Attachment devices and methods for a dental appliance
DCFirst Claim
1. A system for repositioning teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a final tooth arrangement, said system comprising a plurality of dental incremental position adjustment appliances including:
- a first appliance having a geometry selected to reposition the teeth from the initial tooth arrangement to a first intermediate arrangement;
one or more intermediate appliances having geometries selected to progressively reposition the teeth from the first intermediate arrangement to successive intermediate arrangements including a last intermediate arrangement; and
a final appliance having a geometry selected to progressively reposition the teeth from the last intermediate arrangement to the final tooth arrangement,wherein the appliances comprise polymeric shells having cavities, wherein the cavities of successive shells have different geometries shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth from one arrangement to a successive arrangement and wherein at least one appliance includes one or more receptacles each adapted to receive an attachment device.
0 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides improved systems and methods for removably attaching a dental positioning appliance to the dental features of a patient during orthodontic treatment. These appliances function by applying force to specific surfaces of the teeth or dental features to cause directed movement. The application of force is improved by the use of one or more attachment devices which may be positioned on the teeth or dental features to provide the appropriate physical features. Specific design and location of these attachment devices may provide newly achievable and/or more effective repositioning forces, anchoring ability and appliance retention. The systems and methods of the present invention provide the design, production and use of such attachment devices with removable dental positioning appliances in orthodontic treatment.
-
Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A system for repositioning teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a final tooth arrangement, said system comprising a plurality of dental incremental position adjustment appliances including:
-
a first appliance having a geometry selected to reposition the teeth from the initial tooth arrangement to a first intermediate arrangement; one or more intermediate appliances having geometries selected to progressively reposition the teeth from the first intermediate arrangement to successive intermediate arrangements including a last intermediate arrangement; and a final appliance having a geometry selected to progressively reposition the teeth from the last intermediate arrangement to the final tooth arrangement, wherein the appliances comprise polymeric shells having cavities, wherein the cavities of successive shells have different geometries shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth from one arrangement to a successive arrangement and wherein at least one appliance includes one or more receptacles each adapted to receive an attachment device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
Specification