U.S. patent application number 12/277191 was filed with the patent office on 2010-05-27 for sequential sports guard.
This patent application is currently assigned to Align Technology, Inc.. Invention is credited to Eric Kuo.
Application Number | 20100129763 12/277191 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42111466 |
Filed Date | 2010-05-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100129763 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kuo; Eric |
May 27, 2010 |
SEQUENTIAL SPORTS GUARD
Abstract
The present invention provides protective repositioning
appliances, accommodating mouth guards, and covering guards that
protect an orthodontic patient against impact-induced injuries, as
well as related systems and methods. A protective appliance can
include teeth receiving cavities shaped to receive and reposition a
patient's teeth and can include an occlusal portion having an
impact-absorbing compliance. An accommodating mouth guard can
include teeth receiving cavities shaped to accommodate a patient's
teeth from a first arrangement to a second arrangement and can
include an occlusal portion having an impact-absorbing compliance.
A covering guard can include a guard segment that covers at least a
portion of an appliance. The combination of a guard segment and an
appliance can provide an occlusal compliance that absorbs
impacts.
Inventors: |
Kuo; Eric; (San Mateo,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TOWNSEND AND TOWNSEND AND CREW, LLP (018563)
TWO EMBARCADERO CENTER, EIGHTH FLOOR
SAN FRANCISCO
CA
94111-3834
US
|
Assignee: |
Align Technology, Inc.
Santa Clara
CA
|
Family ID: |
42111466 |
Appl. No.: |
12/277191 |
Filed: |
November 24, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
433/6 ;
128/861 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2071/088 20130101;
A61C 7/08 20130101; A63B 71/085 20130101; A61C 7/36 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
433/6 ;
128/861 |
International
Class: |
A61C 5/14 20060101
A61C005/14; A61C 7/08 20060101 A61C007/08 |
Claims
1. A removable dental appliance for repositioning a patient's teeth
and providing protection against impact-induced injuries, the
appliance comprising teeth receiving cavities shaped to receive and
resiliently reposition the teeth from a first arrangement toward a
planned second arrangement, the appliance having a shape or
material selected to provide protection against impact-induced
injury.
2. An appliance as in claim 1, comprising an occlusal portion
disposed between a plurality of upper and lower teeth when the
appliance is worn by the patient, the occlusal portion having a
compliance selected to provide impact absorption during an impact
forcing the lower teeth into the upper teeth.
3. An appliance as in claim 1, comprising a u-shaped portion for
receiving a plurality of teeth not received within said
cavities.
4. An appliance as in claim 1, comprising a leash tab.
5. An appliance as in claim 1, adapted to facilitate mouth
breathing while the patient bites down.
6. An appliance as in claim 1, comprising a selected color or
ornamental design.
7. An appliance as in claim 1, comprising a multi-laminate
material.
8. An appliance as in claim 1, comprising an upper component and a
lower component, each of said components comprising teeth receiving
cavities.
9. An appliance as in claim 8, wherein the upper component and the
lower component comprise complementary coupling features.
10. An appliance as in claim 9, wherein the complementary coupling
features comprise snap-fit features.
11. An appliance as in claim 9, wherein the complementary coupling
features comprise a plurality of ribs and a plurality of
grooves.
12. An appliance as in claim 8, comprising an integral component
comprising the upper component and the lower component.
13. A mouth guard for use during a portion of a course of
orthodontic treatment, the mouth guard comprising: a plurality of
cavities for receiving a plurality of a patient's teeth during the
portion of a course of orthodontic treatment, the cavities shaped
to accommodate the received teeth when the teeth are in a first
arrangement and when the teeth have been repositioned to a second
arrangement, the cavities further shaped to substantially match or
be enveloped by an accommodation envelope for the received teeth,
the accommodation envelope substantially matching a swept volume
for the received teeth from the first arrangement to the second
arrangement, the mouth guard having a shape or material selected to
provide protection against impact-induced injury.
14. An mouth guard as in claim 13, comprising an occlusal portion
disposed between a plurality of upper and lower teeth when the
mouth guard is worn by the patient, the occlusal portion having a
compliance selected to provide impact absorption during an impact
forcing the lower teeth into the upper teeth.
15. A mouth guard as in claim 13, wherein at least one of said
plurality of cavities receives a tooth that is not being
repositioned during the portion of a course of orthodontic
treatment.
16. A mouth guard as in claim 13, comprising a u-shaped portion for
receiving a plurality of teeth not received within said
cavities.
17. A mouth guard as in claim 13, comprising a leash tab.
18. A mouth guard as in claim 13, adapted to facilitate mouth
breathing while the patient bites down.
19. A mouth guard as in claim 13, comprising a multi-laminate
material.
20. A mouth guard as in claim 13, comprising an upper component and
a lower component, each of said components comprising a plurality
of said cavities.
21. A mouth guard as in claim 20, wherein the upper component and
the lower component comprise complementary coupling features.
22. A mouth guard as in claim 21, wherein the complementary
coupling features comprise snap-fit features.
23. A mouth guard as in claim 21, wherein the complementary
coupling features comprise a plurality of ribs and a plurality of
grooves.
24. A mouth guard as in claim 20, comprising an integral component
comprising the upper component and the lower component.
25. A mouth guard as in claim 13, comprising a selected color or
ornamental design.
26. A mouth guard as in claim 13, wherein a plurality of the
received teeth have braces and the accommodation envelope
substantially matches a swept volume for the received teeth and
braces from the first arrangement and to the second
arrangement.
27. A covering guard for providing protection against
impact-induced injuries when coupled with a tooth repositioning
appliance worn by a patient, the covering guard comprising a guard
segment configured to cover at least a portion of the tooth
repositioning appliance, the combination of the guard segment and
the appliance having a shape or material selected to provide
protection against impact-induced injury.
28. A covering guard as in claim 27, the combination comprising an
occlusal portion disposed between a plurality of upper and lower
teeth when the combination is worn by the patient, the occlusal
portion having a compliance selected to provide impact absorption
during an impact forcing the lower teeth into the upper teeth.
29. A covering guard as in claim 27, comprising the tooth
repositioning appliance.
30. A covering guard as in claim 27, wherein the guard segment is
adapted to interface with a sequence of tooth repositioning
appliances.
31. A covering guard as in claim 27, wherein the guard segment
comprises a u-shaped portion for receiving a plurality of teeth not
received within the tooth repositioning appliance.
32. A covering guard as in claim 27, comprising a leash tab.
33. A covering guard as in claim 27, adapted to facilitate mouth
breathing while the patient bites down.
34. A covering guard as in claim 27, comprising a multi-laminate
material.
35. A covering guard as in claim 27, comprising at least one
snap-fit feature for coupling the guard segment with the tooth
repositioning appliance.
36. A covering guard as in claim 27, comprising a selected color or
ornamental design.
37. A covering guard as in claim 27, comprising an upper component
for covering an upper arch tooth repositioning appliance and a
lower component for covering a lower arch tooth repositioning
appliance.
38. A covering guard as in claim 37, wherein the upper component
and the lower component comprise complementary coupling
features.
39. A covering guard as in claim 38, wherein the complementary
coupling features comprise snap-fit features.
40. A covering guard as in claim 38, wherein the complementary
coupling features comprise a plurality of ribs and a plurality of
grooves.
41. A covering guard as in claim 37, comprising an integral
component comprising the upper component and the lower
component.
42. A system for providing protection against impact-induced
injuries during orthodontic treatment comprising a first treatment
stage and a second treatment stage, the first stage comprising a
set of appliances shaped to resiliently reposition a patient's
teeth from a first arrangement to a second arrangement, and the
second stage comprising a set of appliances shaped to resiliently
reposition the patient's teeth from the second arrangement to a
third arrangement, the system comprising: a first mouth guard for
use during the first stage, the first mouth guard comprising: a
plurality of cavities for receiving a plurality of the patient's
teeth, the cavities shaped to accommodate the received teeth when
the teeth are in the first arrangement and when the teeth have been
repositioned to the second arrangement, the cavities further shaped
to substantially match or be enveloped by a first accommodation
profile for the received teeth, the first accommodation profile
substantially matching a swept volume for the received teeth from
the first arrangement to the second arrangement, the first mouth
guard having a shape or material selected to provide protection
against impact-induced injury; and a second mouth guard for use
during the second stage, the second mouth guard comprising: a
plurality of cavities for receiving a plurality of the patient's
teeth, the cavities shaped to accommodate the received teeth when
the teeth are in the second arrangement and when the teeth have
been repositioned to the third arrangement, the cavities further
shaped to substantially match or be enveloped by a second
accommodation profile for the received teeth, the second
accommodation profile substantially matching a swept volume for the
received teeth from the second arrangement to the third
arrangement, the second mouth guard having a shape or material
selected to provide protection against impact-induced injury.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of
orthodontics, and more particularly to dental positioning
appliances and mouth guards that provide protection against
impact-induced injuries during a course of orthodontic treatment,
as well as related methods and systems.
[0002] An objective of orthodontics is to move a patient's teeth to
positions where function and/or aesthetics are optimized.
Traditionally, appliances such as braces are applied to a patient's
teeth by a treating practitioner and the set of braces exerts
continual force on the teeth and gradually urges them toward their
intended positions. Over time and with a series of clinical visits
and adjustments to the braces, the practitioner adjusts the
appliances to move the teeth toward their final destination.
[0003] More recently, alternatives to conventional orthodontic
treatment with traditional affixed appliances (e.g., braces) have
become available. For example, systems including a series of
preformed appliances/aligners have become commercially available
from Align Technology, Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., under the
tradename Invisalign.RTM. System. The Invisalign.RTM. System is
described in numerous patents and patent applications assigned to
Align Technology, Inc. including, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos.
6,450,807, and 5,975,893, as well as on the company's website,
which is accessible on the World Wide Web (see, e.g., the url
"www.invisalign.com"). The Invisalign.RTM. System includes
designing and/or fabricating multiple, and sometimes all, of the
aligners to be worn by the patient before the aligners are
administered to the patient and used to reposition the teeth (e.g.,
at the outset of treatment). Often, designing and planning a
customized treatment for a patient makes use of computer-based
3-dimensional planning/design tools, such as Treat.TM. from Align
Technology, Inc. The design of the aligners can rely on computer
modeling of a series of planned successive tooth arrangements, and
the individual aligners are designed to be worn over the teeth and
elastically reposition the teeth to each of the planned tooth
arrangements.
[0004] While recently developed orthodontic treatment technologies,
such as those described above, represent a considerable advancement
in the field of orthodontics, additional advancements remain of
interest. For example, certain individuals may engage in a sporting
activity during their orthodontic treatment. In many sports,
especially in contact sports such as football, a player typically
wears a mouth guard so as to protect the player against
impact-induced injuries, including concussion. As such, there is a
need for innovative products that provide an orthodontic patient
with protection against impact-induced injuries.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0005] The present disclosure provides protective positioning
appliances, accommodating mouth guards, and covering guards that
provide an orthodontic patient with protection against
impact-induced injuries, and related systems and methods. The
disclosed protective appliances, accommodating mouth guards, and
covering guards provide the ability to have a patient's teeth
protected while undergoing orthodontic treatment, such with the
Invisalign.RTM. System. Mouth guards are often used by players of
contact sports, such as football.
[0006] For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of
the present invention, reference should be made to the ensuing
detailed description and accompanying drawings. Other aspects,
objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the
drawings and detailed description that follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates a jaw together with an incremental
positioning appliance.
[0008] FIG. 2 illustrates a jaw together with a protective
incremental positioning appliance according to an embodiment of the
present invention.
[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates a jaw together with a protective
incremental positioning appliance according to another embodiment
of the present invention.
[0010] FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional illustrations of teeth
received within protective incremental positioning appliances
according to embodiments of the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 5 illustrates a fabrication process that can be used to
create upper arch and lower arch protective incremental positioning
appliances, accommodating mouth guards, covering guards, and/or
accommodating covering guards that have complementary coupling
features according to embodiments of the present invention.
[0012] FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional illustrations of teeth
received within accommodating mouth guards according to embodiments
of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating the
accommodation of a single tooth along a path of intermediate stages
according to embodiments of the present invention.
[0014] FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional illustrations of teeth
received within incremental positioning appliances that are coupled
with covering guards in accordance with embodiments of the present
invention.
[0015] FIGS. 9A and 9B are cross-sectional illustrations of teeth
received within incremental positioning appliances that are coupled
with accommodating covering guards in accordance with embodiments
of the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 10 is a simplified block diagram illustrating a system
of accommodating mouth guards in accordance with embodiments of the
present invention.
[0017] FIG. 11 is a simplified block diagram illustrating a system
of accommodating covering guards in accordance with embodiments of
the present invention.
[0018] FIGS. 12 and 13 are simplified block diagrams illustrating
methods for fabricating protective incremental positioning
appliances according to embodiments of the present invention.
[0019] FIGS. 14 and 15 are simplified block diagrams illustrating
methods for fabricating accommodating mouth guards according to
embodiments of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 16 diagrammatically illustrates a system according to
an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] Protective repositioning appliances, accommodating mouth
guards, covering guards and accommodating covering guards are
provided that protect an orthodontic patient against impact-induced
injuries, as well as related systems and methods. In the absence of
adequate protection, players of certain contact sports, such as
football, may be exposed to a significant risk of impact-induced
injuries. The presently disclosed appliances, guards, systems and
methods provide a means by which an orthodontic patient can be
protected against oral-related impact induced injuries during a
course of orthodontic treatment.
[0022] A protective repositioning appliance can be configured to
reposition a patient's teeth while protecting the patient against
impact-induced injuries. Such a protective repositioning appliance
can include teeth receiving cavities that are shaped to resiliently
reposition a patient's teeth from a first arrangement towards a
second arrangement. A protective repositioning appliance can be
further configured to have a shape or material selected to provide
protection against impact-induced injury.
[0023] An accommodating mouth guard can be configured to protect an
orthodontic patient's teeth during a portion of a course of
orthodontic treatment, during which the patient's teeth are
repositioned from a first arrangement towards a second arrangement.
An accommodating mouth guard can include teeth receiving cavities
that are shaped to accommodate a range of positions of the
patient's teeth. A system of accommodating mouth guards can be used
to provide protection during multiple stages of orthodontic
treatment, where during each stage a patient's teeth are
repositioned by some amount.
[0024] A covering guard can be configured to couple with at least a
portion of a tooth repositioning appliance. The combination of the
covering guard and the tooth repositioning appliance can serve to
protect the orthodontic patient against impact-induced injuries. An
accommodating covering guard can be configured to couple with a
sequence of tooth repositioning appliances.
[0025] Tooth Repositioning Appliances
[0026] FIG. 1 provides an appropriate starting point in a
discussion of the present invention with respect to tooth
repositioning appliances designed to apply repositioning forces to
teeth. A tooth repositioning appliance 10 can be worn by a patient
in order to achieve an incremental repositioning of individual
teeth in the jaw 11. The appliance can include a shell (e.g.,
polymeric shell) having teeth-receiving cavities that receive and
resiliently reposition the teeth. In one embodiment, a polymeric
appliance can be formed from a known thin sheet of suitable
elastomeric polymeric material, such a 0.03 inch thermal forming
dental material by Tru-Tain Plastics, Rochester, Minn. An appliance
can fit over all teeth present in an upper or lower jaw, or less
than all of the teeth. In some cases, only certain teeth received
by an appliance will be repositioned by the appliance while other
teeth can provide a base or anchor region for holding the appliance
in place as it applies force against the tooth or teeth targeted
for repositioning. In some cases, many or most, and even all, of
the teeth will be repositioned at some point during treatment.
Teeth that are moved can also serve as a base or anchor for holding
the appliance as it is worn by the patient. Typically, no wires or
other means will be provided for holding an appliance in place over
the teeth. In some cases, however, it may be desirable or necessary
to provide individual anchors on teeth with corresponding
receptacles or apertures in the appliance so that the appliance can
apply a selected force on the tooth. Exemplary appliances,
including those utilized in the Invisalign.RTM. System, are
described in numerous patents and patent applications assigned to
Align Technology, Inc. including, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos.
6,450,807, and 5,975,893, as well as on the company's website,
which is accessible on the World Wide Web (see, e.g., the url
"www.invisalign.com").
[0027] An appliance can be designed and/or provided as part of a
set or plurality of appliances. In such an embodiment, each
appliance may be configured so a tooth-receiving cavity has a
geometry corresponding to an intermediate or final tooth
arrangement intended for the appliance. The patient's teeth can be
progressively repositioned from an initial tooth arrangement to a
target tooth arrangement by placing a series of incremental
position adjustment appliances over the patient's teeth. A target
tooth arrangement can be a planned final tooth arrangement selected
for the patient's teeth at the end of all planned orthodontic
treatment. Alternatively, a target arrangement can be one of many
intermediate arrangements for the patient's teeth during the course
of orthodontic treatment, which may include where surgery is
recommended, where inter-proximal reduction (IPR) is appropriate,
where a progress check is scheduled, where anchor placement is
best, where palatal expansion is desirable, etc. As such, it is
understood that a target tooth arrangement can be any planned
resulting arrangement for the patient's teeth that follows one or
more incremental repositioning stages. Likewise, an initial tooth
arrangement can be any initial arrangement for the patient's teeth
that is followed by one or more incremental repositioning stages.
The adjustment appliances can be generated all at the same stage or
in sets or batches, e.g., at the beginning of a stage of the
treatment, and the patient wears each appliance until the pressure
of each appliance on the teeth can no longer be felt or has
resulted in the maximum amount of expressed tooth movement for that
given stage. A plurality of different appliances (e.g., set) can be
designed and even fabricated prior to the patient wearing any
appliance of the plurality. After wearing an appliance for an
appropriate period of time, the patient replaces the current
appliance with the next appliance in the series until no more
appliances remain. The appliances are generally not affixed to the
teeth and the patient may place and replace the appliances at any
time during the procedure (e.g., patient-removable appliances). The
final appliance or several appliances in the series may have a
geometry or geometries selected to overcorrect the tooth
arrangement, i.e., have a geometry which would (if fully achieved)
move individual teeth beyond the tooth arrangement which has been
selected as the "final." Such over-correction may be desirable in
order to offset potential relapse after the repositioning method
has been terminated, i.e., to permit movement of individual teeth
back toward their pre-corrected positions. Over-correction may also
be beneficial to speed the rate of correction, i.e., by having an
appliance with a geometry that is positioned beyond a desired
intermediate or final position, the individual teeth will be
shifted toward the position at a greater rate. In such cases, the
use of an appliance can be terminated before the teeth reach the
positions defined by the appliance.
[0028] Protective Repositioning Appliances
[0029] Protective dental appliances are provided that reposition a
patient's teeth and provide protection against impact-induced
injuries. A protective appliance can include teeth receiving
cavities shaped to receive and reposition a patient's teeth. A
protective appliance can have a shape or material selected to
provide protection against impact-induced injury.
[0030] Referring now to FIG. 2, an embodiment of a protective
repositioning appliance 20 is shown. Similar to the tooth
repositioning appliance 10 shown in FIG. 1, the protective
repositioning appliance 20 includes teeth receiving cavities
(hidden from view in FIG. 2) shaped to receive and resiliently
reposition a patient's teeth. In the embodiment shown, the
protective appliance 20 includes an optional u-shaped tray 22 for
receiving the patient's opposite jaw teeth when the patient bites
down. The u-shaped tray 22 can be defined in part by an
occlusal-pad portion 24, which can be configured so as to exhibit
an impact-absorbing compliance during an impact that forces the
lower teeth into the upper teeth. The amount of compliance can be
influenced by the elasticity and thickness of material used in the
occlusal-pad portion. The amount of compliance can also be
influenced by the span coverage of the occlusal-pad portion.
Additionally, the optional u-shaped tray is partially defined by
buccal wall 26 and lingual wall 28. The buccal wall 26 and lingual
wall 28 can serve to laterally couple a plurality of a patient's
upper and lower jaw teeth so as to help protect against lateral
impact-induced injuries by distributing localized lateral impacts
to surrounding tissues.
[0031] A protective repositioning appliance 20 can come in a range
of variations. For example, an appliance 20 can also be adapted to
permit better air flow and breathing while the patient bites down.
In the embodiment shown, a plurality of traverse air passages 30
are provided so as to permit the flow of air between buccal and
lingual sides of the appliance 20. A variety of other
configurations can also be used to facilitate mouth breathing. For
example, one or more regions of the buccal wall 26, the lingual
wall 28, and/or the occusal-pad portion 24 can be modified so as to
provide air passages across the appliance 20. A protective
repositioning appliance 20 can also include provisions for the
attachment of a connecting leash, such as the leash tab 32 shown. A
connecting leash can be used to couple the appliance with the
patient so that it will not get misplaced, such as by attaching the
connecting leash to a football helmet or the like. A variety of
other configurations may be used to provide for the attachment of a
connecting leash, such as loops, sockets, or the like.
[0032] An appliance can also include a selected color or ornamental
design. For example, an appliance can include embedded colors
and/or logos, such as for a team or a sponsor. As another example,
an appliance can be made with camouflage color for military use. An
appliance can also be labeled with personal information, such as
the name of the owner, or the number of the owner's athletic
jersey.
[0033] An appliance can be multi-laminate in composition, such that
the different layers of the appliance confer different physical
properties. For example, an outer layer can be softer for greater
impact protection and an inner layer can be made of harder material
for better adaptation to the teeth. An appliance can be
tri-laminate, with an outer layer being hard for durability, a
middle layer being softer for impact absorption, and an inner layer
being hard for better adaptation and retention.
[0034] FIG. 3 illustrates another protective repositioning
appliance 40, in accordance with an embodiment. Appliance 40
includes a plurality of teeth receiving cavities 42 for the
patient's upper and lower teeth. Appliance 40 can be configured to
be an integral unit, or can be configured to include an upper
component 44 and a lower component 46, each of which can include
teeth receiving cavities 42. Where separate upper and lower
components are used, they can be configured with complementary
interfacing surfaces (not shown in FIG. 3). These complementary
interfacing surfaces can serve to laterally couple a plurality of a
patient's upper and lower teeth, thereby helping to distribute
localized lateral impacts to surrounding tissues. These
complementary surfaces can also provide for snap-fit coupling
between the upper component 44 and the lower component 46.
Appliance 40 can also be adapted to facilitate mouth breathing
while the patient is biting down, such as by the traverse air
passages 48 shown. Additionally, an appliance 40 can be adapted to
facilitate mouth breathing in a variety of different ways, such as
discussed above with reference to FIG. 2.
[0035] FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional illustrations of
embodiments of protective repositioning appliances. FIG. 4A
illustrates a cross-section of an appliance 50 having lower-teeth
receiving cavities. The appliance can include an occlusal-pad
portion 52 and an optional u-shaped tray 54 for receiving the
patient's upper teeth. As discussed above with reference to FIG. 2,
the occlusal-pad portion 52 can be configured to exhibit an impact
absorbing compliance so as to reduce peak forces transmitted
between the patient's jaws during an impact that forces the lower
teeth into the upper teeth, or vice-versa. The optional u-shaped
tray 54 can be configured to provide coupling between a plurality
of the patient's upper and lower teeth, so as to distribute
localized lateral impact forces to surrounding tissues thereby
reducing the level of localized impact forces felt by local
tissues. The appliance 50 of FIG. 4A can be used to protect a
patient against impact-induced injuries while simultaneously
subjecting the patient's lower teeth to resilient repositioning
forces. An analogous, but opposite, appliance can be used for to
reposition the patient's upper teeth while providing protection
against impact-induced injuries. The appliance 60 of FIG. 4B
includes an upper component 62 having teeth receiving cavities for
the patient's upper teeth 64, and a lower component 66 having teeth
receiving cavities for the patient's lower teeth 68.
[0036] The upper and lower components can be configured with
complementary shaped interfacing surfaces, such as the snap-fit
surfaces 70 shown. These complementary-shaped surfaces can provide
for lateral coupling between a plurality of the patient's upper and
lower teeth, thereby enhancing the distribution of localized
lateral impact forces to surrounding tissues. Various complementary
shaped interfacing surfaces can be used. For example, FIG. 5
illustrates a fabrication process that can be used to create upper
arch and lower arch protective incremental positioning appliances,
accommodating mouth guards, covering guards, and/or accommodating
covering guards that have complementary coupling features. Thin
sheets 72, 74 of a suitable elastomeric polymeric material can be
configured with complementary coupling features, such as ribs on
sheet 72 and grooves on sheet 74, or any other complementary shaped
features. Sheet 72 can be formed over a positive mold 76 to form an
upper arch component 80 having complementary shaped features
disposed on its outer surface. Likewise, sheet 74 can be formed
over a positive mold 78 to form a lower arch component 82 having
complementary shaped features disposed on its outer surface. When
worn by a patient, one or more upper arch component features 84 can
interface with one or more lower arch component features 86 so as
to provide the above discussed lateral coupling. Components 80, 82
can be a protective incremental positioning appliance, an
accommodating mouth guard, a covering guard, or an accommodating
covering guard.
[0037] Accommodating Mouth Guards
[0038] Accommodating mouth guards are provided that can be used
during a portion of a course of orthodontic treatment. An
accommodating mouth guard can accommodate a range of positions of
the patient's teeth. An accommodating mouth guard may or may not
supply any repositioning forces to a patient's teeth. Instead, an
accommodating mouth guard can be used in place of a tooth
positioning appliance during a sporting activity.
[0039] Accommodating mouth guards are provided that can be used
during a course of orthodontic treatment. An accommodating mouth
guard can include teeth receiving cavities shaped to accommodate a
patient's teeth in a first and a second arrangement. An
accommodating mouth guard can have a shape or material selected to
provide protection against impact-induced injury.
[0040] FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional illustrations of
embodiments of accommodating mouth guards. FIG. 6A illustrates a
cross-section of an accommodating mouth guard 100 having
lower-teeth receiving cavities. Accommodation of a range of
positions of the patient's teeth can be provided in a number of
ways. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the teeth receiving
cavities can be configured with additional volume selected to
accommodate the range of positions. This additional volume provides
a cavity of sufficient dimensions to accommodate a tooth in any of
the range of positions along the path of possible tooth positions
from the initial point to the end point (i.e., the tooth's swept
volume). As another example, the appliance cavity walls can include
sufficient compliance so as to be able to deflect a sufficient
amount to accept the tooth in any of the range of positions. A
combination of additional volume and cavity wall compliance can
also be used. As such, it is understood that a tooth receiving
cavity can be shaped to accommodate a range of positions for the
tooth in a variety of ways, including those discussed above.
Additionally, an accommodating mouth guard can include features
similar to features of a protective repositioning appliance, such
as the occlusal-pad portion 102 and the optional u-shaped tray 104
as shown, and as discussed above with reference to FIG. 4A.
Similarly, the accommodating mouth guard 100 of FIG. 6A can be
likewise configured for a patient's upper teeth.
[0041] Accommodating mouth guards can also be advantageously
configured to selectively provide accommodation only for teeth that
are being repositioned during a stage of orthodontic treatment.
During orthodontic treatment using repositioning appliances, an
appliance, or even a series of appliances, may be used to
reposition a subset of the patient's teeth. The remaining teeth may
not be repositioned during the stage of treatment. The teeth
receiving cavities for non-repositioned teeth can be configured
without accommodation, thereby providing for a more secure coupling
with the non-moving teeth. This more secure coupling can provide
for a more secure coupling between the accommodating mouth guard
and the patient's teeth in general.
[0042] The accommodating mouth guard 110 of FIG. 6B includes an
upper component 112 having teeth receiving cavities for the
patient's upper teeth 114, and a lower component 116 having teeth
receiving cavities for the patient's lower teeth 118. As discussed
above with reference to FIG. 6A, these teeth receiving cavities can
be configured to accommodate a range of positions for any subset of
teeth that are being repositioned during a stage of orthodontic
treatment, and omit accommodation for any subset of teeth that are
not being repositioned during the stage of treatment. Similarly,
the upper and lower component can be configured with
complementary-shaped interfacing surfaces, such as the snap-fit
surfaces 120 shown. These complementary-shaped surfaces can provide
for a level of lateral coupling between a plurality of the
patient's upper and lower teeth, thereby enhancing the distribution
of localized lateral impact forces to surrounding tissues.
[0043] FIG. 7 is a simplified cross-sectional diagram of the cavity
walls 121 of an accommodating mouth guard and received teeth 122,
123, 124 that illustrates the accommodation of a single tooth 123
along a path of movement. As can be seen, the cavity walls 121 that
surround tooth 123 are configured to accommodate the entire path of
the tooth 123 (i.e., the swept volume) for a sequence of positions
125, 126, 127. Such accommodation can also be incorporated into an
accommodating covering guard.
[0044] Accommodating mouth guards may also be designed to
accommodate orthodontic treatment that is being performed using
fixed wire and bracket braces. The accommodation in the mouth guard
would allow the mouth guard to fit around both the braces and the
archwire, and enable a range of tooth movements to take place for
the given time period for which the guard is applicable. The braces
treatment plan can be digitally planned out in advance, so that an
accommodating mouth guard can be designed to work for a specific
portion of the treatment plan.
[0045] Covering Guards
[0046] Covering guards are provided that can be coupled with a
tooth repositioning appliance so as to provide protection against
impact-induced injuries. A covering guard can include a guard
segment that covers at least a portion of an appliance. The
combination of a guard segment and an appliance can have a shape or
material selected to provide protection against impact-induced
injury.
[0047] Covering guards are provided that can be used in combination
with a repositioning appliance so as to provide protection against
impact-induced injury. FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional illustration of
a covering guard 130 in accordance with an embodiment. As shown, a
covering guard can be coupled with a basic repositioning appliance
132. A covering guard can be coupled with a repositioning appliance
132 in a variety of ways. For example, the covering guard 130 shown
includes repositioning appliance receiving cavities that provide an
interface with the underlying repositioning appliance 132. A
covering guard can include a variety of features similar to
features discussed above, such as an optional u-shaped tray 134 for
receiving teeth from the opposing arch, and an occlusal-pad portion
136. As discussed above, the optional u-shaped tray 134 can provide
for lateral coupling between a plurality of the patient's upper and
lower teeth, thereby helping to distribute localized lateral impact
forces to surrounding tissues. The occlusal-pad portion 136 can be
configured to provide an impact-absorbing compliance so as to
reduce peak forces transmitted between the patient's arches during
an impact that forces the arches together. This reduction of peak
transmitted forces can help to reduce the occurrence of
impact-induced injuries, such as damage to teeth or concussion.
[0048] FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional illustration of a covering
guard 140 in accordance with an embodiment. The covering guard 140
includes an upper component 146 adapted to couple with an
upper-arch appliance 142, and a lower component 148 adapted to
couple with a lower-arch appliance 144. As discussed above, a
variety of ways can be used to couple the upper and lower
components with an underlying repositioning appliance. In the
embodiment shown, the upper and lower components have appliance
receiving cavities that provide an interface with the underlying
repositioning appliance. The upper and lower component can be
configured with complementary-shaped interfacing surfaces, such as
the snap-fit surfaces 150 shown. Complementary-shaped interfacing
surfaces can provide for lateral coupling between a plurality of
the patient's upper and lower teeth, thereby enhancing the
distribution of localized lateral impact forces to surrounding
tissues.
[0049] Accommodating Covering Guards
[0050] Accommodating covering guards are provided that combine
characteristics of an accommodating mouth guard and a covering
guard. As such, an accommodating covering guard can be configured
to interface with a series of underlying repositioning appliances.
FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate embodiments of accommodating covering
guards 160, 170. Because these accommodating guards share
characteristics with the accommodating mouth guards and covering
guards discussed above, the above discussion applies and will not
be repeated here.
[0051] Protective Systems
[0052] Systems are provided that provide protection against
impact-induced injuries during a multi-stage orthodontic treatment.
An orthodontic treatment stage can include a series of appliances
shaped to reposition a patient's teeth from an arrangement to a
subsequent arrangement. A system can include a first accommodating
mouth guard for use during a first treatment stage, and a second
accommodating mouth guard for use during a second treatment stage.
An accommodating mouth guard can include teeth receiving cavities
shaped to accommodate a range of positions of a patient's teeth. An
accommodating mouth guard can have a shape or material selected to
provide protection against impact-induced injury. A system can
include a first accommodating covering guard for use during a first
treatment stage, and a second accommodating covering guard for use
during a second treatment stage. An accommodating covering guard
can be configured to interface with a series of repositioning
appliances.
[0053] A series of two or more of the above discussed protective
repositioning appliances, accommodating mouth guards, covering
guards, or accommodating covering guards can be used for form a
protective system. In the case of protective repositioning
appliances or covering guards, the period of use of a particular
protective repositioning appliance or covering guard can be
generally equivalent to the period of use of an analogous or
associated basic repositioning appliance. In the case of
accommodating mouth guards or accommodating covering guards, the
period of use can be greater that the period of use of an analogous
or associated basic repositioning appliance. The period of use for
accommodating mouth guards or accommodating covering guards will
typically depend on the range of positions accounted for, and the
rate that the teeth are being repositioned.
[0054] FIG. 10 diagrammatically illustrates a system 180 of
accommodating mouth guards. The system can include a first
accommodating mouth guard 182 that is worn during a first treatment
stage during which the patient's teeth are repositioned from a
first arrangement to a second arrangement. The system can include a
second accommodating mouth guard 184 that is worn during a second
treatment stage during which the patient's teeth are repositioned
from the second arrangement to a third arrangement. The system can
also include additional accommodating mouth guards, such as an Nth
accommodating mouth guard 186. Similarly, FIG. 11 diagrammatically
illustrates an analogous system 190 of accommodating covering
guards 192, 194, and 196.
[0055] Fabrication Methods
[0056] FIG. 12 diagrammatically illustrates a method 200 that can
be used to fabricate of a protective positioning appliance. In step
202, digital models of teeth-receiving cavities are obtained. These
cavities are shaped so that when incorporated into a protective
repositioning appliance the appliance exerts resilient forces to
the patient's teeth so as to reposition the patient's teeth over
time. In step 204, the digital models are used to fabricate a
positive mold. The positive mold can be fabricated using a variety
of approaches, such as by way of a rapid prototyping machine such
as a stereo lithography or digital light projector machine, or also
via computer numerical control (CNC) milling. An exemplary rapid
prototyping machine is available from 3D System, Valencia, Calif.
or EnvisionTEC, Gladbeck, Germany. The rapid prototyping machine
can selectively harden a liquid or other non-hardened resin into a
three-dimensional structure which can be separated from the
remaining non-hardened resin, washed, and used as a positive mold
for the appliance. Where such a fabrication method is used, a
digital model that includes a negative representation of the
teeth-receiving cavities can be prepared from which the positive
mold can be fabricated. In step 206, the appliance if fabricated by
forming material over the positive mold.
[0057] FIG. 13 diagrammatically illustrates a method 210 that can
be used to fabricate of a protective positioning appliance having
an upper component with upper-teeth receiving cavities, and having
a lower component with lower-teeth receiving cavities. In step 212,
digital models of the teeth receiving cavities are received. In
step 214, an upper-positive mold can be fabricated using the
digital models for the upper-teeth receiving cavities as discussed
above. In step 216, an upper component is fabricated using the
upper-positive mold. In step 218, a lower-positive mold can be
fabricated using the digital models for the lower-teeth receiving
cavities as discussed above. In step 220, a lower component is
fabricated using the lower positive mold. In step 222, the
appliance is fabricated using the upper and lower components.
[0058] FIG. 14 diagrammatically illustrates a method 230 that can
be used to fabricate an accommodating mouth guard. In step 232,
digital models of teeth in an initial arrangement are obtained. In
step 234, digital models of teeth in a subsequent arrangement are
obtained. The initial arrangement and the subsequent arrangements
can be the starting and the ending arrangements for which
accommodation is to be provided. In step 236, the digital models
are combined so as to generate an accommodation model that includes
geometry that accommodates the positions of the teeth as they move
from the initial arrangement to the subsequent arrangement.
Intermediate arrangements between the initial arrangement and the
subsequent arrangement can also be used in the generation of the
accommodation model so as to more accurately accommodate for
intermediate positions of the patient's teeth. A "swept volume"
representing the spatial path of each tooth from the beginning to
the end within the series can be built in so that the appliance
will not interfere with the tooth movement planned during the tooth
movement interval for which the guard is designed to accommodate.
In step 238, a positive mold is fabricated by using the
accommodation model. The positive mold can be fabricated in a
variety of ways, such as by using a rapid prototyping machine as
discussed above. In step 240, the accommodating mouth guard is
fabricated using the positive mold.
[0059] FIG. 15 diagrammatically illustrates a method 250 that can
be used to fabricate of an accommodating mouth guard having an
upper component with upper-teeth receiving cavities and a lower
component with lower-teeth receiving cavities. In step 252, digital
models of teeth in an initial arrangement are obtained. In step
254, digital models of teeth in a subsequent arrangement are
obtained. In step 256, the digital models are used to generate an
accommodation model that includes geometry that accommodates the
positions of the teeth as they move from the initial arrangement to
the subsequent arrangement. As discussed above, one or more
intermediate arrangements can also be used in the formation of the
accommodation model so as to more accurately account for
intermediate positions of the teeth. In step 258, a upper-positive
mold is fabricated by using the accommodation model. In step 260,
an upper component is fabricated by using the upper-positive mold.
In step 262, a lower-positive mold is fabricated by using the
accommodation model. In step 264, a lower component is fabricated
by using the lower-positive mold. In step 266, the mouth guard is
fabricated from the upper and lower components.
[0060] FIG. 16 is a simplified block diagram of a data processing
system 300 embodying the present invention. Data processing system
300 typically includes at least one processor 302 which
communicates with a number of peripheral devices via bus subsystem
304. These peripheral devices typically include a storage subsystem
306 (memory subsystem 308 and file storage subsystem 314), a set of
user interface input and output devices 318, and an interface to
outside networks 316, including the public switched telephone
network. This interface is shown schematically as "Modems and
Network Interface" block 316, and is coupled to corresponding
interface devices in other data processing systems via
communication network interface 324. Data processing system 300
could be a terminal or a low-end personal computer or a high-end
personal computer, workstation or mainframe.
[0061] The user interface input devices typically include a
keyboard and may further include a pointing device and a scanner.
The pointing device may be an indirect pointing device such as a
mouse, trackball, touchpad, or graphics tablet, or a direct
pointing device such as a touch screen incorporated into the
display. Other types of user interface input devices, such as voice
recognition systems, are also possible.
[0062] User interface output devices typically include a printer
and a display subsystem, which includes a display controller and a
display device coupled to the controller. The display device may be
a cathode ray tube (CRT), a flat-panel device such as a liquid
crystal display (LCD), or a projection device. The display
subsystem may also provide non-visual display such as audio
output.
[0063] Storage subsystem 306 maintains the basic programming and
data constructs that provide the functionality of the present
invention. The software modules discussed above are typically
stored in storage subsystem 306. Storage subsystem 306 typically
comprises memory subsystem 308 and file storage subsystem 314.
[0064] Memory subsystem 308 typically includes a number of memories
including a main random access memory (RAM) 310 for storage of
instructions and data during program execution and a read only
memory (ROM) 312 in which fixed instructions are stored. In the
case of Macintosh-compatible personal computers the ROM would
include portions of the operating system; in the case of
IBM-compatible personal computers, this would include the BIOS
(basic input/output system).
[0065] File storage subsystem 314 provides persistent
(non-volatile) storage for program and data files, and typically
includes at least one hard disk drive and at least one disk drive
(with associated removable media). There may also be other devices
such as a CD-ROM drive and optical drives (all with their
associated removable media). Additionally, the system may include
drives of the type with removable media cartridges. The removable
media cartridges may, for example be hard disk cartridges, such as
those marketed by Syquest and others, and flexible disk cartridges,
such as those marketed by lomega. One or more of the drives may be
located at a remote location, such as in a server on a local area
network or at a site on the Internet's World Wide Web.
[0066] In this context, the term "bus subsystem" is used
generically so as to include any mechanism for letting the various
components and subsystems communicate with each other as intended.
With the exception of the input devices and the display, the other
components need not be at the same physical location. Thus, for
example, portions of the file storage system could be connected via
various local-area or wide-area network media, including telephone
lines. Similarly, the input devices and display need not be at the
same location as the processor, although it is anticipated that the
present invention will most often be implemented in the context of
PCs and workstations.
[0067] Bus subsystem 304 is shown schematically as a single bus,
but a typical system has a number of buses such as a local bus and
one or more expansion buses (e.g., ADB, SCSI, ISA, EISA, MCA,
NuBus, or PCI), as well as serial and parallel ports. Network
connections are usually established through a device such as a
network adapter on one of these expansion buses or a modem on a
serial port. The client computer may be a desktop system or a
portable system.
[0068] Scanner 320 is responsible for scanning casts of the
patient's teeth obtained either from the patient or from an
orthodontist and providing the scanned digital data set information
to data processing system 300 for further processing. In a
distributed environment, scanner 320 may be located at a remote
location and communicate scanned digital data set information to
data processing system 300 via network interface 324.
[0069] Fabrication machine 322 can encompass a range of fabrication
machines and methods used to fabricate positive molds, protective
positioning appliances, accommodating mouth guards, or covering
guards based on data set information received from data processing
system 300. In a distributed environment, fabrication machine 322
may be located at a remote location and receive data set
information from data processing system 300 via network interface
324.
[0070] It is understood that the examples and embodiments described
herein are for illustrative purposes and that various modifications
or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in
the art and are to be included within the spirit and purview of
this application and the scope of the appended claims. Numerous
different combinations are possible, and such combinations are
considered to be part of the present invention.
* * * * *