System for determining final position of teeth

• US 8,651,859 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2010
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Chishti, Muhammad Ziaullah Khan, Beers, Andrew C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Robyn
• Assistant Examiner(s): NELSON, MATTHEW M
• Application Number:
  US12/944,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20110112804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 433/6, 433/24, 433/213, 703 1- 2, 703 6- 7, 700/95, 700 97- 98
• US Class Current: 433/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0004 Computer-assisted sizing or machining of dental prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/00 Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth, e.g. by straightening, evening, regulating, separating, or by correcting malocclusions
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/002 Orthodontic computer assisted systems
• 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 9/0046 Data acquisition means or methods
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

An apparatus and method define a fit of a set of upper and lower teeth of a patient by generating a computer representation of the teeth; and determining an occlusion from the computer representation of the teeth using one or more keys.

Claims

1. A computer program for use in a system for defining a fit between a set of upper and lower teeth of a patient and planning orthodontic treatment, the computer program residing on a computer-readable storage medium and comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

determine an occlusion from a computer model of a set of upper and lower teeth of a patient'"'"'s teeth;

model the set of teeth in a first plurality of different arrangements representing successive repositioning of the patient'"'"'s teeth from a first arrangement toward a first desired arrangement;

output data for visualizing and/or manufacturing a patient-removable appliance for each arrangement of the first plurality of arrangements, the patient-removable appliances having teeth-receiving cavities, the cavities of successive appliances having different geometries shaped to receive and resiliently reposition the teeth from the first arrangement toward a first successive arrangement; and

generate revised models of the patient'"'"'s teeth in a second plurality of different arrangements based on mid-treatment dental information, the second plurality representing successive repositioning of the patient'"'"'s teeth from a second arrangement toward a second desired arrangement.

2. The computer program of claim 1, wherein the occlusion is a functional occlusion.

3. The computer program of claim 1, wherein an arrangement is further based on optimizing placement of teeth by selecting occlusion index reducing movements to one or more teeth.

4. The computer program of claim 3, wherein the occlusion index reducing movements are based on a Peer Assessment Rating index.

5. The computer program of claim 4, wherein occlusion index reducing movements are selected from attempted movements.

6. The computer program of claim 1, wherein determining the occlusion includes using one or more keys based on a molar relationship, a crown angulation, a crown inclination, a tooth rotation, a tooth contact point, or an occlusal plane.

7. A computer program for orthodontic treatment planning, the computer program residing on a computer-readable storage medium and comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

receive a computer model of a set of upper and lower teeth of a patient'"'"'s teeth and determine an occlusion;

model the set of teeth in a first plurality of different arrangements representing successive repositioning of the patient'"'"'s teeth from a first arrangement toward a first desired arrangement, wherein positioning of one or more teeth is based partially on teeth features;

output data for visualizing and/or manufacturing a patient-removable appliance for each arrangement of the first plurality of arrangements, the patient-removable appliances having teeth-receiving cavities, the cavities of successive appliances having different geometries shaped to receive and resiliently reposition the teeth from the first arrangement toward a first successive arrangement; and

generate revised models of the patient'"'"'s teeth in a second plurality of different arrangements based on mid-treatment dental information, the second plurality representing successive repositioning of the patient'"'"'s teeth from a second arrangement toward a second desired arrangement.

8. The computer program of claim 7, wherein the occlusion is a functional occlusion.

9. The computer program of claim 7, wherein an arrangement is further based on optimizing placement of teeth by selecting occlusion index reducing movements to one or more teeth.

10. The computer program of claim 9, wherein the occlusion index reducing movements are based on a Peer Assessment Rating index.

11. The computer program of claim 10, wherein occlusion index reducing movements are selected from attempted movements.

12. The computer program of claim 7, wherein determining the occlusion includes using one or more keys based on a molar relationship, a crown angulation, a crown inclination, a tooth rotation, a tooth contact point, or an occlusal plane.

13. A method for defining a fit between a set of upper and lower teeth of a patient and planning orthodontic treatment, the method comprising:

determining an occlusion from a computer model of a set of upper and lower teeth of a patient'"'"'s teeth;

modeling the set of teeth in a first plurality of different arrangements representing successive repositioning of the patient'"'"'s teeth from a first arrangement toward a first desired arrangement;

outputting data for visualizing and/or manufacturing a patient-removable appliance for each arrangement of the first plurality of arrangements, the patient-removable appliances having teeth-receiving cavities, the cavities of successive appliances having different geometries shaped to receive and resiliently reposition the teeth from the first arrangement toward a first successive arrangement; and

generating revised models of the patient'"'"'s teeth in a second plurality of different arrangements based on mid-treatment dental information, the second plurality representing successive repositioning of the patient'"'"'s teeth from a second arrangement toward a second desired arrangement.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the occlusion is a functional occlusion.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein an arrangement is further based on optimizing placement of teeth by selecting occlusion index reducing movements to one or more teeth.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the occlusion index reducing movements are based on a Peer Assessment Rating index.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the occlusion includes using one or more keys based on a molar relationship, a crown angulation, a crown inclination, a tooth rotation, a tooth contact point, or an occlusal plane.