U.S. patent application number 14/578244 was filed with the patent office on 2017-07-06 for dental positioning appliance having metallic portion.
This patent application is currently assigned to ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is Eric E. Kuo. Invention is credited to Eric E. Kuo.
Application Number | 20170189140 14/578244 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42076088 |
Filed Date | 2017-07-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170189140 |
Kind Code |
A9 |
Kuo; Eric E. |
July 6, 2017 |
DENTAL POSITIONING APPLIANCE HAVING METALLIC PORTION
Abstract
Embodiments are provided for utilizing metallic portions in
dental positioning appliances. One embodiment includes a removable
dental positioning appliance having a shell having one or more
cavities shaped to receive and reposition one or more teeth from a
first orientation to a successive orientation and where at least a
portion of the shell is formed from a metallic mesh material.
Inventors: |
Kuo; Eric E.; (San Jose,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Kuo; Eric E. |
San Jose |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
San Jose
CA
|
Prior
Publication: |
|
Document Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20160175070 A1 |
June 23, 2016 |
|
|
Family ID: |
42076088 |
Appl. No.: |
14/578244 |
Filed: |
December 19, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13431783 |
Mar 27, 2012 |
8944812 |
|
|
14578244 |
|
|
|
|
12247559 |
Oct 8, 2008 |
8152518 |
|
|
13431783 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61C 7/08 20130101; Y10T
29/49568 20150115; A61C 2201/007 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A61C 7/08 20060101
A61C007/08 |
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A method of forming a dental positioning appliance, the method
comprising: forming one or more dies based upon a machine readable
three dimensional model of at least one physical tooth to be moved;
applying a metallic material onto at least one of the dies; and
shaping the metallic material via interaction with each of the dies
to form a dental positioning appliance.
22. The method of claim 21, where applying the metallic material
includes applying a metallic mesh material.
23. The method of claim 21, where applying the metallic material
includes applying at least one wire.
24. The method of claim 21, where shaping the metallic material
includes pressing the metallic material between at least two of the
dies.
25. The method of claim 21, where forming one or more dies includes
forming at least one die from at least one material selected from
the group including: metallic and ceramic materials.
26. The method of claim 21, where the method includes applying a
coating to at least a portion of the appliance.
27. The method of claim 21, where the method includes heating the
metallic material to change the material into a shape memory
material.
28. The method of claim 21, where the method includes trimming one
or more edges of the appliance.
29. The method of claim 21, where the method includes polishing one
or more portions of the appliance.
30. The method of claim 21, where shaping the metallic material
includes bending the metallic material into contact with at least
one of the dies.
31. A method of forming a removable dental positioning appliance,
the method comprising: forming one or more dies based upon a
machine readable three dimensional model of at least one physical
tooth to be moved; applying a metallic mesh material onto at least
one of the dies; shaping the metallic mesh material via interaction
with each of the dies to form a dental positioning appliance; and
applying a coating to at least a portion of the removable dental
positioning appliance.
32. The method of claim 31, including forming a first portion of
the appliance using a non-metallic, wherein the metallic mesh
material forms a second portion of the removable dental positioning
appliance.
33. The method of claim 33, wherein the first portion includes a
first cavity and the second portion includes a second cavity,
wherein at least the first cavity and the second cavity are formed
to be placed over a number of teeth to be moved during a treatment
period.
34. The method of claim 31, forming the metallic mesh material from
one wire woven to create the mesh.
35. The method of claim 31, forming the metallic mesh material from
multiple wires woven to create the mesh.
36. The method of claim 35, where forming the metallic mesh
material includes weaving two or more wires and bonding the two or
more wires at junctions where the two or more wires cross.
37. The method of claim 35, where forming the metallic mesh
material includes weaving two or more wires, wherein the two or
more wires are frictionally held together at junctions where the
two or more wires cross.
38. The method of claim 31, wherein applying the coating includes
applying the coating directly on the metallic mesh material along
an inner surface of the dental appliance, the coating configured to
contact a surface of one or more teeth of the patient.
39. The method of claim 31, wherein applying the coating includes
applying the coating directly on the metallic mesh material along
an outer surface of the removable dental positioning appliance.
40. The method of claim 39, wherein applying the coating includes
applying the coating on the metallic mesh material along an inner
surface of the removable dental positioning appliance.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/431,783, filed on Mar. 27, 2012, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/247,559, filed
Oct. 8, 2008, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,152,518, the entire
contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present disclosure is related generally to the field of
orthodontics. More particularly, the present disclosure is related
to a dental positioning appliance having one or more metallic
portions.
[0003] Many orthodontic treatments involve repositioning misaligned
teeth and changing bite configurations for improved dental function
and cosmetic appearance. Repositioning can be accomplished, for
example, by applying controlled forces to one or more teeth over a
period of time.
[0004] Some orthodontic processes use removable positioning
appliances for realigning teeth. Such appliances may utilize a thin
shell of material having resilient properties, (an individual
appliance is referred to as an "aligner") whereby each appliance
generally conforms to a patient's teeth but is slightly out of
alignment with the initial tooth configuration.
[0005] Placement of such an appliance over the teeth can provide
controlled forces in specific locations to gradually move the teeth
into a new configuration. Repetition of this process with
successive appliances that provide progressive configurations
eventually move the teeth through a series of intermediate
arrangements to a final desired arrangement. An example of such a
system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,893.
[0006] Such systems typically utilize materials that provide light
weight and/or transparent appliances in a set that can be used
serially such that as the teeth move, a new appliance can be
implemented to further move the teeth. Such features may be
beneficial in many instances, however, in some instances, it may be
desirable to provide movement with less appliances, thereby
reducing modeling and manufacturing costs as well as reducing the
number of appliances the user has to utilize and keep track of,
among other benefits. Additionally, if the appliance is designed to
treat a smaller number of teeth within a patient's mouth, then it
may be difficult to create a sufficient anchoring force or motive
force with a plastic material used to form many such appliances
that would be used to make the movements to the teeth that are
desired.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1A illustrates a lower jaw of a subject together with
an example of a dental positioning adjustment appliance embodiment
according to the present disclosure.
[0008] FIG. 1B illustrates a cut away view of the appliance of FIG.
1A taken along line 1B-1B.
[0009] FIG. 2A illustrates a lower jaw of a subject together with
an example of several dental positioning adjustment appliance
embodiments according to the present disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 2B illustrates a cut away view of one of the appliance
embodiments of FIG. 2A taken along line 2B-2B.
[0011] FIG. 2C illustrates a cut away view of another appliance
embodiment taken along a similar line as FIGS. 1B and 2B.
[0012] FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a mechanism that could
be used to form one or more appliance embodiments of the present
disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 4 illustrates a process for forming an appliance
according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 5 illustrates a general method for forming an appliance
according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 6 illustrates a method for forming an appliance
according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] According to the present disclosure, appliances and methods
are provided for utilizing metallic portions in dental positioning
appliances. In some embodiments, a removable dental positioning
appliance has a shell with one or more cavities shaped to receive
and reposition one or more teeth from a first orientation to a
successive orientation and where at least a portion of the shell is
formed from a metallic material (e.g., metallic mesh material). In
various embodiments, the shell can be shaped to accommodate one
tooth or multiple adjacent or nonadjacent teeth based upon the
number and position of the one or more cavities that form the one
or more portions of the shell.
[0017] FIG. 1A illustrates a lower jaw of a subject together with
an example of a dental positioning adjustment appliance embodiment
according to the present disclosure. In the embodiment of FIG. 1A,
the appliance 100 includes a mesh made out of a metallic material
110.
[0018] In various embodiments, the metallic material can be a
planar sheet of material, strips of material, or one or more wires,
among other material configurations and can be in a mesh, solid,
perforated, layered, adjacently oriented, or other type of
configuration. In the embodiment of FIG. 1A, the appliance is
formed by one or more wires arranged in an overlapping pattern to
form a mesh.
[0019] In some embodiments, a single wire can be woven to form the
mesh. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A, multiple vertical
wires 112 are provided. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A,
multiple horizontal wires 114 are also provided. In various
embodiments, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1A, the wires can
be laid over each other and/or woven together.
[0020] As will be discussed in greater detail herein, the wires can
be unfastened or can be fastened together in various manners. For
example, the wires can be frictionally held together such as by
weaving or tying, or held together by another material, such as
solder, plastic, and/or an adhesive material among other suitable
materials. In some embodiments, these materials can be coated onto
or encapsulating around a portion of (e.g., such as the junctions
116 or other portions of wires 112 and 114 of the embodiment of
FIG. 1A) or an entire wire or the mesh as will be discussed in more
detail herein.
[0021] The methods of the present disclosure can employ any
positioners, retainers, and/or other removable appliances for
finishing and maintaining teeth positions in connection with
orthodontic treatment. The systems for use with embodiments of the
present disclosure provide a plurality of such appliances can be
intended to be worn by a patient successively in order to achieve
the gradual tooth repositioning as described herein.
[0022] In such embodiments, such as that shown in FIG. 1, an
appliance 100 can, for example, be fabricated from a shell having
at least a portion formed from a metallic material. In various
embodiments, the metallic material can be utilized to provide a
resilient functionality sufficient to move at least one tooth.
[0023] In the embodiment of FIG. 1A, the metallic portion is
utilized to form a cavity shaped to receive and resiliently
reposition one or more teeth from one teeth arrangement to a
successive teeth arrangement. The shell may be designed to fit over
a number of, in many instances all teeth, present in the upper or
lower jaw 101.
[0024] In some situations, certain individual or small sets of the
teeth can be repositioned while others of the teeth can be used to
provide a base or anchor region for holding the repositioning
appliance in place as it applies the resilient repositioning force
against the tooth or teeth to be repositioned. In some embodiments,
the metallic portion of the shell can be oriented to provide
additional support with respect to holding the appliance in place.
Such embodiments can aid in stabilizing one or more teeth.
[0025] Such orientation can be beneficial, for example, where the
tooth or teeth used as an anchor may have been recently moved and
may not provide as much support as teeth that have not been moved.
Such orientation can also be beneficial, for example, where a
larger anchoring force may be needed than can typically be provided
by the number of teeth being used as the anchor. In such instances,
the metallic portion can be placed at or near the tooth or teeth
used for anchor to provide support and/or force to provide the
anchoring functionality.
[0026] In various embodiments, the metallic portion of the
appliance can be oriented to provide the repositioning force
whereby a plastic shell portion of the appliance provides a
stabilizing anchoring support for the device. This orientation
enables the conformation of the shell portion to adapt to the
anchoring teeth and depending on the metal properties selected, a
greater effective range for force generation on the repositioning
portion of the appliance.
[0027] FIG. 1B illustrates a cut away view of the appliance of FIG.
1A taken along line 1B-1B. In this illustration, the mesh structure
of the embodiment of FIG. 1A can be observed more closely.
[0028] In the embodiment of FIG. 1B, the appliance 100 includes a
number of wires forming a mesh pattern 110. The wires illustrated
in FIG. 1B include a number of generally vertical wires 112 and a
number of generally horizontal wires 114.
[0029] In various embodiments, the wires may be in different
orientations, such as, but not limited to, non-horizontal and/or
non-vertical, and/or irregular. Further, in some embodiments, the
wires may be non-linear. For example, a wire may be bent in one
direction (e.g., one axis with respect to an axis of the elongation
direction of the wire), as shown with respect to wires 112 in FIG.
1B, or more than one direction (e.g., in two axial directions with
respect to the axis of elongation of the wire).
[0030] The wires may include alternating active and passive wires,
in some embodiments. In other words, varying wire materials may be
present within the mesh.
[0031] Non-metallic wires may be incorporated into the mesh for
additional support or improved esthetics, among other benefits. For
example, metal fibers may be alternated with composite fibers to
create a hybrid mesh.
[0032] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1B, the vertical wires
112 are layered over the horizontal wires 114. As stated above,
however, in various embodiments, the wires (e.g., 112 and 114) may
be woven together such as in an alternating over-under type
pattern.
[0033] In embodiments, such as that shown in FIG. 1B, the wires
form a number of junctions 116 where the wires cross each other. As
discussed above, the wires can, in some embodiments, be fastened
together at these junction points. The fastening can be
accomplished, for example, by a mechanical bracket type fastener,
tied together, or by some type of bond being formed. Bonding
mechanisms can include, for example, resins, adhesives, solder,
polymers, and other materials that can be used to connect two wires
together.
[0034] FIG. 2A illustrates a lower jaw of a subject together with
an example of several dental positioning adjustment appliance
embodiments according to the present disclosure. In the embodiment
of FIG. 2A, the appliance 200 includes a number of metallic
portions 220, 222, and 224.
[0035] In some embodiments, these portions could each be a separate
(or part of a separate) dental appliance.
[0036] In the embodiment of FIG. 2A, the portions 220, 222, and 224
are part of a one piece shell 200 that has other portions formed
from an other material than the metallic material of portions 220,
222, and 224. In the embodiment of FIG. 2A, the metallic material
is a mesh material 210 which can, for example, be formed by wires
or strips of material, by a sheet of material with holes punched
therein, or in other manners. The other material described above
can be any suitable material for coating and/or connecting to the
one or more metallic portions 220, 222, and/or 224.
[0037] The embodiment of FIG. 2A includes tooth structures 220 and
224 that where each of the teeth is reinforced with metallic
material 210 that spans at least the buccal and mesial surfaces.
Such embodiments can be useful for a variety of purposes. For
example, the mesh material can be used to further aid in anchoring
a tooth.
[0038] The mesh material can be used to apply extra force to a
particular tooth and/or to extend the ability of the appliance to
move the tooth. Depending upon the type of material used to form
the mesh, the distance of the movement of the tooth can be
elongated, because the force imparted by the metallic material may
be over a greater distance than other materials, such as some
polymers and other materials.
[0039] In various embodiments, the length of time that the movement
can take place can be elongated because the metallic material may
not lose its ability to impart force as readily as some other
materials, such as some polymers and other materials. In some
embodiments, the length of time that movement of a tooth takes may
be reduced because the metallic material can impart either a
greater force or more consistent force over a greater range of
movement than some other materials, such as some polymers.
[0040] In the embodiment of FIG. 2A, a portion includes a metallic
material. In this embodiment, the portion 222 includes a metallic
mesh material that is provided on a surface (e.g., lingual) that is
typically not visible to a person looking at the patient's mouth
and therefore, this may be a desirable embodiment for such
situations. The use of a metallic portion on one or more selected
surfaces, such as is shown in the portion 222 of the embodiment of
FIG. 2A can also be used, for example, to impart a particular force
on the tooth (e.g., anchoring force, movement force, etc.). It
should be noted that in some embodiments, the metallic material can
be placed between two teeth which may provide an anchoring force or
movement force to one or both of the teeth.
[0041] In some embodiments, as will be discussed in more detail
herein, portions of or the entire appliance can be coated with a
second material. This second material can be used to form the other
portions (i.e., the portions other than 220, 222, and 224) of the
dental appliance described above, in some embodiments.
[0042] In various embodiments, the second material could be a
coating over, under, or encapsulating the portions 220, 222, and
224. Materials that can be used can include solders, epoxies,
glues, polymers, oxides, and other suitable coating materials. In
various embodiments, the materials may be bio-compatible
materials.
[0043] Coatings can provide, for example, a more palatable texture,
interaction with tooth surfaces, and/or taste than the metallic
material, among other benefits. Another benefit may be that the
coating can be used to hold one or more of the wires (e.g., wires
212 and 214 in the embodiment of FIG. 2A), forming the mesh, in
place. Another benefit can be that a second material may be more
pleasing to the eye than the metallic material and therefore, may
be more desirable to be used in viewable areas of the oral
environment, such as the buccal, occlusal, and/or mesial surfaces
of a tooth or teeth, among other surfaces.
[0044] FIG. 2B illustrates a cut away view of one of the appliance
embodiments of FIG. 2A taken along line 2B-2B. In the embodiment of
FIG. 2B, the appliance includes a metallic mesh material 210 having
a second material (e.g., a coating) 226 on the outside of the mesh
portion 210.
[0045] In various embodiments, a second material can (i.e., in
addition to the metallic material), for example, be placed at one
or more junctions of the wires (e.g., junctions 116 of FIG. 1B),
can be applied over (e.g., as illustrated in FIG. 2B at 226) or
under portions or all of a wire or the mesh, or can be applied to
encapsulate portions or all of a wire or the mesh. In some
embodiments, this second material can be or include one or more
agents that can be dispensed into the oral environment. It may be
appreciated that any suitable agents, such as fluoride materials,
antibiotics and/or antimicrobials and/or other chemicals, drugs,
metallic ions, or medications, such as vitamins, bleaching
materials, and/or breath fresheners, may be delivered to the oral
environment in this manner.
[0046] In such embodiments, the second material may be oriented on
the appliance such that it can be positioned proximate to an area
needing such an agent. Accordingly, the second material can be
selectively applied to particular portions of the appliance in such
embodiments.
[0047] In various embodiments, the appliance may include one or
more metallic portions and one or more non-metallic portions where
at least one of the non-metallic portions forms part of the
appliance body (e.g., where the appliance is part metallic and part
polymeric) and at least one of the non-metallic portions is a
coating formed over at least a portion of the body of the appliance
(e.g., where an agent is applied over a portion of the metallic
and/or polymeric portions of the appliance). In some embodiments,
an agent can be impregnated into a material (e.g., a polymeric
material) and can be released out of the material by interaction
with the oral environment.
[0048] As illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 2B, a coating can
be applied over the metallic material. In some embodiments, a
second material can be applied under the metallic material. Such
embodiments can be beneficial, for example, where the metallic
material may interfere with filling material, where tooth surfaces
may be sensitive to metallic materials, and/or where it may be
desirable to provide a softer and/or more uniform interface surface
for contacting the surfaces of one or more teeth, among other
benefits.
[0049] FIG. 2C illustrates a cut away view of another appliance
embodiment taken along a similar line as FIGS. 1B and 2B. In the
embodiment of FIG. 2C, the metallic portion 210 is shown as being
encapsulated within the second material 226.
[0050] Such embodiments can have one or more of the above recited
benefits. It should be noted that such an illustration may be
representative of an entire appliance that is fabricated from a
metallic material and encapsulated within a second material or
where a portion of an appliance is fabricated with a metallic
material and where that portion is encapsulated.
[0051] For example, in some embodiments, the appliance may be
formed mostly from a polymeric material and where a metallic
material is encapsulated in a portion. Such embodiments may aid in
reinforcing or providing additional force to a particular area.
[0052] The metallic material, such as a metallic mesh material can
be formed by metal injection molding, by casting (which may include
heat-treatment post-casting), by stamping the appliance using a
stamp, by pressing and/or heat treating with a mold, or by bending
individual metallic portions (e.g., wires) and/or soldering the
individual wire components together, among other techniques. In
some embodiments, the metallic material may be arch-preformed.
[0053] In some embodiments, the metallic material may be friction
shaped through a pressing or other type of process wherein the
material is shaped through a friction involving process. In various
embodiments, the metallic material may be ultrasonically heated to
maintain or obtain a desired shape.
[0054] In some embodiments, once the shape is formed, the metallic
material can be coated with a second material. For example, in some
embodiments, the coating can be sprayed or dip coated onto the
metallic material. In various embodiments, the appliance can be cut
(e.g., by a mechanical cutting tool or laser cutting tool) to trim
the edges.
[0055] In some embodiments, the computing device executable
instructions for the cutting tool may be programmed to cut at mesh
junctions to avoid sharp points in the final product. In some
embodiments, the appliance may be dipped in a coating to cover any
sharp edges, among other sharp edge solutions.
[0056] There are several processes that can be used to form the
appliance or portion thereof having metallic material. FIGS. 3 and
4 illustrate two such ways and discussion is provided about some
other processes that may be utilized.
[0057] FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a mechanism that could
be used to form one or more appliance embodiments of the present
disclosure. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, a portion of a mechanism
303 is illustrated that can be used to form a portion of the shape
of an appliance such as those illustrated in FIGS. 1A-2C.
[0058] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the forming of an
appliance from a metal sheet of material 330. It will be understood
that this sheet of material could be a sheet of mesh material or
other type of metallic or partially metallic material.
[0059] In a process such as that illustrated in FIG. 3, an
appliance having metallic material can be pressed over a mold using
a positive or, in some cases, a negative shape in a desired
configuration. In some embodiments, metallic material can be
sandwiched into a multi-piece forming mechanism (e.g., a number of
dies), to press and/or hold the metallic material in a desired
shape.
[0060] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the forming mechanism 303
includes several portions, namely portions 332, 334, 336, and 338.
These at least some of these portions move toward one another to
bend the sheet of material 330.
[0061] In some embodiments, changes in temperature of the
environment around the mechanism 303, of the portions 332, 334,
336, and/or 338 and/or the material 330 can be used to create the
desired shape and/or force properties of the appliance or portion
being formed. In various embodiments, some portion of the forming
mechanism 303 or the entire mechanism can be formed from a metallic
or ceramic material. Where a shape memory type material is used as
material 330, then, a change in temperature or stress can be
applied to the material 330 to produce the desired shape and/or
force characteristics of the appliance or portion being formed. For
instance, in some embodiments, the metallic material can be a shape
memory alloy formed at least in part from nickel, titanium, copper,
aluminum, and/or zinc, among other materials.
[0062] In such embodiments and as stated above, the metallic
material may be coated for esthetics and/or hygiene among other
considerations. In such embodiments, the amount of movement built
in can, for example, be based on the amount of distortion that can
be tolerated to still ensure appliance fit.
[0063] FIG. 4 illustrates a process for forming an appliance
according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In
the embodiment of FIG. 4, an appliance or portion thereof can be
formed over a positive model 444 of a desired shape, using a
carrier material 440 to enable formation of the metallic material
(e.g., metallic mesh material) 442 around the desired shape 444.
The metallic material 442 can then be set, for example, with high
heat. The carrier material 440 can then be removed by any suitable
manner.
[0064] One suitable manner, for example, may be that the carrier
material 440 is a dissolvable material, which can be removed by
dissolving with a solvent such as water, organic solvent, or other
solvent types. In some embodiments, the carrier 440 may be a wax
which can be melted or burned off.
[0065] Another process for creating appliance embodiments or
portions thereof may be to bend the individual ribs in a mesh
material and then to assemble the individual ribs with connecting
wire and solder or otherwise attach the framework together.
[0066] Various embodiments of the present disclosure can enable a
longer range of movement to be built into an appliance without
increasing the amount of force placed on the teeth. In other words,
through use of shape memory alloy materials, for example, it may be
possible for an appliance to provide the movement of 5 to 10
polymeric appliances without increasing patient discomfort and/or
negative biological effects of high force on the one or more
teeth.
[0067] As a result of such embodiments, fewer appliances may have
to be built, thereby reducing materials costs and/or visits to the
treatment professional, among other benefits. Another possible
benefit is because the material is metallic it may be easier to
disinfect an appliance, in some instances.
[0068] FIG. 5 illustrates a method of forming a removable dental
positioning appliance according to one or more embodiments of the
present disclosure. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the method
includes forming one or more dies based upon a machine readable
three dimensional model of at least one physical tooth to be moved,
at block 550. A metallic material can be applied onto at least one
of the dies, as provided in block 552.
[0069] The metallic material can be shaped via interaction with
each of the dies to form a dental positioning appliance, at block
554. In this manner, the metallic appliance can be shaped to fit
the intended user.
[0070] In various embodiments, one or more methods can include
applying a metallic material that is a metallic mesh material.
Applying the metallic material can include applying at least one
wire.
[0071] Shaping the metallic material can include pressing the
metallic material between at least two of the dies. In some
embodiments, shaping the metallic material can include bending the
metallic material into contact with at least one of the dies.
[0072] In some embodiments, a method can include applying a coating
to at least a portion of the appliance. Method embodiments can also
include heating the metallic material to change the material into a
shape memory material.
[0073] In various embodiments, a method can include trimming one or
more edges of the appliance. Methods can also include polishing one
or more portions of the appliance. In some such embodiments, a
method can include forming the shell into a dental positioning
appliance or incorporating the shell into a dental positioning
appliance.
[0074] In some embodiments, the appliance can be a mouth guard that
protects teeth, but may or may not do any positioning of teeth. In
such embodiments, the mouth guard can be coated with a thicker
coating or the coating material can provide more shock absorption.
Any suitable mouth guard features, design, or materials can be
utilized with embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0075] FIG. 6 illustrates a method for forming an appliance
according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
Although discussed with respect to a mesh material, FIG. 6 should
be interpreted to be suitable for metallic materials in generally
and not limited to mesh materials.
[0076] In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the method includes creating
one or more mesh shapes at block 660. The mesh shapes can be final
or intermediate tooth configurations and can, for example, be
created with a computing device aided drafting (CAD) program in two
or three dimensions. In some embodiments, the mesh shapes may
conform exactly to the shape of the teeth in the entire arch or may
conform exactly only to a portion of the teeth in the arch, among
other configurations.
[0077] In some embodiments, and as illustrated at block 662, the
method of FIG. 6 includes digitally sectioning the mesh shapes in a
3-D environment. The digital sectioning of the mesh shapes can be
used to create different dies for different metallic portions of
the appliance if suitable for manufacturing.
[0078] Block 664 includes creating a computerized negative or
inverse receiving die geometry of shapes. In the embodiment of FIG.
6, the die geometry is a computerized master 3-D type of die that
can be used for forming multiple appliance dies.
[0079] At block 666, the master die and individual section pieces
(e.g., forming mechanism portions) are printed and heat resistant
forms are created. Forming one or more dies can include forming at
least one die from a metallic or ceramic material.
[0080] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, raw metal alloy
mesh is positioned against the master die at block 668. The
sections are then assembled to sandwich the material into a
selected shape at block 670. The metallic material can then be heat
treated, if desired to create a shape memory alloy as discussed at
block 672.
[0081] At block 674, the sections are removed and the formed
metallic material is separated from the die. In such embodiments,
the material can then be trimmed and/or polished, if desired, as
indicated at block 676. In some embodiments, as illustrated at
block 678, a coating can be added.
[0082] Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and
described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will
appreciate that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same
techniques can be substituted for the specific embodiments shown.
This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or
variations of various embodiments of the disclosure.
[0083] It is to be understood that the use of the terms "a", "an",
"one or more", "a number of", or "at least one" are all to be
interpreted as meaning one or more of an item is present.
Additionally, it is to be understood that the above description has
been made in an illustrative fashion, and not a restrictive one.
Combination of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not
specifically described herein will be apparent to those of skill in
the art upon reviewing the above description.
[0084] The scope of the various embodiments of the disclosure
includes any other applications in which the above structures and
methods are used. Therefore, the scope of various embodiments of
the disclosure should be determined with reference to the appended
claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such
claims are entitled.
[0085] In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are
grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of
streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be
interpreted as reflecting an intention that the embodiments of the
disclosure require more features than are expressly recited in each
claim.
[0086] Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject
matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed
embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into
the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a
separate embodiment.
* * * * *