Abstract: A method for on-line manufacturing of a dental appliance for the mouth of a patient, includes the steps providing a menu of questions to a user soliciting specifying information for specifying a manufacturing process to manufacture the dental appliance for the patient and producing a dental model of said mouth of said patient. The method also requires transmitting by said user said specifying information to a first manufacturing laboratory by way of the internet to create a user order for said dental appliance and transmitting said dental model by said user to said first manufacturing laboratory. The dental appliance is manufactured by said first manufacturing laboratory in accordance with said fitted specifying information and said transmitted model to provide a manufactured dental appliance.

Abstract: A method for on-line manufacturing of a dental appliance for the mouth of a patient, includes the steps providing a menu of questions to a user soliciting specifying information for specifying a manufacturing process to manufacture the dental appliance for the patient and producing a dental model of said mouth of said patient. The method also requires transmitting by said user said specifying information to a first manufacturing laboratory by way of the internet to create a user order for said dental appliance and transmitting said dental model by said user to said first manufacturing laboratory. The dental appliance is manufactured by said first manufacturing laboratory in accordance with said transmitted specifying information and said transmitted model to provide a manufactured dental appliance.

Abstract: A system for managing the processing of dental appliances being fabricated in a dental laboratory. The fabrication of such appliances is achieved in a series of iterations, the first of the iterations occurring upon receipt of a prescription from the doctor for fabricating the appliance therefrom. Subsequent iterations occur upon return of the appliance by the doctor to the laboratory for additional processing. The system comprises a digital processing means, a data collection means, and data storage means. The data collection means is arranged to collect process related data associated with each iteration. The data storage means is arranged to store said process related data associated with each iteration while preserving previously stored data associated with prior iterations. Data indicative of the history of the fabrication of the appliance through all of the iterations is available to the operator of the laboratory for analysis and the effective and efficient management of the laboratory.