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: A system for intraoral scanning includes a display, a processing unit, and a scanner to generate scan data and viewfinder images of an intraoral cavity. The processing unit is to: receive the scan data and the viewfinder images; generate a 3D model of the intraoral cavity using the intraoral scan data; output the 3D model to the display; output the viewfinder images to the display; determine which portions of the intraoral cavity have been scanned; determine a current field of view of the scanner; determine, based on the current field of view and the determined portions of the intraoral cavity that have been scanned, a visual indicator that provides guidance for positioning and orienting the field of view of the scanner; and output the visual indicator to the display.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to techniques, methods and systems for analyzing orthodontic treatments during treatment and correcting the orthodontic treatments when analysis shows that a patient's actual dentition for a stage of treatment deviates from a planned dentition for the stage of treatment. Analysis may be performed by comparing image data of an actual condition of the patient's dental arch at a stage of treatment to a planned condition of the patients dental arch for the stage of treatment, and identifying 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 stage of orthodontic treatment.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, devices, and systems that utilize dental appliance etch templates prior to or during dental treatment. One dental appliance etch template includes a removable shell having one or more cavities formed therein, where the one or more cavities are shaped to receive teeth of a patient, and the shell includes a well, the well including a wafer, where the wafer includes etch material to etch a tooth of the patient.

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: A removable arch adjustment appliance includes a removable shell having a plurality of cavities formed therein, wherein the plurality of cavities are shaped to receive at least one posterior tooth of a patient on each side of a patient's jaw. The shell can include an elastic transpalatal element that spans a palate of the patient and provides force to expand at least one of the spaces between the posterior teeth on each side of a patient's jaw or the palate of the patient. The transpalatal element can include a predetermined force characteristic, a number of force control elements to control the force provided by the transpalatal element, and/or a regulating structure to balance and direct the force provided by the transpalatal element, wherein the transpalatal element has a width specific to a stage of a treatment plan.

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

Abstract: An apparatus for dental imaging comprises a light source for generating light, an optics system for focusing the light, and a light-guiding part having an entrance face and an exit face. The light source, the optics system and the light-guiding part are arranged such that the light passes through the optics system, enters the light-guiding part via the entrance face, and exits the light-guiding part via the exit face. The optics system is configured such that, upon entering the light-guiding part, an outermost chief ray of the light with respect to an optical axis of the optics system is divergent to the optical axis and an outermost marginal ray of the light with respect to the optical axis is parallel or divergent to the optical axis.

Abstract: In an implementation, a processing device receives first intraoral scan data generated at a first time and analyzes the first intraoral scan data to determine a first representation of a caries from the first intraoral scan data. The processing device receives second intraoral scan data generated at a second time and analyzes the second intraoral scan data to determine a second representation of the caries from the second intraoral scan data. The processing device compares the second representation of the caries to the first representation of the caries and tracks the caries over time based on a difference between the second representation of the caries and the first representation of the caries.

Abstract: In a method of generating a virtual 3D model of a dental site, scan data comprising an intraoral image is received during an intraoral scan of a dental site. A representation of a foreign object is identified in the intraoral image based on an analysis of the scan data. The intraoral image is modified by removing the representation of the foreign object from the intraoral image. Additional scan data comprising a plurality of additional intraoral images of the dental site is received during the intraoral scan. A virtual 3D model of the dental site is then generated using the modified intraoral image and the plurality of additional intraoral images.

Abstract: Described herein are apparatuses for dental scanning and components of apparatuses for dental scanning. A component of a dental scanning apparatus may include a beam splitter, a transparency and an image sensor. The component may have a first surface and a second surface. The transparency may be affixed to the first surface of the beam splitter, and may comprise a spatial pattern disposed thereon and be configured to be illuminated by a light source of the dental scanning apparatus. The image sensor may be affixed to the second surface of the beam splitter, wherein as a result of the transparency being affixed to the first surface of the beam splitter and the image sensor being affixed to the second surface of the beam splitter, the image sensor maintains a stable relative position to the spatial pattern of the transparency.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods and apparatuses for analyzing a patient's dental arches in order to generate a treatment plan for the dentition. In particular described herein are methods and apparatuses for determining accurate standardized tooth numbering even when there are missing and/or supernumerary teeth.

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 set of primer appliances and a set of treatment appliances to be worn by a subject are provided. The primer appliances are first worn to prepare the local environment of the teeth for further repositioning of the teeth by the treatment appliances. The primer appliances may apply compression to the periodontal ligament, in a direction favorable for achieving the desired final position of a tooth. The compression may generate a biological response in the local environment of the teeth. The primer appliances may cause minimal or no repositioning of the teeth. The treatment appliances are worn to reposition the teeth from an initial position to an end position of a treatment stage. The primer appliances can improve the efficiency and accuracy of tooth movement by the treatment appliances.

Abstract: A dental model and related systems and methods, including a first component representing a portion of a patient's jaw and a second component that is demountably attachable to the first component, and a second component representing a dental structure of interest, such as the remaining portion of a tooth or a dental implant.

Abstract: First intraoral images of a first portion of a three-dimensional intraoral object are received. The first intraoral images correspond to an intraoral scan of the three-dimensional intraoral object during a current patient visit. A pre-existing model that corresponds to the three-dimensional intraoral object is identified. The pre-existing model is based on intraoral data of the three-dimensional intraoral object captured during a previous patient visit. A first intraoral image of the first intraoral images is registered to a first portion of the pre-existing model. A second intraoral image of the first intraoral images is registered to a second portion of the pre-existing model.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to aligners that are capable of immobilizing a patient's jaw after orthognathic surgery while also applying forces to reposition a patient's teeth. In embodiments, a processor determines, for a treatment stage, a dentition for an upper dental arch and a lower dental arch. The processor applies one or more stabilizing features to the upper dental arch and the lower dental arch. The processor determines whether the one or more stabilizing features will prevent jaw movement while the upper dental arch is engaged with the lower dental arch. Responsive to a determination that the one or more stabilizing features will prevent the jaw movement, the processor stores a first digital model comprising the dentition for the upper arch and the one or more stabilizing features for the upper arch and stores a second digital model comprising the planned dentition for the lower arch and the one or more stabilizing features for the lower arch for each increment of treatment.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing and analyzing a quality of an orthodontic aligner is described. An orthodontic aligner is manufactured by printing a mold associated with a dental arch of a patient based on a digital model of the mold, forming an orthodontic aligner over the mold, and trimming the orthodontic aligner. A quality of the orthodontic aligner is then assessed by imaging the orthodontic aligner to generate a first digital representation of the orthodontic aligner, comparing the first digital representation of the orthodontic aligner to a digital file associated with the orthodontic aligner, determining whether a cutline variation is detected between the orthodontic aligner and the digital file, and determining whether there is a manufacturing defect of the orthodontic aligner based on whether the cutline variation exceeds a cutline variation threshold.

Abstract: A method of three-dimensional (3D) printing includes heating a photo-curable material and extruding the photo-curable material from a nozzle to form a first layer of an object according to a digital file, wherein the first layer has a first shape specified by the digital file, and wherein the first shape has a first minimum line width based on a diameter of the nozzle. The method further includes directing a light beam onto the first layer according to the digital file or an additional digital file to cure a portion of the first layer, wherein the cured portion of the first layer has a second shape, wherein the second shape may comprise features that are smaller than the first shape.

Abstract: A processing device receives, from an image capture device associated with an augmented reality (AR) display, a plurality of images of a face of a patient. The processing device selects a subset of the plurality of images that meet one or more image selection criteria. The selection comprises determining, from the plurality of images, a first image that represents a first position extreme for the face; determining, from the plurality of images, a second image that represents a second position extreme of the face; selecting the first image; and selecting the second image. The processing device further generates a model of a jaw of the patient based at least in part on the subset of the plurality of images that have been selected.