Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for monitoring the performance of an orthodontic appliance for repositioning a patient's teeth. An orthodontic appliance may include a plurality of teeth receiving cavities shaped to reposition the patient's teeth from an initial arrangement towards a target arrangement, and one or more sensors configured to determine tooth movement (based on position and/or orientation) and/or forces applied to the teeth. The sensor may be distributed between attachments and aligners that mate with the attachments.

Abstract: Embodiments for estimating a surface texture of a tooth are described herein. One method embodiment includes collecting a sequence of images utilizing multiple light conditions using an intra-oral imaging device and estimating the surface texture of the tooth based on the sequence of images.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for using an individualized orthodontic treatment index. One method embodiment includes receiving an initial virtual dental model from a first scan of a patient's dentition, modifying the initial virtual dental model to create a target virtual dental model according to a treatment goal, assigning a number of dental references to the target virtual dental model, receiving a treatment outcome virtual dental model from a second scan of the patient's dentition, mapping the number of dental references from the target virtual dental model to a treatment outcome virtual dental model, and calculating an individualized treatment index score for the treatment outcome virtual dental model according to one or more differences between the target virtual dental model and the treatment outcome virtual dental model based on the number of dental references.

Abstract: A support is coupled to an appliance to decrease warpage. The support may comprise a plurality of extensions coupled to the appliance to decrease warpage. The extensions can be coupled to the appliance at one or more of many locations, such as on an occlusal surface, a wall, an edge or an interior of the appliance. In some embodiments, the extensions are coupled to walls of the appliance such as a buccal wall and a lingual wall, and the extensions can be coupled to the walls of the appliance near edges of the walls, such as a gingivally facing edges of the walls that are oriented toward the gingiva when the appliance is worn.

Abstract: Methods for volume manufacturing of a plurality of unique items are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes: (a) initiating a predefined fabrication processing time period, (b) retrieving a fabrication data package containing manufacturing data, (c) verifying the fabrication data package for accuracy and completeness of the manufacturing data contained therein, and (d) performing at least one fabrication process in accordance with the manufacturing data contained in the fabrication data package. If the predefined fabrication time period has not expired, the method can include repeating (b) through (d). If the predefined fabrication time period has expired, the method can include generating a status report.

Abstract: Method and system for displaying an orthodontic related image including one or more image segments, selecting one or more movement indicators associated with a corresponding one or more of the image segments, and dynamically displaying a modified orthodontic related image based on the selected one or more movement indicators are provided.

Abstract: Embedded sensors and onboard or off-board processing in an aligner case can detect aligner material and/or quality. Material detection can be used for counterfeit detection, or to trigger material specific events. Quality detection can include detection of common aligner failures or defects. A case for a dental appliance may include a tray for supporting the dental appliance, a cover coupled to the tray, and at least one sensor to detect a deformation of the dental appliance. A case for a dental appliance may include a tray for housing the dental appliance, a cover coupled to the tray, and at least one sensor configured to detect a change in material of the dental appliance.

Abstract: Dental appliances, materials, and methods of forming such appliances and materials for improved laser marking are provided herein including the use of textured and/or roughened surfaces to enhance laser marking.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to prevent interference between two physical tooth models in a physical dental arch model by acquiring the coordinates of a plurality of points on the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models and digitally representing the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models by a mesh of points in three dimensions using the acquired coordinates. The meshes representing the surfaces of the two physical tooth models intersect at least at one point to form an overlapping portion. The method also includes calculating the depth of the overlapping portion between the two meshes to quantify the interference of the two physical tooth models.

Abstract: A wax model of a required coping is produced using CNC machining techniques based on a virtual model of the coping created from digital data obtained from the intraoral cavity. The dental coping is then fabricated from the wax model.

Abstract: System and method for developing a treatment plan for achieving a treatment goal including creating a virtual model of a dental patient's dentition; transforming the virtual model of the dentition using virtual prosthodontics to facilitate achievement of the treatment goal; transforming the virtual model of the dentition using virtual orthodontics to facilitate achievement of the treatment goal; iterating on the transforming steps until substantially achieving the treatment goal; and generating an orthodontic treatment plan and a prosthodontic treatment plan based upon the substantially achieved treatment goal

Abstract: A method includes to receive, via a computing device, data representing a plurality of teeth, identify data indicating which of the plurality of teeth are unerupted or erupting, predict at least one characteristic of a tooth of the unerupted or erupting teeth after they have fully erupted using one or more tooth eruption prediction factors, generate new data representing the unerupted or erupting teeth in multiple states of eruption based upon the predicted at least one characteristic of the fully erupted teeth, and generate a series of incremental tooth arrangements with the new data to define a proposed orthodontic treatment based on the new data representing the unerupted or erupting teeth in multiple states of eruption.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, computing device readable medium, devices, and systems having a dental attachment placement structure. One dental attachment placement apparatus includes a body having an attachment placement surface that is to be placed on an attachment affixing surface of a tooth and wherein the attachment placement surface includes a portion that is shaped to allow placement of an attachment at a particular position on the affixing surface of the tooth and a portion of the body having a contour that is shaped to correspond with a contour of an alignment surface of a tooth and when the contour of the body and the corresponding contour is aligned, the attachment is located at the particular position and can be secured to the affixing surface of the tooth.

Abstract: A method for generating and fabricating a dental device having a body. The body may have a first plurality of tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a first side of an arch. The body may also have a second plurality of tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a second side of an arch. A palatal portion may extend between the first plurality of tooth receiving cavities and the second plurality of tooth receiving cavities. The palatal portion may be shaped to apply an expansion force to the teeth of the first side of the arch and the teeth of the second side of the arch. The palatal portion may include a plurality of bands that extend between the first plurality of tooth receiving cavities and the second plurality of tooth receiving cavities, each respective band may have a respective different thickness.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to ornamental indicia carrier and method of producing the same. In some embodiments, the ornamental indicia carrier comprises an ultraviolet light (“UV”) cured ink printed on a thin flexible film and combined with an adhesive layer. The ornamental indicia carrier is capable of enduring the conditions inside the mouth for an extended period of time and can be used in conjunction with a dental appliance.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatuses to obtain an image, or a set of images, of a patient's teeth from one or more predetermined viewing angles. These methods and apparatuses may include the use an overlay comprising an outline of teeth for each predetermined viewing angle. The overlay may be used for automatically capturing, focusing and/or illuminating the teeth. Also described herein are methods and apparatuses for using a series of images of the patient's teeth including a set of predetermined views to determine if a patient is a candidate for an orthopedic procedure.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to an aligner breakage solution that tests damage to an aligner using machine learning. A method includes processing data from a digital design for an orthodontic aligner by a trained machine learning model and outputting, by the trained machine learning model, a probability that the orthodontic aligner associated with the digital design will be damaged during manufacturing of the orthodontic aligner. The method further includes making a comparison of the probability that the orthodontic aligner associated with the digital design will be damaged during manufacturing of the orthodontic aligner to a probability threshold and determining whether the orthodontic aligner is a high risk orthodontic aligner based on a result of the comparison. Responsive to determining that the orthodontic aligner is a high risk orthodontic aligner, the method includes performing at least one of a) a corrective action or b) selecting a manufacturing flow for high risk orthodontic aligners.

Abstract: A virtual model of an intraoral cavity is provided, wherein this process is initialized by a dental clinic, and the design and manufacture of a suitable dental prosthesis for the intraoral cavity is shared between a dental lab and a service center.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, computing device readable medium, devices, and systems that utilize a cheek retractor and/or a mobile device holder for case assessment and/or dental treatments. One cheek retractor includes a first and a second lip holder, both including imaging markers of a predetermined size to determine a scale of teeth of a user, where each imaging marker is located a predefined distance from the remaining imaging markers, and where the lip holder is to hold a cheek away from a mouth of a user to expose teeth of the user. A mobile device holder can include elements to receive a mobile device to capture images of the patient's teeth.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improved visual prosthetic and orthodontic treatment planning are provided herein. In some aspects, a method for preparing a tooth of a patient is disclosed. The method may comprise building a model of a dentition of the patient including a model of the initial shape of tooth. The method may also include determining a final prepared shape of the tooth. In some aspects, the method may also include generating a treatment plan comprising a plurality of steps to modify the initial shape of the tooth to the final prepared shape of the tooth. The method may also include rendering visualizations for the plurality of steps of the treatment plan. The visualizations may depict the removal of tooth material to modify the initial shape of the tooth to the final prepared shape of the tooth.