Systems and methods for varying elastic modulus appliances
First Claim
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1. A method for moving one or more of a patient'"'"'s teeth, the method comprising:
- providing a first shell appliance for placement in the patient'"'"'s mouth, the first shell appliance having cavities shaped to receive the patient'"'"'s teeth; and
providing a second shell appliance for placement in the patient'"'"'s mouth in place of the first shell appliance, the second shell appliance having cavities shaped to receive the patient'"'"'s teeth,wherein at least one of the first shell appliance or the second shell appliance comprises;
a first reinforcement mesh embedded in a first layer of the at least one shell appliance;
a second reinforcement mesh embedded in a second layer of the at least one shell appliance; and
an overlapping portion comprising the first layer overlapped with the second layer, wherein the overlapping portion comprises a stiffness greater than a stiffness of the first layer and a stiffness of the second layer.
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Abstract
The present invention provides improved devices, systems and methods for repositioning teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a final tooth arrangement. Repositioning is accomplished with a system comprising a series of polymeric shell appliances configured to receive the teeth and incrementally reposition individual teeth in a series of successive steps. The individual appliances may be formed from layers having different stiffnesses (elastic moduluses), and the stiffnesses of successive appliances may be different, or both.
201 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for moving one or more of a patient'"'"'s teeth, the method comprising:
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providing a first shell appliance for placement in the patient'"'"'s mouth, the first shell appliance having cavities shaped to receive the patient'"'"'s teeth; and providing a second shell appliance for placement in the patient'"'"'s mouth in place of the first shell appliance, the second shell appliance having cavities shaped to receive the patient'"'"'s teeth, wherein at least one of the first shell appliance or the second shell appliance comprises; a first reinforcement mesh embedded in a first layer of the at least one shell appliance; a second reinforcement mesh embedded in a second layer of the at least one shell appliance; and an overlapping portion comprising the first layer overlapped with the second layer, wherein the overlapping portion comprises a stiffness greater than a stiffness of the first layer and a stiffness of the second layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for producing a shell appliance, the method comprising:
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providing a mold of dental features; forming a first layer of a material having an embedded first reinforcement mesh over a first portion of the mold; forming a second layer of material having an embedded second reinforcement mesh over a second portion of the mold; and laminating the first and second layers into an integral appliance, wherein the integral appliance comprises an overlapping portion comprising the first layer overlapped with the second layer, the overlapping portion comprising a stiffness greater than a stiffness of the first layer and a stiffness of the second layer. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification