Orthodontic repositioning appliances having improved geometry, methods and systems
First Claim
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1. An orthodontic appliance, comprising:
- a shell having teeth receiving cavities shaped to receive and position a patient'"'"'s teeth, one or more of the cavities shaped to apply a resiliently repositioning force to move the patient'"'"'s teeth from the current arrangement toward the target arrangement, the shell comprising a cavity having a ridge, the ridge having a length and a width, the length being greater than the width, the ridge configured to apply a repositioning force to a patient'"'"'s tooth corresponding to a selected tooth movement, the cavity further comprising a modification to a portion of the shell selected to compensate for a contact of the portion of the shell with the patient'"'"'s tooth due to positioning of the ridge in the cavity.
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Abstract
The present invention provides methods and systems including orthodontic tooth positioning appliances. An exemplary appliance can include teeth receiving cavities shaped such that, when worn by a patient, repositioning the patient'"'"'s teeth from a first arrangement toward a subsequent or target arrangement. Appliances can include a cavity having one or more shaped features or protrusions shaped and/or positioned so as to apply a desired force to a patient'"'"'s tooth received in the cavity and move the tooth along a desired path or direction.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An orthodontic appliance, comprising:
a shell having teeth receiving cavities shaped to receive and position a patient'"'"'s teeth, one or more of the cavities shaped to apply a resiliently repositioning force to move the patient'"'"'s teeth from the current arrangement toward the target arrangement, the shell comprising a cavity having a ridge, the ridge having a length and a width, the length being greater than the width, the ridge configured to apply a repositioning force to a patient'"'"'s tooth corresponding to a selected tooth movement, the cavity further comprising a modification to a portion of the shell selected to compensate for a contact of the portion of the shell with the patient'"'"'s tooth due to positioning of the ridge in the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for repositioning a patient'"'"'s teeth according to an orthodontic treatment plan, the system comprising:
a plurality of appliances shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth through a plurality of planned successive tooth arrangements so as to move the patient'"'"'s teeth along a treatment path from an initial position toward a final position, the appliances each comprising a shell having teeth receiving cavities and wherein the cavities of successive appliances have different geometries shaped to receive and reposition teeth from a first position to a successive position, at least one appliance of the plurality comprising a cavity having a ridge, the ridge having a length and a width, the length being greater than the width, the ridge configured to apply a repositioning force to a patient'"'"'s tooth corresponding to a selected tooth movement, the cavity further comprising a modification to a portion of the shell selected to compensate for a contact of the portion of the shell with the patient'"'"'s tooth due to positioning of the ridge in the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An orthodontic appliance, comprising:
a shell having teeth receiving cavities shaped to receive and position a patient'"'"'s teeth, one or more of the cavities shaped to apply a resiliently repositioning force to move the patient'"'"'s teeth from the current arrangement toward the target arrangement, the shell comprising a cavity having a ridge-shaped protrusion having a generally semi-circular cross-sectional shape, the ridge-shaped protrusion configured to apply a repositioning force to a patient'"'"'s tooth corresponding to a selected tooth movement, wherein a length of the ridge-shaped protrusion is greater than a width of the ridge-shaped protrusion, and wherein the cavity further comprises a modification to a portion of the shell selected to compensate for a contact of the portion of the shell with the patient'"'"'s tooth due to positioning of the ridge-shaped protrusion in the cavity.
Specification