Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for customized retainers to prevent relapse. In particular, described herein are customized retainers, and methods and apparatuses for making customized retainers that specifically reenforce and prevent movement of one or more teeth having a higher likelihood of relapse following completion of an orthodontic treatment plan.

Abstract: Systems and methods for segmenting dental scans. First and second segmented volumes of scan data may be formed, where the first segmented volume may have a lower resolution than the segmented volume. Segmenting scan data may be formed by merging the first segmented volume with the second segmented volume. Merging may include removing teeth labels from the first segmented volume, adjusting a resolution of the first segmented volume to be the same as a resolution of the second segmented volume, and replacing voxels in the first segmented volume with voxels from the second segmented volume. The segmented scan data may be aligned to a digital model of the patient's dentition. The digital model of the patient's dentition may be modified to include the tooth roots from the aligned segmented scan data to form a modified digital model. A treatment plan may be displayed or modified using the modified digital model.

Abstract: A shell removal device includes a platform configured to secure a mold. An untrimmed shell is formed over the mold. The shell removal device further includes a drive mechanism configured to move the platform away from the untrimmed shell responsive to sensor data indicative that the untrimmed shell has begun to separate from the mold.

Abstract: Systems and methods for manufacturing objects are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for producing an additively manufactured object includes determining a viscosity of a curable material to be used to form the additively manufactured object. The method can include determining a temperature of the curable material, based on the viscosity. The method can further include adjusting one or more heat sources configured to heat the curable material, based on the temperature. The method can include applying energy to the curable material to form a portion of the additively manufactured object, after adjusting the one or more heat sources.

Abstract: Systems and methods for forming eruption compensation (EC) features in dental appliances for accommodating erupting teeth. Methods may include scaling a virtual tooth model by identifying a crown center line along a buccal-lingual axis of the virtual tooth model, enlarging a lingual side of the virtual tooth model relative to the crown center line by a first scaling factor, and enlarging a buccal side of the virtual tooth model relative to the crown center line by a second scaling factor, where the first scaling factor is greater than the second scaling factor. The scaled virtual tooth model may be added to a 3D dental model of the subject's dentition at an EC region to form a modified 3D dental model. The modified 3D dental model including the scaled virtual tooth model corresponding to the erupting tooth may be output.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for manufacturing medical devices, such as implants, joint replacements, graft materials, augmentation materials, prosthetic materials, etc., from solid material reinforced curable resins. Methods of repositioning a patient's teeth using such medical devices are also provided.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses (including devices and systems, such as intraoral scanners and software) for analyzing images of a subject's teeth. In some examples these methods may include examining the same teeth or tooth regions across different times and/or different imaging modalities, including but not limited to visible light, infrared, florescent, etc. Also described herein are methods and apparatuses for using a single, master, control for automatically or semi-automatically simultaneously adjusting multiple imaging parameters across multiple images of a region taken with different imaging modalities and/or at different times.

Abstract: Methods and systems for intraoral scanning and generation of 3D surfaces based on intraoral scans are described. In one example a system includes an intraoral scanner and a computing device operatively coupled to the intraoral scanner. The computing device receives an indication that a tool that provides supplemental surface data will be used during intraoral scanning. The computing device implements a supplemental surface data scanning mode in which a three-dimensional (3D) surface of a dental site that is generated from intraoral scan data is supplemented with additional surface data determined based at least in part on properties of the tool, wherein the additional surface data is for a first portion of the 3D surface that is hidden from direct viewing by the intraoral scanner during intraoral scanning.

Abstract: Provided herein are apparatuses (e.g., systems) and methods for automatically assessing a segmented 3D dental model. The segmented 3D dental model may be classified by a trained machine learning classifier (a trained neural network). In some cases, the segmented 3D dental model may be classified as a passing (acceptable) or failing (unacceptable) model. The machine learning classifier may be trained with labeled 3D dental models that illustrate passing and failing segmented 3D dental models.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a) orthognathic patient data comprising information representing an initial state of a patient and b) plurality of treatment parameters that are based on a treatment goal for the patient. The method further includes generating an output state of the patient based on the initial state of the patient and the plurality of treatment parameters, calculating an objective function based on the output state of the patient and the treatment goal of the patient, and updating one or more of the treatment parameters based on the objective function.

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: Patterned dental positioning appliances including a shell having cavities shaped to receive and exert repositioning forces on one or more teeth of a subject's dentition. The shell may include a first cavity having a first raised pattern configured to exert a first force on a first tooth of the one or more teeth, and a second cavity having a second raised pattern configured to exert a second force on a second tooth of the one or more teeth. The second raised pattern may be different than the first raised pattern.

Abstract: A processing device of a system makes a comparison between a current image of an oral cavity of a patient and one or more previously received images of the oral cavity of the patient, the current image and the one or more previously received images having been generated by an intraoral scanner. The processing device determines an amount of overlap between a current field of view of the intraoral scanner and topography scans of the oral cavity based on the comparison. The processing device outputs a warning indicator associated with a positioning of the current field of view of the intraoral scanner responsive to determining that the amount of overlap fails to meet or exceed an overlap threshold.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides multi-material orthodontic appliances useful for expanding a palate or arch of a patient, and, in some case, moving one or more teeth of the patient from a first to a second location according to a treatment plan. Further provided herein are methods for producing and using such multi-material orthodontic appliances on an individualized basis where each appliance is tailored to the specific treatment requirements of a patient.

Abstract: Substrates and associated materials for additive manufacturing are provided. In some embodiments, a device for manufacturing an object from a curable material includes a substrate configured to support the curable material during an additive manufacturing process. The substrate can be at least partially transparent to a wavelength of energy that cures the curable material. The substrate can include a first layer with a first material configured to inhibit adhesion to the curable material. The substrate can also include a second layer with a second material having one or more of increased mechanical strength or increased heat resistance relative to the first material.

Abstract: A method of automated defect detection of a dental appliance comprises receiving a plurality of images of the dental appliance, and processing the plurality of images by a processing device to determine one or more defect estimations. The method comprises processing one or more sets of defect estimations to determine one or more defect classifications, wherein each set of the one or more sets comprises the one or more defect estimations associated with a subset of the plurality of images. The method comprises determining whether the dental appliance has a defect based on the one or more defect classifications associated with the one or more sets of defect estimations.

Abstract: Orthodontic systems and related methods are disclosed for designing and providing improved or more effective tooth moving systems for eliciting a desired tooth movement and/or repositioning teeth into a desired arrangement. Methods and orthodontic systems include the generation of an overcorrection in the tooth-receiving cavities of an appliance worn in the dentition. The overcorrection may provide an improved and more accurately applied force or moment applied to a tooth. The overcorrected force or moment can move a tooth closer to a desired position than if not overcorrected as sufficient force can still applied to the tooth as it gets closer to the desired position. The overcorrected force or moment may also better target the root of the tooth where the biological response to tooth movement occurs. The overcorrection may be calculated in various ways as described herein.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for the automatic determination of the quality of digital three-dimensional (3D) models of a patient's dentition. A virtual 3D model may include multiple regions. A quality determination may include evaluating the virtual 3D model for one or more quality criteria that provide a basis for one or more defect types and for one or more quality measures of the one or more defect types at each of the multiple regions. One or more actions may be performed using the virtual 3D model based on the quality determination, including outputting a description of a risk associated with the one or more quality measures.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for computer-aided design, digital treatment planning, and direct additive manufacturing of dental appliances are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a treatment plan for a patient's teeth, the treatment plan specifying a target arrangement for the teeth and a plurality of treatment stages to reposition the teeth from an initial arrangement toward the target arrangement. The method can include identifying appliance design parameters for one or more dental appliances to implement at least one treatment stage of the plurality of treatment stages. The appliance design parameters can include one or more manufacturability parameters corresponding to an additive manufacturing process to be used to directly fabricate the one or more dental appliances. The method can further include determining an appliance geometry for the one or more dental appliances using the set of appliance design parameters.

Abstract: Various apparatuses are disclosed (e.g., system, device, method, or the like) for guiding the capture and assessing the quality of an image, including dental images. The apparatuses may use trained neural networks to examine images and provide users feedback regarding image quality. The neural networks may be trained based on images within image groups that have been ranked based on perceived image quality.