A type of invisible aligner for teeth straightening

Abstract

This utility model relates to an invisible aligner for orthodontic treatment, wherein the outer edge of the aligner body is provided with reinforcing ribs. The reinforcing ribs locally thicken the aligner body, increasing its retention and tooth control. Simultaneously, the reinforcing ribs enhance the strength of the aligner body's edge to resist deformation caused by repeated removal and insertion. This utility model provides an invisible aligner for orthodontic treatment that, by enhancing the structural strength of the edge portion, has the advantage of high stability during use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of invisible orthodontic appliances, and in particular to an invisible orthodontic appliance for orthodontic treatment. Background Technology

[0002] Invisalign or Clear Aligners are a modern orthodontic tool made of transparent, removable materials, designed to gradually move teeth to achieve proper alignment. They offer significant advantages over traditional braces and wire braces in terms of aesthetics, convenience, and comfort.

[0003] While clear aligners offer numerous advantages, several technical challenges remain in practical application, one of which is their relatively low stability. Because the aligners are made of flexible materials and rely on the patient's correct wearing habits, their fixation in the mouth is easily affected by various factors. For example, repeated wearing and removal can weaken the edge of the aligner, leading to slippage or dislodgement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model provides an invisible aligner for orthodontic treatment, which has the advantage of high stability in use by enhancing the structural strength of the edge portion.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A type of invisible aligner for orthodontic treatment, wherein the outer edge of the aligner body is provided with reinforcing ribs.

[0006] In one possible implementation, the reinforcing rib is arranged in a ring along the outer edge of the body of the orthodontic appliance.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the edges of the reinforcing rib are rounded.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the interior of the orthodontic appliance body has a contact area for the sides of the teeth to fit together, and the contact area is provided with an anti-slip pad.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the anti-slip mat has a mesh structure.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the contact area includes a palatal contact surface of the tooth and a buccal contact surface of the tooth, and the anti-slip pad is disposed on the palatal contact surface of the tooth.

[0011] This utility model has the following advantages due to the adoption of the above technical solution: Compared with existing technologies, during the wearing process, the reinforcing ribs are used to locally thicken the main body of the aligner, increasing the retention and tooth control of the aligner. At the same time, the reinforcing ribs enhance the strength of the aligner's edges to resist deformation caused by repeated removal and insertion. This invention provides an invisible aligner for orthodontic treatment, which, by enhancing the structural strength of the edge portion, has the advantage of high stability during use. The anti-slip mat is designed with aesthetics in mind, so as not to affect the appearance, and it is located on the inner surface so as not to affect the patient's comfort. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the specific structure of the invisible orthodontic device in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of an invisible orthodontic device according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the anti-slip mat in one embodiment of the present invention; Figure label: 1. Main body of the appliance; 11. Palatal contact surface; 12. Buccal contact surface; 2. Anti-slip pad; 3. Reinforcing rib; Detailed Implementation

[0013] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of this utility model are described clearly and completely below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0014] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this invention shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," and similar words used in this invention do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect.

[0015] While clear aligners offer numerous advantages, they still present some technical challenges in practical application, one of which is their relatively low stability. Because these aligners are made of flexible materials and rely on the patient's correct wearing habits, their fixation in the oral cavity is easily affected by various factors. For example, repeated wearing and removal can weaken the edge strength of the aligner, leading to slippage or dislodgement. To address these technical problems, this invention provides a clear aligner for orthodontic treatment that, by enhancing the structural strength of the edge portion, offers the advantage of high stability. The technical solution of this invention will be described in detail below with specific examples.

[0016] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 As shown, the present invention relates to an invisible aligner for orthodontic treatment, wherein the outer edge of the aligner body 1 is provided with reinforcing ribs 3.

[0017] Specifically, the reinforcing rib 3 is used to locally thicken the main body 1 of the aligner, increasing its retention and tooth control capabilities. Simultaneously, the reinforcing rib 3 strengthens the edges of the main body 1 to resist deformation caused by repeated removal and insertion. This invention provides an invisible aligner for orthodontic treatment, which, by enhancing the structural strength of the edge portion, offers the advantage of high stability during use.

[0018] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the reinforcing rib 3 is arranged in a ring along the outer edge of the orthodontic body 1.

[0019] It should be noted that the reinforcing rib 3 is positioned entirely above the gum line and is not visible during normal social interactions, thus not affecting aesthetics. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the edges of the reinforcing rib 3 are rounded, providing a smooth transition, eliminating any foreign body sensation, and improving patient comfort.

[0020] In one embodiment, more preferably, the interior of the orthodontic appliance body 1 has a contact area for the sides of the teeth to fit together, and an anti-slip pad 2 is provided on the contact area.

[0021] Compared with existing technologies, the anti-slip pad 2 comes into direct contact with the patient's teeth during wear, which can optimize the fit stability between the teeth and the main body of the orthodontic appliance 1, increase retention force, and has the advantage of higher stability in use.

[0022] In one embodiment, the overall structure of the anti-slip mat 2 is further refined, and the anti-slip mat 2 is specifically a mesh structure.

[0023] Specifically, the contact area includes the palatal contact surface 11 and the buccal contact surface 12 of the teeth, and the anti-slip pad 2 is disposed on the palatal contact surface 11 of the teeth.

[0024] It should be noted that the buccal contact surface 12 of the teeth is an external surface, visible to others during wear, thus avoiding the problem of reduced transparency due to the mesh structure affecting the aesthetics of the appliance. At the same time, the mesh structure is located on the inner surface of the appliance, so it does not affect the patient's comfort.

[0025] This invention also provides a specific implementation method, which aims to change the thickness of the invisible aligner according to different stages of the treatment. By locally thickening the aligner, the retention and tooth control of the aligner are increased. In addition, by treating the inner surface, the friction between the aligner and the teeth is increased, further enhancing retention.

[0026] 1) During the alignment stage, a 0.4mm thick orthodontic appliance body 1 is used, with reinforcing ribs 3 locally installed on the buccal and lingual edges of the orthodontic appliance body 1: The thickness of the main body 1 of the orthodontic appliance is reduced to 0.4mm during the alignment stage (the thickness of a conventional 3D printed orthodontic appliance is 0.6mm) in order to increase the elasticity of the appliance and reduce its rigidity, thereby increasing the amount of single-step design, shortening the treatment time, and achieving the goal of rapid alignment.

[0027] Adding local reinforcing ribs 3 to the buccal and lingual edges increases retention force even when the appliance has low rigidity.

[0028] 2) During the leveling and gap-closing stage, the palatal thickness of the main body 1 of the orthodontic appliance is increased to 0.8 mm, while the buccal and occlusal surfaces use a standard thickness of 0.6 mm. A reinforcing rib 3 is added to the buccal edge. The palatal thickness is increased to 0.8mm, mimicking the band arch technique of lingual fixed orthodontic appliances. This increases control over the mesiodistal angle of the teeth, avoids the rollercoaster effect during extraction orthodontic treatment, facilitates anterior tooth opening, and prevents deepening of the anterior overbite during anterior tooth retraction. Since the palatal undercut is smaller and has no adhesive attachments than the buccal undercut, increasing the thickness and rigidity of the palatal appliance will not cause difficulties in removal and insertion for patients.

[0029] The buccal and occlusal surfaces retain the standard 0.6mm thickness of 3D-printed orthodontic appliances to avoid problems such as difficulty in removing or putting on the appliances and excessive corrective force.

[0030] The buccal edge is reinforced with a rib 3, which can increase the retention of the main body 1 of the appliance. On the other hand, it is beneficial to apply force to the labial neck of the upper anterior teeth, so it is easy to control the anterior tooth torque during the retraction of the anterior teeth and avoid the anterior tooth torque from going out of control and causing a pendulum effect.

[0031] In this specific implementation, the proposed time-varying orthodontic appliance, by adjusting its thickness, more closely resembles actual clinical applications, facilitating precise control of teeth, efficient tooth movement, and thus shortening treatment time. During the alignment phase, reducing the thickness of the appliance body 1 and increasing its elasticity significantly enhances the controllability of the single-step design, achieving efficient tooth alignment. In the leveling and gap-closing phases, it enhances control over the teeth, preventing tooth loss of control, reducing the number of detailed adjustments and restarts, and further shortening the treatment course.

[0032] To enhance retention, reinforcing ribs 3 are incorporated into the edge of the appliance body 1, improving its occlusion at the cervical region. The anti-slip pads 2 of the palatal contact surface 11 feature a mesh structure, increasing friction between the appliance body 1 and the teeth, resulting in more secure retention. Simultaneously, the thickened palatal reinforcing ribs 3 enhance control over the mesiodistal angle of the teeth, effectively preventing tilting of teeth on either side of the extraction space and avoiding the "roller coaster effect." Thickened buccal reinforcing ribs 3 improve torque control over the upper anterior teeth, preventing the "pendulum effect" caused by torque loss of control.

[0033] This design also reduces the need for attachment bonding, improves retention and control, and reduces patient discomfort and operational complexity during insertion and removal, returning to the original intention of clear aligners to be simple and comfortable. Overall, the structural design is simple, requires no complex calculations, facilitates large-scale production and clinical application, and is suitable for the entire process of various treatment cases.

[0034] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and not to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. A tooth aligner for tooth alignment, characterized by, The outer edge of the main body of the orthodontic appliance is reinforced with ribs; The reinforcing ribs are arranged in a ring along the outer edge of the main body of the orthodontic appliance; the interior of the main body of the orthodontic appliance has a contact area for the sides of the teeth to fit together, and the contact area is provided with an anti-slip pad.

2. The aligner of claim 1, wherein, The edges of the reinforcing ribs are rounded.

3. The aligner of claim 1, wherein, The anti-slip mat has a mesh structure.

4. The aligner of claim 1, wherein, The contact area includes the palatal contact surface and the buccal contact surface of the teeth, and the anti-slip pad is disposed on the palatal contact surface of the teeth.

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