Shell-shaped dental instruments and their manufacturing methods

Abstract

One aspect of this application provides a shell-shaped dental instrument, comprising: a shell-shaped body, which is integrally shell-shaped and forms a cavity for receiving teeth, wherein the shell-shaped body is made of a first material; and a jaw pad disposed on the surface of at least one side of the shell-shaped body in the posterior region near the opposing jaw, wherein the jaw pad is made of a second material, the second material being softer than the first material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application generally relates to a shell-shaped dental instrument and a method for manufacturing the same, and more specifically, to a shell-shaped dental instrument with a soft occlusal pad and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] Posterior tooth intrusion is a key technique in orthodontic treatment to correct open bite, but it is also a challenging aspect that is difficult to achieve with conventional orthodontic techniques. Due to their aesthetic appeal, convenience, and ease of cleaning, shell-shaped dental instruments based on polymer materials (such as shell appliances and shell retainers) are becoming increasingly popular. Achieving effective posterior tooth intrusion while wearing shell-shaped dental instruments would be of great significance for orthodontic treatment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One aspect of this application provides a shell-shaped dental instrument, comprising: a shell-shaped body, integrally shell-shaped and forming a cavity for receiving teeth, wherein the shell-shaped body is made of a first material; and a occlusal pad disposed on at least one side of the shell-shaped body in the posterior tooth region against the opposing jaw, wherein the occlusal pad is made of a second material, the second material being softer than the first material. In one embodiment, the posterior teeth may include premolars and posterior molars, i.e., teeth 4 to 7.

[0004] In some embodiments, the first material enables the generation of a force that moves the teeth when the shell-like body is deformed while being worn on the patient's dentition.

[0005] In some embodiments, the cavity has a geometry that repositions the patient's teeth from a first layout to a second layout.

[0006] In some implementations, the geometry of the cavity substantially matches the second layout of the patient's teeth.

[0007] In some embodiments, the jaw pad is formed directly on the shell-like body using an additive manufacturing process.

[0008] In some embodiments, the elastic modulus of the second material is 5 to 3000 MPa, and the elongation at break is 50 to 1200%.

[0009] In some embodiments, the elastic modulus of the second material is 100-500 MPa and the elongation at break is 200-1000%.

[0010] In some embodiments, the geometry of the surface of the occlusal pad against the opposing tooth is such that, during occlusion, the occlusal pad is indented more at the point of contact with the cusp of the opposing posterior tooth to be indented than elsewhere, thereby enhancing the posterior tooth indentation effect.

[0011] In some embodiments, the surface of the jaw pad that rests against the opposing jaw is smooth, i.e., the surface is free of pits or depressions.

[0012] In some embodiments, the surface of the jaw pad that rests against the opposing jaw is approximately planar or curved.

[0013] Another aspect of this application provides a method for manufacturing a shell-shaped dental instrument, comprising: obtaining a shell-shaped body, which is integrally shell-shaped and forms a cavity for accommodating teeth, wherein the shell-shaped body is made of a first material; and a control device for fabricating a occlusal pad in a predetermined area on the outer surface of the posterior tooth region of the shell-shaped body using a second material, wherein the second material is softer than the first material.

[0014] In some embodiments, the method for manufacturing a shell-shaped dental instrument further includes: acquiring positional information of a jaw pad, indicating the position where the jaw pad is disposed on the shell-shaped body; acquiring a three-dimensional digital model representing the jaw pad; and controlling the device to manufacture the jaw pad on the shell-shaped body using the positional information and the three-dimensional digital model representing the jaw pad.

[0015] In some embodiments, the equipment is additive manufacturing equipment.

[0016] In some implementations, the additive manufacturing process is 3D printing. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The above and other features of this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and their detailed description. It should be understood that these drawings only illustrate several exemplary embodiments according to this application and should not be considered as limiting the scope of protection of this application. Unless otherwise specified, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and similar reference numerals denote similar parts.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic front view of a shell-shaped dental instrument in one embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic side view of a shell-shaped dental instrument;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a shell-shaped dental instrument along AA; and

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a shell-shaped dental instrument according to one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The following detailed description incorporates the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification. The illustrative embodiments mentioned in the specification and drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Those skilled in the art will understand, based on the teachings of this application, that many other embodiments can be employed and various changes can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. It should be understood that the various aspects of this application illustrated herein can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in many different configurations, all of which are within the scope of this application.

[0023] Through extensive research and development, the inventors of this application have developed a shell-shaped dental instrument with a soft occlusal pad that enables posterior tooth intrusion while wearing the shell-shaped dental instrument. This enriches the functionality of the shell-shaped dental instrument and simplifies dental orthodontic instruments and procedures / operations.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic front view of a shell-shaped dental instrument 100 in one embodiment of this application, with the perspective being maxillofacial. Figure 2 This is a schematic side view of a shell-shaped dental instrument 100. Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the shell-shaped dental instrument 100 along AA.

[0025] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The shell-shaped dental instrument 100 includes a shell-shaped body 101 and occlusal pads 103 and 105. The shell-shaped body 101 is a single shell, forming a cavity 107 for accommodating teeth. Occlusal pads 103 and 105 are respectively disposed on the outer surface of the posterior tooth region on both sides of the shell-shaped body 101.

[0026] In one embodiment, the shell-shaped dental instrument 100 may be an orthodontic appliance, with a cavity 107 having a geometry that repositions the patient's teeth from a first layout to a second layout. In one embodiment, the geometry of the cavity 107 may be based on the second layout of the patient's teeth.

[0027] In another embodiment, the shell-shaped dental instrument 100 may be a retainer for maintaining the patient’s current tooth layout, the geometry of which may substantially match the patient’s current tooth layout.

[0028] The shell-like body 101 is made of a first material whose material properties enable it to generate elastic force sufficient to move teeth if it deforms when worn on a patient's dentition. In some embodiments, the first material may be PC (polycarbonate), PEG (polyethylene glycol), or TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane).

[0029] In one embodiment, the shell-shaped body 101 can be manufactured using a hot-press molding process, and the geometry of the cavity 107 can substantially match the dental model used to manufacture the shell-shaped body 101. In one embodiment, the dental model used to manufacture the shell-shaped body can be a dental model of the patient's second dental layout.

[0030] Jaw pads 103 and 105 are made of a second material different from the first material, which has greater elasticity and is softer than the first material. For example, the elastic modulus of the second material is 5–3000 MPa, and the elongation at break is 50–1200%. More preferably, the elastic modulus of the second material is 100–500 MPa, and the elongation at break is 200–1000%. The material properties of jaw pads 103 and 105 make them more comfortable for patients to wear, while also providing a better effect on posterior tooth intrusion.

[0031] In some embodiments, the second material may be a thermosetting elastomer, such as silicone rubber, thermosetting polyurethane, and organosilicon resin; the second material may also be a thermoplastic elastomer, such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polycarbonate (PC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PETG); the second material may also be a photocurable elastomer (see the materials disclosed in "HighlyStretchable and UV Curable Elastomers for Digital Light Processing Based 3D Printing" published by Dinesh K. Patel et al. in ADVANCED MATERIALS 1606000 in 2017, as well as UV-curable silicone synthetic rubber, etc.).

[0032] In one embodiment, the thickness of the jaw pads 103 and 105 can be set according to the amount of indentation required for the corresponding tooth.

[0033] In one embodiment, the geometry of the surfaces of the occlusal pads 103 and 105 against the opposing occlusion is such that, during occlusion, the occlusal pads 103 and 105 are pressed in more deeply at the points of contact with the cusps of the opposing posterior teeth to be indented than elsewhere. In one embodiment, the surfaces of the occlusal pads 103 and 105 against the opposing occlusion may be gentle, for example, they may be approximately planar or curved.

[0034] In another embodiment, the geometry of the surfaces of the jaw pads 103 and 105 against the opposing jaw can substantially match the geometry of the corresponding area of ​​the opposing jaw (teeth or shell-shaped dental instruments), so that the surfaces of the two can substantially fit together during occlusion.

[0035] In another embodiment, the geometry of the surfaces of the jaw pads 103 and 105 that face the opposing jaw can be substantially consistent with the geometry of the corresponding region of the shell-like body 101.

[0036] Based on the teachings of this application, it can be understood that the shapes of jaw pads 103 and 105 are not limited to the above embodiments and can be set according to specific circumstances and needs.

[0037] In one embodiment, jaw pads 103 and 105 may be adhesively fixed to the shell-like body 101.

[0038] In another embodiment, jaw pads 103 and 105 may be fixed to the shell-like body 101 by means of a structure such as a snap fastener.

[0039] In another embodiment, jaw pads 103 and 105 may be formed directly on the shell-like body 101 by additive manufacturing processes (such as 3D printing, photopolymerization, deposition, etc.).

[0040] Depending on their working principles, additive manufacturing processes include, but are not limited to: polymer printing, digital lighting processing, stereolithography (Objet and Formlabs are representative suppliers), micro-stereolithography, photopolymerization (using ultraviolet light to scan the surface of liquid photosensitive resin, generating thin layers of a certain thickness each time, building parts layer by layer from the bottom), selective laser sintering (using a high-power laser to heat powder and sinter it into shape; Selective Laser Sintering and EOS are representative suppliers), selective laser melting, electron beam melting, three-dimensional printing (very similar to selective laser sintering, except that the laser sintering process is replaced by nozzle bonding, and the raster scanner is replaced by an adhesive nozzle; Zcorp and Voxeljet are representative suppliers), and fused deposition modeling (FDM). Deposition Modeling (which uses a hot melt nozzle to melt plastic material, extrudes it from the nozzle, and deposits it at a designated location to solidify and form a shape; RepRap, MakerBot, and Stratasys are representative suppliers), Aerosol Printing, Jet Molding, and other technologies are also mentioned.

[0041] A specific example of ultraviolet curing technology can be found in "Highly Stretchable and UV Curable Elastomers for Digital Light Processing Based 3D Printing" published by Dinesh K. Patel et al. in ADVANCED MATERIALS 1606000 in 2017.

[0042] In one embodiment, jaw pads 103 and 105 can be manufactured on a computer using a three-dimensional digital model of jaw pads 103 and 105 controlled by a device.

[0043] The following is a brief introduction to the process of manufacturing jaw pads based on several different additive manufacturing processes.

[0044] When processing jaw pads using stereolithography, a computer-controlled ultraviolet laser scans liquid resin point-by-point along the contours of each layer of the jaw pad. This causes a photopolymerization reaction in the scanned resin layer, forming a thin cross-section of the jaw pad. Once one layer has cured, the worktable is moved, and a new layer of liquid resin is applied to the cured surface for the next layer to be scanned and cured. The newly cured layer adheres firmly to the previous layer, and this process is repeated until the entire jaw pad is completed.

[0045] When processing jaw pads using spray molding technology, a computer-controlled spray gun can be used to spray a gel mixed with initiators and accelerators, which is then uniformly deposited onto a predetermined area on the surface of the shell-shaped dental instrument. Once a certain thickness has been reached, the gel is compacted with rollers or other tools to remove air bubbles, and finally left to stand until it solidifies and forms the jaw pad.

[0046] The shell-shaped body 101 can be manufactured using a hot-press molding process, which is well known in the industry and will not be described in detail here.

[0047] Please refer to Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of a shell-shaped dental instrument manufacturing method 200 in one embodiment of this application.

[0048] In 201, a shell-shaped body made of a first material is obtained.

[0049] The shell-like body is a single shell that forms a cavity to accommodate the teeth.

[0050] In one embodiment, the shell-shaped dental instrument is a shell-shaped orthodontic appliance, the cavity of the shell body having a geometry that repositions the patient's teeth from a first layout to a second layout, and the first material being such that when the shell body is worn on the patient's dentition and deforms, it can generate a force that moves the teeth.

[0051] In step 203, obtain the position information of the jaw pad.

[0052] The jaw pad location information indicates the position where the jaw pad is placed on the shell-like body.

[0053] In one embodiment, a three-dimensional digital model representing the shell-like body can be obtained first, and then a computer can be used to specify the position and extent of the jaw pad on the outer surface of the three-dimensional digital model representing the shell-like body. For a scheme where the shell-like body is fabricated using a thermoforming process, the shell-like body is obtained by thermoforming a polymer film material onto a dental model. In one embodiment, a three-dimensional digital model representing the dental model can be obtained first, its outer surface can be used as the inner surface of the three-dimensional digital model representing the shell-like body, and combined with the estimated thickness of the shell-like body, a three-dimensional digital model representing the shell-like body can be obtained.

[0054] In another embodiment, the outer surface of the digital model representing the dental model can be approximated as the outer surface of the shell-like body, and then the location and extent of the jaw pad can be specified on the outer surface of the three-dimensional digital model representing the dental model using a computer.

[0055] In 205, a three-dimensional digital model representing the jaw pad is obtained.

[0056] In one embodiment, parameters of the jaw pad can be input into a computer, such as the geometry of the jaw pad against the jaw surface and the thickness of the jaw pad, and then combined with the geometry of the jaw pad and the shell-like body interface (i.e., the geometry of the corresponding area on the outer surface of the shell-like body) to obtain a three-dimensional digital model representing the jaw pad.

[0057] In 207, the jaw pad is fabricated on the shell-shaped body using a second material by using the positional information of the jaw pad and a three-dimensional digital model representing the jaw pad, resulting in a shell-shaped dental instrument.

[0058] The second material is softer than the first material.

[0059] The above is an embodiment of automatically fabricating a jaw pad on a shell-shaped body using computer-controlled equipment. Under the guidance of this application, it can be understood that the jaw pad can also be fabricated on a shell-shaped body by manually controlling the equipment.

[0060] Although various aspects and embodiments of this application have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments of this application will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon inspiration from this application. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting purposes. The scope and spirit of this application are determined solely by the appended claims.

[0061] Similarly, the diagrams may illustrate exemplary architectures or other configurations of the disclosed methods and systems, which aid in understanding the features and functions that may be included in the disclosed methods and systems. The claims are not limited to the exemplary architectures or configurations shown, and the desired features may be implemented with various alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, the order of the blocks given herein with respect to flowcharts, functional descriptions, and method claims should not be limited to various embodiments implemented in the same order to perform the said functions, unless explicitly indicated in the context.

[0062] Unless otherwise expressly stated, the terms and phrases used herein, and their variations thereof, should be interpreted as open-ended rather than restrictive. In some instances, the appearance of extended words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to,” or other similar expressions should not be construed as an intention or necessity to indicate a narrower scope in examples where such extended expressions might not exist.

Claims

1. A shell-shaped dental instrument, comprising: A shell-like body, being a single, shell-like structure forming a cavity to accommodate teeth, wherein the shell-like body is made of a first material; and A occlusal pad is disposed on the surface of at least one side of the shell-shaped body in the posterior tooth region near the opposing jaw, wherein the occlusal pad is made of a second material, the second material being an elastomer softer than the first material, and the occlusal pad is used to depress the posterior teeth.

2. The shell-shaped dental instrument as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first material enables the generation of a force that moves the teeth when the shell-like body is deformed while being worn on the patient's dentition.

3. The shell-shaped dental instrument as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The cavity has a geometry that repositions the patient's teeth from a first layout to a second layout, and the first material enables the shell-like body to reposition the teeth.

4. The shell-shaped dental instrument as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The geometry of the cavity basically matches the second layout of the patient's teeth.

5. The shell-shaped dental instrument as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The jaw pad is formed directly on the shell-shaped body using an additive manufacturing process.

6. The shell-shaped dental instrument as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The geometry of the surface of the occlusal pad against the opposing tooth is such that, during occlusion, the occlusal pad is pressed in more deeply at the point of contact with the cusp of the opposing posterior tooth to be indented than elsewhere.

7. The shell-shaped dental instrument as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that, The surface of the jaw pad against the opposing jaw is smooth.

8. The shell-shaped dental instrument as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, The surface of the jaw pad that rests against the opposing jaw is approximately flat or curved.

9. A method for manufacturing a shell-shaped dental instrument, comprising: A shell-like body is obtained, which is integrally shell-shaped and forms a cavity for accommodating a tooth, wherein the shell-like body is made of a first material that allows the shell-like body to reposition the tooth; and The control device fabricates a occlusal pad in a predetermined area on the outer surface of the posterior tooth region of the shell-shaped body using a second material, wherein the second material is an elastomer that is softer than the first material, and the occlusal pad is used to depress the posterior teeth.

10. The method for manufacturing a shell-shaped dental instrument as described in claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes: Obtain the position information of the jaw pad, which indicates the position where the jaw pad is disposed on the shell-shaped body; Obtain a three-dimensional digital model representing the jaw pad; and The device is controlled to fabricate the jaw pad on the shell-shaped body using the location information and the three-dimensional digital model representing the jaw pad.

11. The method for manufacturing a shell-shaped dental instrument as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The equipment is an additive manufacturing equipment.

12. The method for manufacturing a shell-shaped dental instrument as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The additive manufacturing process is 3D printing.

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