Abstract: Methods and systems for forming dental attachment formation apparatuses. Methods may include creating a virtual dental attachment formation apparatus including a body having a surface shaped to conform to contours of a virtual model of a patient's dentition, a well in the body that is shaped to receive a dental attachment, and a light path directed through the body to the well. A physical dental attachment formation apparatus may be manufactured based on the virtual dental attachment formation apparatus. At least a portion of the body of the physical dental attachment formation apparatus may be made of a light transmissive material. The physical dental attachment formation apparatus may include an opaque portion arranged to keep light from illuminating another portion of the body other than the well.

Abstract: Method of manufacturing a series of aligners for an orthodontic and/or dental treatment of a patient's teeth. In particular, described herein are methods of manufacturing a series of aligners that includes displaying images of the patient's teeth at the final stages for a subset of the treatment plans from the array of treatment plans in a manner that allows the user to select between the different treatment plans in order to select a treatment plan for fabrication.

Abstract: This disclosure provides polymeric materials comprising polymer crystals, methods and resins for making the same, and objects and appliances made from said polymeric materials. Polymeric materials having polymer crystals provide favorable properties, such as enhanced durability and rigidity. This disclosure also provides polymeric materials comprising a crystalline phase comprising at least one polymer crystal, as well as an amorphous phase comprising at least one amorphous polymer. The crystalline phase can confer rigidity to the polymeric material, while the amorphous phase can confer elasticity and flexibility.

Abstract: Orthodontic and/or dental treatment planning methods and apparatuses. In particular, described herein are methods of generating a plurality of orthodontic treatment plans digitally using a hierarchy of bounding boxes enclosing the plurality of 3D shapes to avoid collisions during treatment.

Abstract: Embodiments include receiving image data comprising a representation of teeth, wherein the image data comprises a set of pixel locations for the teeth and depth values associated with the pixel locations in the set of pixel locations. The method further includes generating new image based on applying one or more functions to the image data, wherein the one or more functions adjust one or more color channels of the set of pixel locations based at least in part on the depth values.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatuses to obtain an image, or a set of images, of a user's teeth from one or more predetermined viewing angles. These methods and apparatuses may include guiding a user to capture a predetermined set of images of the user's teeth at specified views using an indicator that is output from a mobile telecommunications device, wherein the indicator indicates to the user one or more positions of the mobile telecommunications device relative to a mouth of the user. The captured images are uploaded to provide a treatment progress evaluation.

Abstract: A system includes a partial enclosure configured to hold resin. The system further includes one or more structures configured to at least partially cover the resin. The one or more structures are configured to prevent evaporation of the resin. The system further includes a build platform configured to support an object that is being formed from layers of the resin. A first blade is configured to provide the layers of the resin to form the object on the build platform.

Abstract: Methods for manufacturing thermoformed objects are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes controlling a material transport system to move a material to a first location proximate to one or more heat sources. The method can include controlling the one or more heat sources to heat a first region of the material to a first temperature and heat a second region of the material to a second temperature. The method can also include controlling the material transport system to move the material to a second location proximate to an object forming element, and controlling the object forming element to form a dental appliance from the material.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of obtaining good photocured-ink adhesion to low surface energy materials. The methods have greatly improved adhesion of photocured ink on low surface energy materials, including those that are subjected to high humidity or wet environments. The methods take into account the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the materials and the onset for the glass transition temperature, including ink applied to an exposed surface of the material at an elevated temperature that is close to the Tg of the material. The ink is allowed to sit briefly or soak, such as for more than 1 second, before the ink is cured. The ink may be photocured. Furthermore, the methods do not require solvents or surface treatment, including plasma or corona treatments, to obtain good ink adhesion.

Abstract: Calibrating an intraoral scanner includes obtaining reference data of a reference three-dimensional (3D) representation of a calibration object and obtaining, based on the intraoral scanner being used by a user to scan the 3D calibration object, and from one or more device to real-world coordinate transformations of two-dimensional (2D) images of the 3D calibration object, measurement data. Calibrating the intraoral scanner further includes aligning the measurement data to the reference data to obtain alignment data and updating, based on the alignment data, said one or more transformations.

Abstract: A series of a palatal expanders increasing width can be used to gradually expand a patient's palate. Each palatal expander may have a palatal region flanked by teeth regions. The palatal region can have a plurality of anchor-receiving features (e.g., anchor interfaces) that allow the palatal expander to be attached to temporary anchorage device anchors that have been implanted into the patient's maxilla.

Abstract: In embodiments, a system for scanning an intraoral cavity comprises an intraoral scanner to generate topographical scan data of the intraoral cavity and 2D image data of the intraoral cavity, and a processing unit operatively connected to the intraoral scanner. The processing unit is to: receive the topographical scan data and the 2D image data from the intraoral scanner; generate a 3D digital model of the intraoral cavity using the intraoral scan data; output the 3D digital model to a display; determine which portions of the intraoral cavity have been scanned; generate a visual indicator that provides guidance for positioning and orienting the field of view of the intraoral scanner; and output the visual indicator to the display.

Abstract: Systems for fabricating dental appliances are provided. In some embodiments, a system comprising one or more processors, and a memory operably coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to determine an appliance geometry for a dental appliance including a shell configured to move the patient's teeth from an initial arrangement toward a target arrangement. The appliance geometry can include a first power arm having a first connection point for connecting to the shell, a second power arm having a second connection point for connecting to the shell or to a tooth, an elongate connecting structure coupled to the first and second power arms, and an elongate counter-force connector coupled to the first power arm and extending toward the second power arm.

Abstract: Orthodontic and/or dental treatment planning methods and apparatuses. In particular, described herein are methods of generating a plurality of potential treatment plan variations for the concurrent and interactive review of the treatment plan variations. Treatment settings may be determined based on initial tooth positions and may be arranged in a hierarchy of treatment settings. Each of the plurality of treatment plans may be generated based on a set of treatment settings from the hierarchy of treatment settings. Also described herein are orthodontic and/or dental treatment planning methods and apparatuses that present the plurality of treatment plans to the user to allow a user to select a treatment plan from a plurality of different treatment plans.

Abstract: A dental scanning system comprises an intraoral scanner and one or more processors. The intraoral scanner comprises one or more light projectors configured to project a pattern (comprising a plurality of pattern features) on a dental object, and two or more cameras configured to acquire sets of images, each comprising at least one image from each camera. The processor(s) are configured to determine a correspondence between pattern features in the pattern of light and image features in each set of images by determining intersections of projector rays corresponding to one or more of the plurality of pattern features and camera rays corresponding to the one or more image features in three-dimensional (3D) space based on calibration data that associates the camera rays corresponding to pixels on the camera sensor of each of the two or more cameras to the projector rays.

Abstract: Methods for verifying manufacturing data are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes retrieving a fabrication data package including manufacturing data for one or more dental appliances, where the manufacturing data includes one or more treatment stages for repositioning a patient's teeth using the one or more dental appliances. The method can include determining whether there is an error in the manufacturing data of the fabrication data package. In response to a determination that there is an error in the manufacturing data, the method can include requesting a corrected fabrication data package, and transmitting the corrected fabrication data package to at least one fabrication terminal configured to execute a fabrication process for manufacturing the one or more dental appliances.

Abstract: Embodiments include receiving intraoral scan data comprising a plurality of intraoral images of a dental site generated during scanning of the dental site by an intraoral scanner, a plurality of ink markings each comprising a pattern of ink having been temporarily stamped or tattooed onto a gingival surface at the dental site prior to the scanning of the dental site, wherein at least two intraoral images of the plurality of intraoral images comprise representations of one or more ink markings of the plurality of ink markings. Embodiments further include performing registration between the plurality of intraoral images based at least in part on the one or more ink markings, generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of the dental site using the plurality of intraoral images that have undergone registration, and outputting the generated 3D model to a display.

Abstract: Intraoral systems and methods including aligners having soft tissue sensors. The soft tissue sensors may detect protein biomarkers to determine effectiveness of the aligners for causing tooth movement according to a treatment plan. One or more microneedles may be configured to pass the protein biomarker to the soft tissue sensor. A processor may be configured to compare a detected level of the protein biomarker to an expected lever of the protein biomarker, and determine whether an aligner should be replaced. A bias may be configured to apply continuous force to hold the microneedle(s) against a patient's soft tissue. A controller may be configured to apply a biasing force to move the microneedles(s) from a retracted position to an extended position to penetrate the patient's soft tissue.

Abstract: Methods for and media with instruction to cause acquiring known dimensions of a tooth, applying a multivariant regression model using the known dimensions to calculate projected dimensions of the unerupted or erupting tooth, customizing a standard virtual geometry and/or a predefined virtual geometry using the projected dimensions of the unerupted or erupting tooth, and inserting the customized virtual geometry into a virtual model of the patient's jaw, and planning the movement of the teeth of the patient and designing a series of removable orthodontic aligners using the virtual model, the series of removable orthodontic aligners configured to be worn by the patient to incrementally align the teeth according to the planned movement.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring the status of oral appliances using sensors. One or more oral appliances may include one or more sensor receiver and emitter pairs configured to collect sensor data. Each sensor receiver and emitter pair may include a sensor receiver on or in a first portion of the oral appliance(s) and a sensor emitter on a second portion of the oral appliance(s), where each sensor receiver is configured to receive a signal emitted by a corresponding sensor emitter. At least one processor may be configured to determine the status of the oral appliance(s) and determine whether to modify a treatment plan implemented by the oral appliance(s) based on the status. The status may include one or more of: user compliance, condition of the oral appliance(s), and effectiveness of the oral appliance(s).