Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for improved orthodontic treatment of a patient's teeth are provided herein. In some aspects, a method for fabricating an orthodontic appliance for treating a patient's teeth is disclosed. The method may comprise determining a movement path to move a tooth from an initial arrangement towards a target arrangement; determining a force system to move the tooth along the movement path; determining a variable gable bend to produce the force system; determining a geometry for a tooth receiving cavity of the appliance based on the variable gable bend; and generating instructions for fabricating the appliance having a tooth receiving cavity formed according to the geometry for the tooth receiving cavity.

Abstract: Provided herein are orthodontic devices and methods for patients with missing or ectopic teeth. Methods and processes are provided to properly number the teeth of a patient's arch after a dental scan. Methods and processes are also provided to automatically detect missing or ectopic teeth after a dental scan. Methods of designing and manufacturing the aligner are also provided.

Abstract: In one aspect, an orthodontic appliance can include a shell having a plurality of cavities shaped to receive a patient's teeth. The shell can include an exterior layer and an interior layer having a stiffness less than a stiffness of the exterior layer. A discontinuity can be formed in the exterior layer.

Abstract: A dental appliance for positioning a patient's teeth includes a removable orthodontic tooth positioning appliance having teeth receiving cavities shaped to directly receive at least some of the patient's teeth and apply a resilient positioning force to the patient's teeth. The appliance includes a hard polymer layer having a hard polymer layer elastic modulus disposed between a first soft polymer layer having a first soft polymer layer elastic modulus and a second soft polymer layer having a second soft polymer layer elastic modulus. The hard polymer layer elastic modulus is greater than each of the first soft polymer layer elastic modulus and the second soft polymer layer elastic modulus. At least one of the first soft polymer layer and the second soft polymer layer has a flexural modulus of greater than about 35,000 psi.

Abstract: A method includes determining depth values associated with a first set of pixel locations in a first image of a mouth. A first function is generated for a color channel based on intensities of the color channel at the first set of pixel locations and depth values associated with the first set of pixel locations. Image data comprising a new representation of the teeth is received, wherein the image data comprises a second set of pixel locations and new depth values associated with the second set of pixel locations. A new image is generated based on the image data and the first function, wherein a shape of the teeth is based on the image data and a color of the teeth is based on applying the first function to the second set of pixel locations for the teeth and the new depth values.

Abstract: A non-transitory medium includes instructions for generating a three-dimensional virtual model of an intraoral object by receiving surface scan data of the intraoral object while changing a position of at least one lens of focusing optics of an intraoral scanner, wherein the surface scan data comprises data for a plurality of points of the intraoral object, and adjusting the data for one or more of the plurality of points to compensate for one or more inaccuracies associated with at least one of a) different temperatures or b) different positions of the at least one lens. A three-dimensional virtual model of the intraoral object is generated using the adjusted data.

Abstract: A system for inspecting a customized dental device associated with a dental application for manufacturing defects is disclosed. The system obtains images of the customized device and identifies an identifier of the customized device. The system determines a digital file associated with the customized device based on the identifier, the digital file including a first digital model of the customized device and/or a second digital model of a mold used during manufacture of the customized device. The system determines an intended property for the customized device based on at least one of the first digital model or the second digital model, determines an actual property of the customized device from the images, determines whether there is a manufacturing defect in the customized device by comparing the intended property for the customized device with the actual property of the customized device, and outputs an output associated with the determination.

Abstract: Two or more adjacent teeth in a virtual model are determined. The two or more adjacent teeth include a first tooth adjacent to a second tooth in the virtual model. The virtual filler is inserted in the virtual model between the first tooth and the second tooth. Points in the virtual model are selected. The points and the virtual filler are transformed into a voxel volume. A geometry of an updated virtual filler is determined by transforming a surface of the voxel volume into a polygonal mesh.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes devices, systems, and methods for monitoring use of an oral appliance in an oral cavity using extra-oral sensor(s). One method includes sensing one or more physical properties of an oral appliance using an extra-oral sensor, providing a compliance signal from the extra-oral sensor, the compliance signal including an electronic representation of the one or more physical properties of the oral appliance, identifying one or more patient compliance factors based on the compliance signal, the one or more patient compliance factors providing a basis to identify an extent of compliance of usage of the oral appliance with an orthodontic treatment plan, and providing one or more compliances indicators based on the one or more patient compliance factors, the one or more compliance indicators providing a basis to indicate the extent of compliance.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for improving a patient's buccal corridor, including developing treatment plans and/or appliances to improve and enhance buccal corridor. Also described herein are methods of treating a patient's teeth to enhance the patient's buccal corridor.

Abstract: Method and system for managing multiple impressions of a patient's jaw for an orthodontic treatment are provided. The method includes scanning at least a first impression and a second impression of the same jaw for the orthodontic treatment; determining if the first jaw impression and the second jaw impression have distortion in different areas; selecting the first jaw impression or the second jaw impression as a base impression; and replacing distorted tooth data from the base impression with data for the same tooth from a non-base impression. The method also includes scanning at least a first jaw impression for the orthodontic treatment; scanning a bite impression for the orthodontic treatment; matching the scanned first jaw impression with the scanned bite impression; comparing bite information with a tooth occlusal surface; and determining if reconstruction is to be performed on the tooth occlusal surface.

Abstract: An apparatus is described for measuring surface topography of a patient's teeth. The apparatus may include an optical probe, a light source configured to generate incident light, and focusing optics configured to focus the incident light to a focal plane external to the optical probe, wherein the focal plane is a diagonal focal plane that is non-orthogonal to a direction of propagation of the incident light. The apparatus may further include a light sensor configured to measure a characteristic of returned light generated by illuminating the patient's teeth with the incident light, and a processing unit operable to determine the surface topography of the patient's teeth based on the measured characteristic of the returned light.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for forming a patterned dental positioning appliance. One method includes forming a virtual shell shaped to receive one or more teeth of a virtual model of a patient's dentition, and digitally applying a pattern on an inner surface within cavities of the virtual shell, where the pattern contacts at least a portion of the one or more teeth and modifies repositioning forces exerted on the one or more teeth. In some cases the pattern is a raised pattern, such as a raised mesh pattern. In forming the dental appliance, in some cases, the shell and the pattern are formed of the same material to form a unitary piece of the polymer material.

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: Provided herein are processes for the generation of composite polymer materials utilizing a single resin. The processes utilize diffusion between a region undergoing a polymerization reaction preferentially polymerizing one monomer component and an unreactive region. Diffusion and subsequent/concurrent polymerization results in a higher concentration of the more reactive monomer component in the reacting region and a higher concentration of the less reactive monomer components in the unreactive region. The unreactive region may be later polymerized. In embodiments, photopolymerization is used and the regions are generated by a mask or other mechanism to pattern the light.

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. Each variation may be optimized to best address the user's treatment goals, as well as approximating as closely as possible an ideal or target final position. Also described herein are orthodontic and/or dental treatment planning methods and apparatuses that allow a user to form, modify, and select a treatment plan from a plurality of different treatment plans, in real time.

Abstract: A handheld wand comprises a probe at a distal end of the elongate handheld wand. The probe includes a light projector and a light field camera. The light projector includes a light source and a pattern generator configured to generate a light pattern. The light field camera includes a light field camera sensor, the light field camera sensor comprising an image sensor comprising an array of sensor pixels, and an array of micro-lenses disposed in front of the image sensor such that each micro-lens is disposed over a sub-array of the array of sensor pixels.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for providing patient data useful for dental procedures, including scanning a dental structure of a patient when coupled to a geometric structure to provide a virtual model representative of the coupling and the dental structure, and relating the virtual model to a body reference of the patient.

Abstract: Methods and devices utilizing a dental appliance for dental retainer wire attachment are disclosed. One such wire attachment appliance includes a shell having one or more cavities formed therein and shaped to receive one or more teeth, at least two wire attachment members provided on the shell, and at least one attachment material reservoir provided on the shell, wherein the attachment material is provided to attach a wire to a tooth adjacent to a particular reservoir of the at least one attachment material reservoir.

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.