ORTHODONTIC TOOTH MOVEMENT DEVICE, SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20090291406A1
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Namiranian, Parshan, Kuo, Eric, Kakavand, Ali
• Granted Patent: US 9,119,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/08 Mouthpiece-type retainers or positioners, e.g. for both the lower and upper arch arch-shaped medicament applicators for teeth or gums A61C19/063; mouthguards for protecting the teeth of sportsmen A63B71/085
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/10 Devices having means to apply outwardly directed force, e.g. expanders

Abstract

The present invention provides orthodontic appliances and systems, and related methods, for applying a force to a target tooth as an appliances is worn by the patient. One positioning appliance includes a tooth positioning appliance having teeth receiving cavities shaped to apply a positioning force to the patient'"'"'s teeth. The appliance includes a spring-loaded tooth movement device disposed in the appliance so as to engage an attachment mounted on a surface of a patient'"'"'s tooth and apply a force to the tooth.

Claims

1. A dental positioning appliance, comprising:

a removable orthodontic tooth positioning appliance having teeth receiving cavities shaped to receive and apply a resilient positioning force to the patient'"'"'s teeth, the appliance further comprising a spring-loaded tooth movement device disposed in the appliance so as to engage an attachment mounted on a surface of a patient'"'"'s tooth and apply force to move the tooth in a desired direction.

2. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the appliance is configured to apply a force and elicit an extrusion, intrusion, rotation, translation, mesial, distal, buccal, lingual, incisal, or tipping movement to the tooth.

3. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the tooth movement device is an extrusion device disposed in the appliance so as to engage the mounted attachment and apply a force to move the tooth in an incisal or occlusal direction.

4. The appliance of claim 3, wherein the appliance comprises a relief and the extrusion device is at least partially disposed in the relief.

5. The appliance of claim 3, wherein the extrusion device is configured to engage opposing sides of the attachment so as to apply the extrusion force to the tooth when the appliance is worn by the patient.

6. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the extrusion device engages inclined surfaces on the opposing sides of the attachment such that action on the extrusion device against the inclined surfaces creates a vertical vector to elicit a tooth movement perpendicular to the direction of extrusion device action.

7. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the extrusion device is configured to engage the attachment by action in a mesial-distal orientation on opposing sides of the attachment.

8. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the extrusion device comprises a spring clip disposed on the appliance, the spring clip comprising opposing prongs configured to engage the mounted attachment when the appliance is worn by the patient.

9. The appliance of claim 8, wherein the spring clip comprises a metal or plastic spring-loaded clip.

10. The appliance of claim 5, wherein the extrusion device comprises opposing spring-loaded sliding contact element assemblies that engage the mounted attachment when the appliance is worn by the patient.

11. The appliance of claim 10, wherein a spring-loaded sliding contact element assembly comprises a spring and sliding ball assembly.

12. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the appliance comprises a polymeric shell appliance.

13. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the appliance is configured to engage a plurality of mounted attachments.

14. A method for orthodontically treating a patient'"'"'s teeth, comprising:

mounting an attachment on a surface of a tooth of the patient; and

providing an orthodontic tooth positioning appliance having teeth receiving cavities shaped to receive and apply a resilient positioning force to the patient'"'"'s teeth, the appliance comprising a spring-loaded tooth movement device disposed in the appliance so as to engage the mounted attachment and apply a force to the tooth in a desired direction.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the attachment comprises inclined surfaces on opposing sides of the attachment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the tooth movement device comprises an extrusion device that, when the appliance is worn by the patient, engages the inclined surfaces such that an action of the extrusion device against the inclined surfaces creates a vertical vector to elicit a tooth movement perpendicular to the direction of the extrusion device action.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the attachment comprises at least a portion that is substantially triangular in shape.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the mounting an attachment comprises providing to an orthodontic practitioner an attachment template for mounting the attachment on the patient'"'"'s tooth.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the extrusion device comprises a spring clip at least partially disposed in a relief of the appliance, the spring clip comprising opposing prongs that engage the mounted attachment when the appliance is worn by the patient.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the extrusion device comprises opposing spring-loaded sliding contact element assemblies at least partially disposed in a relief of the appliance, the assemblies engaging the mounted attachment when the appliances is worn by the patient.

21. A method for orthodontically treating a patient'"'"'s teeth, comprising:

mounting an attachment on a surface of a tooth of the patient, the attachment comprising a spring-loaded tooth movement device; and

providing an orthodontic tooth positioning appliance having teeth receiving cavities shaped to receive and apply a resilient positioning force to the patient'"'"'s teeth, the appliance comprising a cavity having a relief disposed therein and shaped to receive the spring-loaded tooth movement device of the mounted attachment and apply a force to the tooth when the appliances is worn by the patient.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the tooth movement device comprises an extrusion device having a spring-loaded sliding contact element assembly that engages a surface of the relief and applies an extrusion force to the tooth when the appliance is worn by the patient.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the spring-loaded sliding contact element assembly comprises a spring and sliding ball assembly.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein mounting the attachment comprises providing the attachment to an orthodontic professional.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the attachment is subsequently mounted by the treating professional.

26. A system for providing orthodontic treatment to a patient, comprising:

a plurality of incremental tooth position adjustment appliances, the plurality comprising a patient removable appliance for each of at least two intermediate arrangements for repositioning the patient'"'"'s teeth from an initial position toward a final position, each patient removable appliance having teeth receiving cavities and wherein the cavities of successive appliances of the plurality have different geometries shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth from one arrangement to a successive arrangement, at least one appliance of the plurality comprising a spring-loaded tooth movement device disposed in the appliance so as to engage an attachment mounted on a surface of a patient'"'"'s tooth and apply a force to the tooth in a desired direction.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the tooth movement device comprises an extrusion device configured to engage inclined surfaces on opposing sides of the attachment such that action on the extrusion device against the inclined surfaces creates a vertical vector to apply a vertical force vector perpendicular to the direction of extrusion device action.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the extrusion device comprises a spring clip at least partially disposed in a relief of the appliance, the spring clip comprising opposing prongs that engage the mounted attachment when the appliance is worn by the patient.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the extrusion device comprises opposing spring-loaded sliding contact element assemblies at least partially disposed in a relief of the appliance, the assemblies engaging the mounted attachment when the appliances is worn by the patient.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein a plurality of the appliances are configured for delivery to the patient prior to a stage of treatment comprising successively applying the appliances to the patient'"'"'s teeth.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the spring-loaded tooth movement device is disposed in the attachment so as to engage the mounted attachment and apply a force to the tooth separate from any force applied to the tooth due to contact between the tooth and one or more surfaces of the tooth receiving cavity of the appliance.

32. A system for providing orthodontic treatment to a patient, comprising:

an attachment assembly mountable on a surface of a tooth of the patient, the assembly comprising a spring-loaded tooth movement device; and

an orthodontic tooth positioning appliance having teeth receiving cavities shaped to receive and apply a resilient positioning force to the patient'"'"'s teeth, the appliance comprising a cavity having a recess disposed therein and shaped to receive the spring-loaded tooth movement device of the attachment assembly and apply a force to the tooth when the appliances is worn by the patient.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the tooth movement device is a extrusion device having a spring-loaded sliding contact element assembly that engages a surface of the relief and applies an extrusion force to the tooth when the appliance is worn by the patient.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the spring-loaded sliding contact element assembly comprises a spring and sliding ball assembly.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the appliance is configured to engage a plurality of attachments.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the tooth movement device is positioned adjacent to the tooth to which the movement force is being applied.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein the force applied to the tooth by engagement of the attachment and appliance when the appliances is worn by the patient includes a force separate from any force applied to the tooth due to contact between the tooth and one or more surfaces of the tooth receiving cavity of the appliance.