Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for increasing the effectiveness dental appliances in gripping and manipulating teeth. These methods and apparatuses may include one or more (e.g., a series of) dental appliances that may include a radial grip that improves the contact and allows the application of normal and friction forces between a patient's teeth and aligner without disrupting the fit of the overall aligner.

Abstract: A storage case for dental appliances can include a lid and a base that form an enclosed cavity to receive the dental appliance. The storage case can include a hinge to couple the lid to the base and hold the lid in partially opened and opened predetermined positions with respect to the base. In some variations, the storage case may include one or more drainage holes to facilitate the removal of liquids from within the storage case. The storage cases may also include tactile feedback indicating that the lid is opening and/or closing.

Abstract: A system for correcting malocclusions may include a maxillary appliance having tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a maxilla and a first elastic coupling at gingival line of the maxillary appliance. The first elastic coupling may be configured for receiving an elastic. The system may also include mandibular appliance having tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a mandible. The system may also include a corrective appliance having a first coupling configured to be coupled to the mandibular appliance at a first location on a first side of incisors of a patient and a second coupling configured to be coupled to the mandibular appliance on a second side of the incisors, and having an arm extending from the corrective appliance towards the gingival line of the maxillary appliance and being shaped to receive the elastic.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for placing dental auxiliaries on teeth and/or removing dental auxiliaries from teeth are provided. In some embodiments, a device for removing a dental auxiliary from a tooth includes: a first elongate member having a proximal end and a distal end; a second elongate member having a proximal end and a distal end, where the first and second elongate members are pivotally coupled to each other; a scraper at the distal end of the second elongate member, where the scraper is configured to apply force to the dental auxiliary to remove the dental auxiliary from the tooth; and a pair of sidewalls configured to capture debris resulting from the removal of the dental auxiliary from the tooth.

Abstract: A system for correcting malocclusions may include a maxillary appliance having tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a maxilla and a first elastic coupling at gingival line of the maxillary appliance. The first elastic coupling may be configured for receiving an elastic. The system may also include mandibular appliance having tooth receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a mandible. The system may also include a corrective appliance having a first coupling configured to be coupled to the mandibular appliance at a first location on a first side of incisors of a patient and a second coupling configured to be coupled to the mandibular appliance on a second side of the incisors, and having an arm extending from the corrective appliance towards the gingival line of the maxillary appliance and being shaped to receive the elastic.

Abstract: A system for generating aligner shapes may include one or more processors and memory comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors, causes the system to carry out a method. The method may include determining a desired force system for moving a tooth, generating a population of sets of degrees of freedom and contact surfaces, determining a force system for each of the sets in the population evaluating a cost function of each of the force systems compared to the desired force system, updating the population of sets of degrees of freedom and contact surfaces based on the cost function of each of the force systems, and repeating determining a force system, evaluating a cost function and updating the population until the determined force system for one of the sets matches the desired force system, to generate a final set of degrees of freedom and contact surfaces.

Abstract: A method may include identifying a jaw position of a misaligned jaw of a patient from the virtual image of the patient's jaw and providing a treatment plan. The treatment plan may include tooth repositioning forces and jaw repositioning forces. The method may also include virtually modeling application of jaw repositioning forces between a first repositioning jaw element and a second repositioning jaw element to obtain a virtual model of the application of the jaw repositioning forces on the virtual model of the patient's jaw, identifying one or more constraints limiting the application of the jaw repositioning forces to the misaligned jaw, and adjusting the first repositioning jaw element and the second repositioning jaw element to accommodate the one or more constraints.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides method, computing device readable medium, and devices for dental appliances with repositioning jaw elements. An example of a method can include identifying a misaligned jaw of a patient from a virtual image of the patient's jaw, providing a treatment plan for the patient including a virtual model of a dental appliance having a first shell and a second shell configured to reposition at least one tooth of the patient, and adjusting the position of the repositioning jaw elements on the first shell and the second shell to comply with a number of constraints. The virtual model of the dental appliance including repositioning jaw elements on the first shell and the second shell configured to move a position of the misaligned jaw of the patient.

Abstract: A support is coupled to an appliance to decrease warpage. The support may comprise a plurality of extensions coupled to the appliance to decrease warpage. The extensions can be coupled to the appliance at one or more of many locations, such as on an occlusal surface, a wall, an edge or an interior of the appliance. In some embodiments, the extensions are coupled to walls of the appliance such as a buccal wall and a lingual wall, and the extensions can be coupled to the walls of the appliance near edges of the walls, such as a gingivally facing edges of the walls that are oriented toward the gingiva when the appliance is worn.

Abstract: A support is coupled to an appliance to decrease warpage. The support may comprise a plurality of extensions coupled to the appliance to decrease warpage. The extensions can be coupled to the appliance at one or more of many locations, such as on an occlusal surface, a wall, an edge or an interior of the appliance. In some embodiments, the extensions are coupled to walls of the appliance such as a buccal wall and a lingual wall, and the extensions can be coupled to the walls of the appliance near edges of the walls, such as a gingivally facing edges of the walls that are oriented toward the gingiva when the appliance is worn.

Abstract: A system and method for determining a center of resistance of a tooth may include receiving a 3D digital representation of an initial arrangement and a final arrangement of a patient's teeth and determining a 3D treatment plan. The 3D treatment plan may include a plurality of 3D stages for rearranging the teeth from the initial arrangement toward the final arrangement. The method may also include determining, in accordance with the 3D treatment plan, an intended movement of the teeth for each of the stages and deriving, using a 3D resistance model, an applied force system for achieving the intended movement of the teeth for each of the stages. The method may also include deriving 3D geometries of oral appliances for the stages in response to the applied force system. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for determining a center of resistance of a tooth may include receiving a 3D digital representation of an initial arrangement and a final arrangement of a patient's teeth and determining a 3D treatment plan. The 3D treatment plan may include a plurality of 3D stages for rearranging the teeth from the initial arrangement toward the final arrangement. The method may also include determining, in accordance with the 3D treatment plan, an intended movement of the teeth for each of the stages and deriving, using a 3D resistance model, an applied force system for achieving the intended movement of the teeth for each of the stages. The method may also include deriving 3D geometries of oral appliances for the stages in response to the applied force system. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

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 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 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: The present disclosure provides method, computing device readable medium, and devices for dental appliances with repositioning jaw elements. An example of a method can include identifying a misaligned jaw of a patient from a virtual image of the patient’s jaw, providing a treatment plan for the patient including a virtual model of a dental appliance having a first shell and a second shell configured to reposition at least one tooth of the parent, and adjusting the position of the repositioning jaw elements on the first shell and the second shell to comply with a number of constraints.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, computing device readable medium, and devices for dental appliances with repositioning jaw elements. An example of a method can include moving at least one tooth with a dental appliance having a first shell configured to receive a plurality of teeth of a patient's upper dentition and separating an upper dentition of a patient from a lower dentition of the patient utilizing the dental appliance. The dental appliance may interface a first surface of a first repositioning jaw element of the first shell with a second surface of a second repositioning jaw element of a second shell of the dental appliance. The dental appliance separates occlusal surfaces of the plurality of teeth of the patient's upper dentition from occlusal surfaces of the plurality of teeth of the patient's lower dentition as the patient moves to a fully engaged sagittal jaw position.

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: Methods and apparatuses (including software) for optimizing dental treatment plans, including for optimizing the treatment plans using dental aligners. These methods and apparatuses may optimize a treatment plan by estimating a difference between a target set of tooth position and a predicted set of tooth positions using the treatment plan using a prediction network trained to use multiple translational and rotational directions for individual teeth as well as reaction forces on the individual teeth based on adjacent teeth.