Abstract: A dental implant includes a body and a thread. The body has a central axis, a coronal end, and an apical end. The thread is coupled to the body. The thread has a coronal facing surface, an apical facing surface, and a crest surface positioned between the coronal facing surface and the apical facing surface. The coronal facing surface of the thread has a plurality of steps formed therein.

Abstract: An oral care implement for dispensing an oral care agent includes a housing, reservoir therein containing an oral care fluid, and an electrical circuit comprising first and second electrodes connected to an onboard power source. Each electrode is in contact with the oral care fluid in the housing. An actuator, operably coupled to the power source, is configured to both selectively energize the circuit and activate dispensing of the oral care fluid. An electrical charge is applied to the oral care fluid by activating the actuator when dispensing the oral care fluid. When the fluid comprises a peroxide based tooth whitening agent, the dispensed fluid pH is increased by the electrical charge which improves the efficacy of the whitener. In one embodiment, the implement is a modular system including a powered base unit and one or more interchangeable cartridges each having a reservoir containing an oral care fluid.

Abstract: A bone foundation guide system and method, the system could includes a bone foundation guide including a body forming an open surgical space, the body further having a bottom contoured to reversibly affix to exposed bone of a dental surgical site and a top contoured to match a bottom side of a dental implant surgical guide; at least one anchoring strut that removably attaches to the body with an apex of the anchoring strut further denoting one or more indentations for matching up with and receiving one or more portions of one alveolar ridge that opposes another alveolar ridge supporting the dental surgical site; alternatively to the anchoring struts and a tissue spacing gasket, the dental implant surgical guide that removably connects to the body; and alternatively to the anchoring struts or the dental implant surgical guide, the tissue spacing gasket that removably connects to the body.

Abstract: A fixed hybrid dental attachment assembly is provided. The fixed hybrid dental attachment assembly includes an abutment member, a male member, and a cap. The abutment member has an outer locating surface portion projecting downwardly from an upper end. The male member for attachment to the abutment member has an upper end for engagement within a cap in a recess in a dental appliance, and a continuous, unbroken skirt projecting from the upper end of the male member for engagement over the outer locating surface of the abutment member. The skirt may have a rounded, convex outer surface, and the male member may be constructed from a PEEK material.

Abstract: An impression taker captures an impression of preparation cut in abutment teeth. The impression taker includes; a rigid body supporting a first arm and a second arm. The first arm has a first longitudinal end configured to take an impression of a preparation cut in a first abutment tooth, and the second arm has a second longitudinal end configured to take an impression in a second abutment tooth. In addition, a reinforcement combination supports a dental bridge and an elongate proximal bar supports a dental bridge. The impression taker and the reinforcement bar combination can be used to produce a direct dental bridge.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for fabricating a dental or oral appliance utilizing support structures. A three dimensional representation of the dentition of a patient may be captured and reconfigured for correcting one or more malocclusions. The oral appliance may be printed upon an inner structure which supports the oral appliance during fabrication. The inner structure may be subsequently removed once the oral appliance is completed.

Abstract: An orthodontic device (10) comprising, a first opening (11) for receiving a first anchoring structure, a second opening (12) for receiving a second anchoring structure and a third opening (13, 14, 15) for receiving a third anchoring structure, the first, second, and third anchoring structures being attached in a mouth of a subject, and an intermediate structure (18) connecting the first, second and third openings, wherein one or more of the openings are stretchable, and wherein the intermediate structure and the openings are made from a creep resistant material.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to implantable objects and guiding devices, as well as recipient site preparation instruments, bone-implantable materials, and methods of fabrication and use thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing an individualized dental impression tray and to one such impression tray, wherein a digital impression tray model of an individualized impression tray is created on the basis of a digital jaw model, the impression tray model has a carrier with at least one inner surface which at least partially corresponds to a negative form of the jaw model, at least one surface subregion on the inner surface is marked by hand or automatically detected, a retaining structure is arranged above and/or below the surface subregion, the impression tray model is stored with the retaining structure as a production template, and the impression tray is produced by machining according to the production template.

Abstract: The invention pertains to surface topographies which can be used to modulate the morphology, proliferation, biochemical functioning, differentiation, attachment, migration, signaling, and/or cell death of a cell population by physical stimulation. Such topographies can be applied in vitro and in vivo to modulate cell behavior. Specific examples include implants provided with a topography of the invention which regulates the immune response, or an implant which increases osteogenesis. The invention furthermore pertains to objects which are used in vitro to modulate cell behavior.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance is constructed from shells shaped to receive teeth. The shells can be constructed from one or more polymer materials and stacked and also varyingly affixed to one another, which can include affixing only about the edge of each shell. The orthodontic appliance can be one of a series of similar appliances for incremental orthodontic modification of teeth.

Abstract: A dental mouthpiece is provided that may be attached to a high-suction dental adapter for the purpose of assisting the dental staff during dental procedures through chair-side, hands-free suction, and isolation. Such mouthpiece may include a main body portion, a cheek retractor portion, and a suction connector portion. In some embodiments, the main body portion, cheek retractor portion, and suction connector portion (and sub-portions thereof) may be molded in one piece, preferably by injection molding. In an exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece may be made of a material that is flexible, translucent, conducive to injection molding, high heat-resistant, and autoclavable. Such a material may include silicone. Because the mouthpiece may be made of high heat-resistant and autoclavable material, such a mouthpiece may be reusable.

Abstract: An orthodontics cover shields a patient's mouth from orthodontic appliances. The orthodontics cover comprises an arched shaped strip that has a protective outer perimeter to shield the patient's mouth. The strip has an inner perimeter having a longitudinally extending channel. The channel is formed on the inner perimeter of the strip, between opposed longitudinal ends. The channel covers the exterior surface of the patient's orthodontics appliances, such as braces or wires. The opposed longitudinal ends of the strip have lateral side flanges that cover an end portion of the patient's orthodontics appliances, such as the end of an orthodontics wire, to prevent engagement with the patient's mouth.

Abstract: A system for correcting class III malocclusions is disclosed. The system may include a maxilla appliance having tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of the maxilla and a first coupling for receiving an elastic. The system may also include a mandibular appliance having tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of the mandible. In some embodiments, the system includes a class III corrective appliance having a first mount shaped to engage with the mandibular arch of the patient and having a second coupling shaped to receive the elastic.

Abstract: A sleeve for installing a crown on a miniature dental implant. The sleeve has a bore for receiving an abutment on a miniature dental implant. The sleeve has a shape configured and arranged for being received in the bore of a dental crown to prevent dental cement from flowing to the gum line.

Abstract: The invention relates to a bracket for correcting the position of a tooth, comprising a bracket base of a bracket body, which bracket base can be fastened to a tooth, and which bracket body has a slot, extending in the mesiodistal direction, and also a fourth slot portion that narrows by a predetermined amount (?) in a predetermined region, so as preferably to form a snug fit for an inserted archwire, wherein the fourth slot portion is designed running in the longitudinal direction substantially parallel to the bracket base.

Abstract: A dental apparatus includes a center gripping portion defining a central axis, a mesial portion and a distal portion. The mesial portion includes an open-oriented constant diameter tip, the first leg projecting at an obtuse angle and the second leg projecting orthogonally from the first leg toward the central axis. The distal portion includes a closed-oriented constant diameter tip, the first leg projecting at an obtuse angle parallel to the mesial tip first leg and the second leg projecting orthogonally from the distal tip first leg and away from the central axis parallel to the mesial tip second leg.

Abstract: A dental material dispensing device has a plunger means which for dispensing the dental material is movable for urging at least one component of a dental material toward a dispensing area. The device further has cure control means with an energy source and a flow path on which the dental composition and/or the dental material flows past the energy source during dispensation. The device is operable for exposing the dental composition and/or the dental material to a specific energy by control of the energy source and/or by control of the speed of the flow of the dental composition and/or the dental material on the flow path. The device is configured for dispensing a coherent strand of dental material in a dispensing cycle. The device is further configured for operating in a first dispensing mode and additionally in a second dispensing mode during the same dispensing cycle. The ratio between the specific energy in the second dispensing mode and the specific energy in the first dispensing mode is smaller than 1.

Abstract: Apparatus, system, and methods for utilizing one or more computing devices to stage the movement of teeth during an alignment treatment are disclosed. The computing device receives an electronic representation of the patient's teeth in their initial position and an electronic representation of the teeth a final position for each tooth. A route each tooth will travel to reach its final position is determined, and the teeth are scheduled to move according to a movement pattern. Moreover, the schedule of movement takes into account a maximum rate of tooth movement for each tooth, the path of movement for each tooth, the distance each tooth needs to move, any needed tooth staggering, any needed round-tripping or tooth movement slowing. The invention also includes techniques for determining an optimum number of stages for the treatment based on the schedule of movement.

Abstract: The invention relates to a computer program for specifying a material color of a dental restoration for which the desired tooth color is entered as a target tooth color (56) by the user, said target tooth color being the tooth color of a neighboring tooth, wherein upon specification of the material color of the dental restoration starting from the target tooth color (56) the material color of the dental restoration material is changed based on parameters such as the color of a stump and/or an abutment, the layer thickness of the dental restoration, the type of the dental restoration as well as the processing technique, wherein the specification of the material color of the dental restoration is controlled by the computer program, and wherein, once a parameter is selected, the next parameter is offered automatically, wherein the selection is limited based on parameters which are dependent on one another, such as the layer thickness, the restoration type, that is to say the indication, and the material.