Abstract: An orthodontic bracket is described and which includes a base member defining an archwire slot having an opening, and at least one projection extending outwardly from the base member; a ligating slide moveable between a first position which is clear of the archwire slot, and second position where the ligating slide projects over the opening of the archwire slot; and a biasing member borne by the ligating slide, and resiliently cooperating with the projection, and wherein the biasing member has a first portion which receives the projection when the ligating slide is in the first position, and a second portion which receives the projection when the ligating slide is in the second position.

Abstract: An automated orthodontic bracket positioning system including a computer system for constructing the digital 3D dental model, a bite record device for acquiring the patient's intra-oral coordinate record, and an automatic bracket positioning device for bonding orthodontic brackets on the patient's tooth surfaces or surfaces of dental cast. The computer system estimates a predicted position of each orthodontic bracket on patient's tooth surface or a surface of the gypsum dental cast by using the digital 3D dental model to control the automatic bracket positioning device to position the brackets on the patient's tooth surface or surfaces of the dental cast according to the predicted position.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved devices, systems and methods for repositioning teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a final tooth arrangement. Repositioning is accomplished with a system comprising a series of polymeric shell appliances configured to receive the teeth and incrementally reposition individual teeth in a series of successive steps. The individual appliances may be formed from layers having different stiffnesses (elastic moduluses), and the stiffnesses of successive appliances may be different, or both.

Abstract: An optic includes a first end, a fluorescent material, and a second end. The first end is adapted to transmit a first band of electromagnetic radiation to the fluorescent material. The fluorescent material is adapted to absorb the first band of electromagnetic radiation and emit a second band of electromagnetic radiation. The second end is adapted to contact the biological tissue and deliver the second band of electromagnetic radiation to treat the biological tissue.

Abstract: An image guidance system for tracking a surgical instrument within the oral cavity. The image guidance system includes a plurality of cameras adapted to be located within the oral cavity to provide intraoral images of optically visible patterns within oral cavity. A processing system receives and processes the intraoral images to recognize patterns and triangulate the locations and orientations of each camera. The processing system uses a reference dataset which defines a reference coordinate system based on alignment to a portion of the oral anatomy. The processing system determines the location and orientation of the tracked instrument based on the reference dataset. In an embodiment, the system includes an oral fixture that is removably attachable to teeth in a patient and is configured to hold one of the cameras.

Abstract: The present invention is a dental device comprising natural and sustainable materials. These materials are derived from the nut of the tangua palm tree that may be fashioned into devices for human and animals when replacing one or more teeth of the subject.

Abstract: A method of designing a patient-specific prosthesis for a current patient includes receiving scan data of a mouth of the current patient to identify conditions at a location at which the patient-specific prosthesis is to be placed on a dental implant, and determining at least two clinical factors for the current patient. The method further includes identifying a desired outcome for soft tissue for the current patient at the location, and accessing a database having soft-tissue-outcome information for each of a plurality of previous patients. The database further includes clinical-factor information for each of the plurality of previous patients. Based on the soft-tissue-outcome information and the clinical-factor information for at least one of the plurality of previous patients being related to the current patient's desired outcome and the current patient's at least two clinical factors, the method includes developing a design for the patient-specific prosthesis for the current patient.

Abstract: Method of assembling a distalizer comprising a mesial element and a distal element, and an arm connecting the distal element with the mesial element, the arm comprising a ball member at one end of the arm and the distal element comprising a receptacle for receiving said ball member, the method comprising providing the distal element with an opening of the receptacle that is large enough to introduce the ball member substantially without deformation, providing the arm with the ball member, introducing the ball member into the receptacle, and reducing the opening of the receptacle. The disclosure further relates to a distalizer obtainable by such a method.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates, in some embodiments, to a dental prosthesis and methods of use thereof. According to some embodiments, a dental prosthesis includes a dental implant surgical guide, a prosthesis base, a prosthesis cover, at least one implant configured to be inserted through the dental implant surgical guide and the prosthesis base into a dental surgical site; and at least one implant fastener configured to attach to the at least one implant. A prosthesis base may include: a base bottom configured to sit adjacent to a dental surgical site, and a base top including a base recess, the base recess including at least one base aperture. In some embodiments, the dental implant surgical guide is configured to sit within a base recess. A prosthesis cover, in some embodiments, may include a cover recess configured to encapsulate at least a portion of the dental implant surgical guide within the base recess.

Abstract: An orthodontic system includes an orthodontic bracket that defines an arch wire slot. The bracket includes a gear system, a motor to drive the gear system, and an integrated circuit to control the motor, an arch wire placed in the arch wire slot, and a computer server to send instructions to the integrated circuit in the orthodontic bracket. The integrated circuit is configured to control the motor according to the instructions from the computer server to drive the gear system to apply a force to the arch wire.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for releasable attachment of a removable dental prosthesis to a head part of an implant or of an abutment that can be anchored in an implant, comprising a retention matrix (1) having a receptacle that accommodates a circular-ring-shaped retention element (2) that has at least two clamping arms (22), which is disposed so as to be displaceable along a center axis of the retention matrix (1), wherein the at least two clamping arms (22) form a mantle surface that widens conically toward the outside, and that the receptacle for the retainer element (2) has two sections (14, 15) having a different inside diameter, against the transition of which the at least two clamping arms (22) lie. The invention furthermore relates to a dental implant system, having such an apparatus.

Abstract: The invention relates to an endosseous implant capable of being implanted into osseous tissue. The implant comprises an attachment device (3), comprising: a so-called gripping portion (31) for gripping the osseous tissue, a so-called expansion portion (32), said two portions being mobile in relation to each other, engaging mechanical connection means (33, 33a, 33b), located on the gripping portion (31) on the one hand and on the expansion portion (32) on the other hand, such that the relative mobility of the two portions has at least one degree of freedom, and such that a relative movement of said two portions causes an extension of the gripping portion, said extension causing the gripping portion to engage with the osseous tissue. The endosseous implant can in particular be used in the dental field.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for manufacturing a physical dental model. A virtual model is provided representative of at least a portion of the intra-oral cavity including at least one dental implant implanted therein, and the virtual model includes a virtual portion representative of each dental implant. The virtual spatial disposition of each such virtual portion is determined with respect to the virtual model, corresponding to a real spatial disposition of the respective implant with respect to the intra oral cavity. A physical model is then manufactured based on the virtual model, the physical model including a physical analog corresponding to each implant at a respective physical spatial disposition with respect to the physical model corresponding to the respective virtual spatial disposition of the respective virtual portion with respect to the first virtual model as already determined.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for finding virtual tooth features on virtual three-dimensional models of the teeth of patients. The tooth features comprise marginal ridges, cusp tips, contact points, central groove and buccal groove. Tooth axes system plays a key role in identifying the tooth features. An iterative method is disclosed for improving the accuracy of the tooth axes system. A virtual three-dimension model preferably obtained by scanning the dentition of a patient forms the basis for determining the tooth features. Tooth features are derived for all categories of teeth including molars, premolars, canines and front teeth. Tooth features are very helpful and used in planning orthodontic treatment. The tooth features are determined automatically using the computerized techniques; and can be manually adjusted when necessary.

Abstract: A dental dam clamp and method comprising an aperture frame, a first opposing jaw, and a second opposing jaw is disclosed. The first opposing jaw is coupled to a first opposing end of the aperture frame, and the second opposing jaw coupled to a second opposing end of the aperture frame. The first opposing jaw and the second opposing jaw are biased toward a rest state by the aperture frame. The external surface of the aperture frame comprises at least one notch, and the internal surface of the aperture frame defines a treatment aperture. The aperture frame may be substantially parallel with both the first opposing jaw and the second opposing jaw.

Abstract: The shank (12) of a disposable rotary cutting tool (10) comprises a pipe section (16) cut from a drawn metal pipe. The tool head (14) is formed from a cut-out (18a, 18b) of a drawn metal sheet or a section of a metal tube by non-cutting machining. The pipe section (16) and the tool head (14) are advantageously attached by force fitting.

Abstract: A saliva collector comprises a reservoir, a bubble barrier, and a membrane, where the bubble barrier and membrane are arranged in tandem on a flow path from an inlet to an outlet on the reservoir. Air aspirated from a patient's oral cavity enters the reservoir through the inlet, passes through the bubble barrier to remove foam and bubbles, passes through the membrane to remove entrained liquid saliva, and passes out through the outlet.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a screw suitable for being implanted inside a bone, characterized in that said screw comprises two to four inverted cones along the longitudinal axis thereof, where the narrowest tip of the bottom cone corresponds to the bottom tip of the screw and where the height of each one of the cones at either end of the screw is between 20% and 80% of the total length of the screw, ensuring better acceptance, adaptation and osseous integration, and reducing trauma due to the pressure the implant exerts on the bone when the screw is fully tightened, minimizing reabsorption and, thus, producing more aesthetically pleasing results.

Abstract: An orthodontic bracket is described and which includes a base member defining an archwire slot having an opening, and at least one projection extending outwardly from the base member; a ligating slide moveable between a first position which is clear of the archwire slot, and second position where the ligating slide projects over the opening of the archwire slot; and a biasing member borne by the ligating slide, and resiliently cooperating with the projection, and wherein the biasing member has a first portion which receives the projection when the ligating slide is in the first position, and a second portion which receives the projection when the ligating slide is in the second position.

Abstract: Rapid palatal expander made of a first and a second main body (5, 6) provided with aligned female threads (7, 8) that are engaged by the threaded stems (4) of an actuator element (2). This actuator element (2) is provided with a drive head (3) from which the stems (4) extend in opposite directions and aligned with opposite threads. Following the rotation of the drive head (2) the main bodies (5, 6) move parallel to the longitudinal extension direction Y of the actuator element (2). During the movement the main bodies (5, 6) are guided by a first and a second pair of rods (11, 12), which are fixed in a single body with the first and the second main body (5, 6), respectively, and are slidably mutually engaged with each other.