterally at substantially regular intervals; predetermined marks are chosen from intersections of the grid-like lines, and a guide ring is attached to the surgical guide body so that a direction connecting the chosen marks is used as an axial direction of the guide ring. The axial direction of the guide ring is used as an insertion direction for implant.

Abstract: The present invention provides a root canal length measuring apparatus and a root canal treatment apparatus which can acquire a position of a measurement electrode with high reproducibility in the same root canal. The root canal length measuring apparatus includes a measurement electrode which is inserted into a root canal, an oral electrode which is held in an oral cavity, a measuring section which applies an electric measuring signal between the measurement electrode and the oral electrode and specifies an apex position so as to measure a root canal length, a memory means which stores position data corresponding to a position of the measurement electrode in a root canal acquired by the measuring section, and an operating means which instructs the memory means to store the position data.

Abstract: One possible embodiment of the invention could be a dental surgical guide and a methodology of operating same, the dental surgical guide having a body with a set of walls, a top portion, and a bottom portion and at least one open-sided channel, the open-sided channel continuously connects an opening of the one of the set of walls to the top portion and the bottom portion; and at least one master grommet, the master grommet having a hollow grommet interior that continuously connects a side opening, a top aperture and a bottom aperture; wherein the open-sided master grommet is placed within a respective open-sided channel to allow a dental tooling head to be placed into the master grommet through the master grommet's side opening.

Abstract: A method for producing a dental shaped part includes checking an outer contour of a tool of machining equipment, using least one gauge provided on a blank formed from a tooth restoration material from which a dental shaped part is to be machined using the machining equipment. The method also includes machining the dental shaped part from the blank using the tool of the machining equipment, when the outer contour of the tool corresponds to the at least one gauge provided on the blank.

Abstract: According to a dental image display device, a dental surgical operation device, and a dental image display method, a 2D captured image of a tooth as a surgical operation target that is captured with visible light in an articulation face direction, and an articulation face direction converted 2D image obtained as a result of displaying 3D information, which is acquired on the tooth and includes information on a root canal inside the tooth, two-dimensionally on a predetermined plane in the articulation face direction, are displayed in correspondence with each other on a monitor.

Abstract: A method, device and system for modifying the gingival margin of a patient is disclosed. A method includes obtaining an electronic model of the dentition of a patient, determining an incision path along the gingival surface based on the electronic model, generating and fabricating a guide arrangement to assist in cutting the gingival surface of the patient, mounting the guide arrangement to the dentition of the patient, and cutting the gingival surface of the patient with the assistance of the guide arrangement. A guide arrangement includes a mounting portion and a template portion coupled to the mounting portion along the gingival surface of the guide arrangement and positioned to provide a desired incision path. A system includes a three dimensional scanner, a computer system and a fabricating device.

Abstract: Disclosed is method for generating a dental preparation guide configured for validating the preparation of at least one tooth for a dental restoration, said method comprising: a: obtaining a digital 3D representation of a pre-prepared set of teeth; b: virtually removing said at least one tooth from the digital 3D representation of the pre-prepared set of teeth, such that a digital 3D representation of a remaining set of teeth is formed; c: providing a virtual target dental restoration expressing a target shape of the dental restoration; d: creating a virtual validation surface for the dental preparation guide based on the virtual target dental restoration, where the validation surface is such that the preparation of the tooth can be validated by the dental preparation guide; and e: creating a virtual preparation guide surface by combining the virtual validation surface and at least part of the surface of the digital 3D representation of the remaining set of teeth.

Abstract: Various tools and procedures are provided for implantation of an implant at a target site. The procedure can include performing an osteotomy at the target site; placing a guide sleeve into the osteotomy; inserting a coring tool into the guide sleeve; coring the target site up to a depth less than the depth of the osteotomy, the coring tool being configured to collect autogenous bone material from the target site during the coring of the target site; placing the implant at the implant site; and grafting the autogenous bone material into selected portions of the target site.

Abstract: A computer based method and system for defining and representing a shape and geometry of an occlusal access cavity to the tooth roots prior to endodontic treatment, include the step or elements for: loading onto the computer information of the geometry of a tooth obtained via one or more imaging techniques, creation of a 3D computer model of the tooth, including its internal architecture, visualisation of the computer model, visualisation of the location(s) of the entrance(s) to root canal(s) relative to the tooths occlusal surface, and based on the locations of the root canal orifices a shape of the access cavity is calculated.

Abstract: A method for making a rapid prototype of a patient's mouth to be used in the design and fabrication of a dental prosthesis. The method takes an impression of a mouth including a first installation site having a dental implant installed in the first installation site and a gingival healing abutment having at least one informational marker attached to the dental implant. A stone model is prepared based on the impression. The model is scanned. The scan data is transferred to a CAD program. A three-dimensional model of the installation site is created in the CAD program. The at least one informational marker is determined to gather information for manufacturing the rapid prototype. Rapid prototype dimensional information is developed. The rapid prototype dimensional information is transferred to a rapid prototyping machine which fabricate a rapid prototype of the patient's dentition as well as a dental implant analog position.

Abstract: An oral implant system and method. The system includes a positioning tool, a transfer band, a transfer screw, and a transfer drill to provide for accurate placement of a dental implant parallel to other implants and or existing teeth and at predetermined depths. A model is made of the patient's maxilla and mandible. The model is marked for implant position, depth and size. Holes are drilled in the model for implant analogs using the positioning tool. The analogs are installed into the model using the positioning tool and a surveyor. Transfer bands are coupled to the analogs and a surgical stent portion is fabricated. The surgical stent is fitted to the patient's occlusion, secured, and then utilized to accurately drill apertures into the patient's maxilla or mandible. The implants are installed into the apertures and the surgical stent is removed. A final restoration is secured to the implants.

Abstract: This device comprises a measuring clamp (1) for teeth (20) and dental spaces (21), comprising a set of mobile arms (2) ending in some exploration extremities (3), which exploring displacement along the teeth (20) and dental spaces (21) determines the joint displacement of the mobile arms (2). A transducer (11) turns the relative displacement movement between mobile arms (2), into signals (25) expressing the positional parameters (23) determined by that movement, and, upon being connected to a computerized system (30), it transmits the signals (25) for their processing as measurement parameters (23). The transducer system (10), that may be analogue and/or digital, may have a manual driving means (12) in the measuring clamp (1). The invention is also related to a measuring method through which steps the exploration extremities (3) are arranged in the teeth (20) or dental spaces (21), the measurement is performed and the sequence is repeated, as many times as needed until completing the measurement.

Abstract: Bracket guide features and use of such features to guide placement of orthodontic brackets.

Abstract: An image guidance system for tracking a surgical instrument within the oral cavity. The image guidance system includes a plurality of cameras adapted to be located within the oral cavity to provide intraoral images of optically visible patterns within oral cavity. A processing system receives and processes the intraoral images to recognize patterns and triangulate the locations and orientations of each camera. The processing system uses a reference dataset which defines a reference coordinate system based on alignment to a portion of the oral anatomy. The processing system determines the location and orientation of the tracked instrument based on the reference dataset. In an embodiment, the system includes an oral fixture that is removably attachable to teeth in a patient and is configured to hold one of the cameras.

Abstract: One possible embodiment of the invention could be a combination of a bone foundation guide and a dental implant surgical guide and a method of use, the guide comprising a body having a buccal wall and a lingual wall that is continuously connected by a first end and second end forming an open surgical space connecting a top of the body with a bottom of the body, wherein the bottom is further contoured to receive and rest upon at least a portion of a bone segment of a respective patient's alveolar ridge to guide the surgical alteration of a respective patient's alveolar ridge; a dental implant surgical guide that is capable of locating and securing one or more implants upon the respective patient's alveolar ridge; wherein the dental implant surgical guide fits upon the top, the top being contoured to receive and support the dental implant surgical guide.

Abstract: The system creates digital images of teeth topography using a dental impression tray that provides registration information for integration of a digital three-dimensional model with a digital three-dimensional cranio-facial CAT scan record. The impression tray is held in the patient's mouth during a CAT scan. The tray includes fiduciary markers that can be accurately located by the CAT scan. The tray also includes a dental impression material which, subsequent to the CAT scan, is removed from the patient's mouth and placed on a table of an X-Y-Z scanning machine for scanning the impression. In this manner, a set of electronic data related to the patient's teeth and surrounding soft tissues is generated. The fiduciary markers, which may be constructed of titanium, are included in both sets of electronic data for the patient's teeth. The markers are then used as common reference points in the spatial matching of the two scans.