Abstract: Patient specific dental appliances, dental bands and methods for manufacturing the dental bands. The dental bands are manufactured based on the specific anatomy of each patient so that the dental bands more closely conform to the patient's anatomy. The dental bands can include inner surfaces with an average surface roughness that is greater than an average surface roughness of an outer surface to enhance the bond between the dental band and the tooth surface. In addition, the dental bands can include marginal portions connecting the buccal and lingual surfaces of the bands that extend into marginal spaces with adjacent teeth and the marginal portions do not extend into interproximal spaces with the adjacent teeth as is required by conventional dental bands. The dental bands can also optionally include an occlusal portion that covers portions of an inner occlusal surface of the tooth and/or an outer occlusal surface of the tooth.

Abstract: Patient specific dental appliances and methods for manufacturing the dental appliances. The dental appliances can be unilateral or bilateral space maintainers, fixed dental retainers, or other dental appliances. The dental appliances are manufactured based on the specific anatomy of each patient so that the dental appliances more closely conform to the patient's anatomy. The dental appliances include a first tooth securing portion that is configured to be secured to a first tooth of a patient, and a wire secured to and extending from the first tooth securing portion. The wire has a varying cross-sectional shape along at least a portion thereof, for example a flat section on a tooth-facing side of the wire. The wire can also include a scalloped portion with indentations and projections. The wire can also include an occlusal rest.

Abstract: A dental bridge includes a mounting structure and at least one pontic or artificial tooth mounted to the mounting structure. The mounting structure includes a first bonding pad, a second bonding pad spaced from the first bonding pad, a rigid wire having a first end fixed to the first bonding pad and a second end fixed to the second bonding pad, and the pontic is secured to the rigid wire, for example via a pontic attachment structure on the rigid wire between the first bonding pad and the second bonding pad.

Abstract: A dental appliance, such as an orthodontic retainer or a dental flipper, made of metal, graphene, carbon, or carbon fiber, and techniques for forming the dental appliance are described. In the case of an orthodontic retainer, the retainer can be used to retain the upper set of teeth or the lower set of teeth. The dental appliance can be formed by an additive manufacturing process such as 3D printing.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance, for example a fixed orthodontic retainer, is described that uses bonding pads with apertures extending through the bonding pads. The aperture bonding pads permit the use of a radiation curable adhesive, for example an ultra-violet (UV) light curable adhesive, to secure the bonding pads, and thus the orthodontic appliance, to the tooth surfaces. The bonding pads can be formed by a suitable additive manufacturing process, i.e. by 3D printing.