Manufacturing method of a transparent correction device using a 3D printer

Abstract

The manufacturing method of a transparent orthodontic device using a 3D printer according to the present invention is a manufacturing method of a transparent orthodontic device performed using a computer, and includes: (A) a step of scanning a patient's oral structure to generate and store data regarding the shape thereof; (B) a step of displaying the patient's oral structure based on the stored data; and (C) a step of setting correction details for the displayed oral structure. In step (C), the teeth to be corrected are selected, correction values regarding the amount of rotation and the amount of movement thereof are input, the scale of the orthodontic device is set, and further, a step of partially differentiating and inputting the thickness of the transparent orthodontic device is included.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for manufacturing a transparent correction device using a computer and a 3D printer. Specifically, it relates to a method of scanning a patient's oral structure using a 3D scanner, generating and storing information about the oral structure, inputting various correction values into a computer, and directly outputting a transparent correction device using a 3D printer.

Background Art

[0002] The conventional method of manufacturing a dental correction device is as follows. First, after the dentist grasps the patient's oral structure, a dental mold with the same shape as the teeth is created. Generally, the patient's dental mold is made using plaster or the like after creating a mold of the patient's oral structure. For the dental plaster model thus created, a sheet-shaped polyol material is pressure-bonded vertically at a high temperature with a molding machine to create a transparent correction device suitable for the patient, which is a conventional general technique. This manufacturing method is a manual operation through the cooperation of a doctor and a dental technician, and is performed by a skilled dental technician, so it requires a lot of time and labor, resulting in a problem that the manufacturing cost of the correction device increases. On the other hand, recently, a method of scanning a patient's oral structure using a 3D scanner, storing the information, and creating a dental mold based on the information is widely used. This method is an advanced method compared to the method of directly taking a patient's dental mold to create a dental mold. That is, in a dental hospital, 3D scan data regarding the patient's tooth structure is transmitted to a dental laboratory, and in the dental laboratory, a dental mold is created based on the received information, and a transparent correction device is created by a pressure-bonding method accordingly. Furthermore, a method of manufacturing a dental mold using a 3D printer has also been published. It transmits the patient's tooth data generated through a 3D scanner to a 3D printer and outputs the patient's dental mold. On the other hand, a method of directly manufacturing a transparent correction device using a 3D printer has also been introduced. However, the above technology is common and is only a general technology.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] The method for manufacturing a transparent correction device using a 3D printer according to the present invention aims to significantly reduce the time and labor required for manufacturing the correction device by directly outputting a dental correction device with a 3D printer without separately creating a dental mold, and to epoch-makingly reduce the unit price of the correction device. In addition, the method for manufacturing a transparent correction device according to the present invention aims to simplify the manufacturing process of the correction device by enabling the direct production of the correction device at a dental hospital without going through the complicated process of cooperation between dentistry and a dental laboratory. Furthermore, the method for manufacturing a transparent correction device using a 3D printer according to the present invention aims to improve the usability and usefulness of the transparent correction device using a 3D printer by presenting the optimal scale and thickness for ensuring the correction force of the transparent correction device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, the method for manufacturing a transparent correction device using a 3D printer according to the present invention (A) scanning the oral structure of a patient to generate and store data regarding the shape of the oral structure; (B) displaying the oral structure of the patient based on the data stored in step (A); (C) including the step of setting detailed correction matters for the oral structure of the patient displayed in step (B), the step (C) includes the step of selecting teeth to be corrected while the oral structure of the patient is being displayed, and inputting respective correction values for the amount of rotation and movement of the selected teeth; A step of inputting the scale of the transparent correction device based on the correction value input above; It includes a step of partially differentiating and inputting the thickness of the transparent correction device by making the thicknesses of the portions where the transparent correction device comes into contact with and does not come into contact with the teeth to be corrected different. In addition, a method for manufacturing a transparent correction device using a 3D printer according to the present invention uses, as a solution to the problem, the fact that the transparent correction device is output by the 3D printer based on the set value. Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a transparent correction device using a 3D printer according to the present invention uses, as a solution to the problem, the fact that a connection part is additionally formed on the outer surface and / or inner surface of the transparent correction device that comes into contact with the teeth to be corrected.

Advantages of the Invention

[0005] The method for manufacturing a transparent correction device using a 3D printer according to the present invention significantly reduces the time and effort required for manufacturing the correction device by directly outputting the dental correction device with the 3D printer without separately creating a dental mold, epochally improves the manufacturing efficiency of the correction device, and enhances the economic efficiency of the product. In addition, the method for manufacturing a transparent correction device according to the present invention has the effect of simplifying the manufacturing process of the correction device by enabling the direct production (in-house production) of the correction device at a dental hospital. Furthermore, the method for manufacturing a transparent correction device using a 3D printer according to the present invention has the effect of enhancing the usability and usefulness of the transparent correction device using the 3D printer by proposing an optimal scale and thickness for ensuring the correction force of the transparent correction device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] The manufacturing method of the transparent correction device using the 3D printer according to the invention is as follows. (A) Scanning the oral structure of a patient to generate and save data regarding the shape of the oral structure; (B) Displaying the oral structure of the patient based on the data saved in the step (A); (C) Setting detailed correction matters for the oral structure of the patient displayed in the step (B), The step (C) includes, with the oral structure of the patient being displayed, selecting teeth to be corrected and inputting respective correction values for the rotation amount and movement amount of the selected teeth; Inputting the scale of the transparent correction device based on the correction values input above; Inputting by partially differentiating the thickness of the transparent correction device so that the thicknesses of the portions where the transparent correction device contacts and does not contact the teeth to be corrected are different. Hereinafter, the manufacturing method of the transparent correction device using the 3D printer based on the present invention will be described in detail step by step. The technical terms used in the present invention are only used for explaining the following examples, and there is no intention to limit the scope of the present invention by these technical terms. Unless otherwise defined in the present invention, these technical terms should be understood and used in the meaning generally understood by ordinary technicians. The step (A) is to scan the oral structure of the patient to generate and save data regarding its shape. By scanning the oral structure of the patient to be corrected using a 3D scanner, data on the shape of each of the patient's teeth is generated and the information is stored in a computer.

[0008] (B) step is a step of displaying the oral structure of the patient based on the data stored in the above (A) step. The therapist makes a treatment plan by looking at the displayed oral structure. Specifically, the teeth that need to be corrected are selected and a correction plan for those teeth is made. (C) step is a step of setting detailed matters of correction for the oral structure of the patient displayed in the above (B) step, and is composed of (C1) step, (C2) step, and (C3) step. Here, the (C1) step is a step of selecting the teeth to be corrected in the state where the oral structure of the patient is displayed and inputting respective correction values regarding the amount of rotation and the amount of movement of the selected teeth. For correction, cases such as rotating while keeping the position of the tooth as it is (rotational movement), moving the position of the tooth itself (horizontal / vertical movement), and cases where both are required are considered. The therapist inputs the rotation value or / and the moving direction and the amount of movement for each tooth into the computer according to the made correction plan. The input method to the computer is divided into two. The first is a method of moving or / and rotationally moving each tooth according to the correction plan in the displayed state, and the second is a method of inputting numerical values for moving or / and rotationally moving. In either case, it is considered to correspond to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] (C2) step is a step of inputting the scale of the transparent correction device based on the correction values input above. Here, the scale means the ratio of the volume of the transparent correction device to the volume of the tooth. Basically, the transparent correction device is manufactured according to the corrected state of the tooth to be corrected. In this case, the scale of the transparent correction device directly affects the correction force of the tooth. If the scale is too small (i.e., when the correction device almost matches the size of the virtual corrected tooth and there is almost no gap between the tooth and the correction device), it becomes difficult to attach to the tooth or may cause strong pain to the patient. Conversely, if the scale is too large (when the gap between the tooth and the correction device increases), attachment becomes easier, but there is a problem that the correction force decreases. The correction method using a transparent correction device is based on the method in which the teeth are corrected little by little, and when the position and rotation reach the target values, the transparent correction device for the next stage is replaced, and additional correction for the next stage is performed by the newly replaced transparent correction device. Therefore, the transparent correction device is required to be replaced step by step at regular intervals. When the transparent correction device is first worn, the correction force has a maximum value, but as time passes after wearing, the position of the tooth changes, and as a result, the correction force gradually decreases. Figure 1 shows the change in the correction force accompanying the scale of the transparent correction device. When the scale is set to 100% (when the sizes of the virtual corrected tooth shape and the transparent correction device completely match), the maximum correction force can be obtained, but there is a problem that the wearing feeling deteriorates (in some cases, it may not be possible to wear). It can be seen that when the scale is increased, the correction force decreases, and when the scale value exceeds 101.5%, the correction force decreases significantly. Therefore, since it is necessary to ensure that the scale value of the transparent correction device does not exceed 101.5% and to ensure a certain degree of wearing feeling, it is desirable that the scale value is between 100.1% and 101.5%.

[0010] (C3) stage is a stage of inputting by partially differentiating the thickness of the portion where the transparent correction device contacts the tooth to be corrected and the portion where it contacts the non-target tooth. Figure 2 shows the temporal change in the correction force according to the thickness of the transparent correction device. In order to compress the tooth to be corrected and give a change in its position, the thickness of the transparent correction device needs to be above a certain value. If the thickness of the transparent correction device is not above a certain value, the required transparent correction device will not exert a correction effect. However, if the thickness of the transparent orthodontic device is excessively increased only for the purpose of ensuring the orthodontic force, the wearing comfort will be very poor, which will not only cause discomfort to the patient, but also result in the inability to obtain more orthodontic force when the thickness exceeds a certain level. As can be seen from Figure 2, during the general replacement cycle of 7 to 14 days for the transparent orthodontic device, the minimum thickness (the part in contact with the teeth to be corrected) of the transparent orthodontic device that can maintain a certain level of orthodontic force is 0.3 mm. When the thickness of the transparent orthodontic device exceeds 1 mm, the patient will feel a rather uncomfortable wearing sensation, and actually no more orthodontic force will be exerted. Therefore, it is desirable that the thickness of the part of the transparent orthodontic device in contact with the teeth to be corrected is not less than 0.3 mm and does not exceed 1 mm, and more preferably, it is recommended to be from 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm. Figure 3 shows a transparent orthodontic device in which the thickness is increased only in the tooth part that requires orthodontics, and shows an embodiment of the present invention. The transparent orthodontic device according to the present invention can adjust only the thickness of the contact part with the teeth that require orthodontics. In other words, by increasing the thickness of the contact part with the teeth that require orthodontics and increasing the rigidity of the transparent orthodontic device, a greater orthodontic force can be obtained. Thus, as shown in Figure 3, the transparent orthodontic device according to the present invention can selectively increase its thickness only in the tooth part that requires orthodontics and exert a partial orthodontic effect.

[0011] (D) stage is the stage in which the transparent orthodontic device is output through a 3D printer based on the values set above, and the transparent orthodontic device according to the present invention is completed. The transparent orthodontic device according to the present invention is characterized in that a low viscosity resin is used as a material for the 3D printer, and it is delicate while having a predetermined strength and elasticity. If the viscosity of the resin is too high, the workability by molding will decrease. This decrease in workability may cause the 3D printer to operate smoothly and may cause malfunctions. In addition, material separation may occur, impairing the uniformity of the product and causing product defects. The transparent orthodontic device based on the present invention uses a low-viscosity resin as the material for a 3D printer to solve these problems. For these reasons, it is desirable to limit the viscosity of the resin used in the 3D printer for the transparent orthodontic device based on the present invention to 750 cPs (centipoise) or less. On the other hand, if the viscosity of the resin is made too low, the stiffness of the completed transparent orthodontic device will not have the required value, and there will be a problem that the orthodontic force becomes weak. Therefore, it is desirable that the viscosity of the resin used in the 3D printer is at least 650 cPs or more. For these reasons, the viscosity of the resin is preferably in the range of 650 cPs to 750 cPs, and more preferably in the range of 675 cPs to 725 cPs. In this way, the present invention can provide a transparent orthodontic device that has the required physical properties (strength and elasticity) and is efficient in output by a 3D printer.

[0012] (E) step is a step of inputting the surface area, thickness, shape, etc. of the attachment in order to exert a stronger orthodontic force on the inner surface where the transparent orthodontic device contacts the tooth to be corrected. Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the transparent orthodontic device based on the present invention in which the above attachment is formed. By forming an attachment such as a protrusion on the inner surface that contacts the tooth to be corrected, a stronger pressure can be applied to the tooth, thereby doubling the orthodontic force of the transparent orthodontic device and enabling it to have a more effective orthodontic force. Since the orthodontic force varies depending on the thickness, surface area, shape, etc. of this attachment, the thickness, surface area, shape, etc. of the attachment are also input according to the set orthodontic value. In Figure 4, only the attachment for rotating the tooth to be corrected is shown, but this shows an embodiment of the present invention, and it is possible to adjust the number, size, shape, etc. of the attachments according to the orthodontic plan of the tooth. Figure 5 shows a transparent orthodontic device according to an embodiment of the present invention in which the above-mentioned connection part is formed. The (F) step is a step of inputting a connection part to the outer surface of the transparent orthodontic device that contacts the tooth to be corrected in order to secure an additional orthodontic force. The connection part is formed on the outer surface or the inner surface of the transparent orthodontic device. When a stronger orthodontic force is required, an orthodontic rubber is hung on the connection part to secure the orthodontic force. The shape of this connection part can be deformed in various ways as long as it is for the purpose of hanging an orthodontic rubber, such as a hook shape or a button shape. These modified examples are considered to be included in the technical scope as mere modifications of the present invention.

[0013] The above description of the configuration and effects is only an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the scope of the claims. It is obvious to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains that various changes and modifications can be made without changing the technical idea of the present invention, and such simple design changes are considered to be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. In a method for manufacturing a transparent orthodontic device implemented using a computer, (A) a step of scanning a patient's oral structure to generate and save data regarding the shape of the oral structure; (B) a step of displaying the patient's oral structure based on the data saved in the step (A); (C) including a step of setting correction details for the patient's oral structure displayed in the step (B), The step (C) is In a state where the patient's oral structure is being displayed, selecting the teeth to be corrected and inputting respective correction values regarding the amount of rotation and movement of the selected teeth: (C1) A step of inputting a scale value indicating the gap between the transparent orthodontic device and the teeth based on the input correction values, and the scale value to be input is characterized by being 100.1% to 101.5%: (C2) Including a step of differentiating the thickness of the part of the transparent orthodontic device that contacts the teeth to be corrected and the part that does not contact, and partially differentiating the thickness of the transparent orthodontic device to input a thickness value: (C3) (D) A method for manufacturing a transparent orthodontic device using a 3D printer, characterized by including a step of outputting the transparent orthodontic device through a 3D printer based on the set values.

2. In Claim 1, A method for manufacturing a transparent orthodontic device using a 3D printer, including a step (E) of inputting any one or more of the surface area, thickness, and shape of an attachment on the inner surface of the transparent orthodontic device that contacts the teeth to be corrected in order to exert a stronger correction force.

3. In Claim 1, The step (C) further includes a step (F) of inputting a connection part on the outer surface or inner surface of the transparent orthodontic device that contacts the teeth to be corrected in order to ensure additional correction force, and is characterized by a method for manufacturing a transparent orthodontic device using a 3D printer.

4. In Claim 2, A method for manufacturing a transparent orthodontic device using a 3D printer, characterized in that the thickness value input to the part that contacts the teeth to be corrected in the step (C3) is 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm.

5. In Claim 2, A method for manufacturing a transparent orthodontic device using a 3D printer, characterized in that the connection part is in the shape of a hook or a protruding button.

6. In Claim 2 or Claim 3, A method for manufacturing a transparent orthodontic device using a 3D printer, characterized in that the connecting portion has a hook shape or a protruding button shape.

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