Indirect bonding tray for orthodontic appliances

Abstract

The technology described in this specification relates to an exemplary indirect bonding tray for an orthodontic appliance. The exemplary indirect bonding tray includes an occlusal base having an outer perimeter and defining a first impression that conforms to a first occlusal tooth surface and a second impression that conforms to at least a portion of a second occlusal tooth surface. The exemplary indirect bonding tray further includes a buccal wall that defines a well for releasably engaging an orthodontic appliance, the buccal wall extending outwardly beyond the outer perimeter of the occlusal base, the buccal wall and the well being in a first region of the indirect bonding tray associated with the first impression, the first region being adjacent to a second region of the indirect bonding tray associated with the second impression, and an outer wall of the second region extending to the outer perimeter of the occlusal base.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Related Applications This patent claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 345,568, filed May 25, 2022, entitled "Indirect Bonding Tray for Orthodontic Appliances," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Technical Field The technology described herein generally relates to dental appliances, and more specifically, to an exemplary indirect bonding tray for orthodontic appliances.

Background Art

[0003] The correct placement of orthodontic appliances in straight-wire orthodontic treatment is important for orthodontic treatment, such as avoiding unwanted tooth movement and prolonging treatment time. Such placement can be done by direct or indirect bonding of the appliance. Direct bonding can be done by placing the appliance directly on the tooth one by one, rather than on a model such as a plaster model. Indirect bonding of the appliance can be done by placing the appliance on a model of the patient's teeth and transferring the model to the patient's teeth to bond the appliance. Indirect bonding can enhance the accuracy and / or effectiveness of straight-wire orthodontic treatment compared to direct placement of the appliance by a clinician.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Means for Solving the Problems In accordance with the disclosed problems, an exemplary indirect bonding tray for orthodontic appliances is provided.

[0005] Some embodiments relate to an exemplary indirect bonding tray for transferring an orthodontic appliance to teeth. An exemplary indirect bonding tray for transferring an orthodontic appliance to teeth includes: an occlusal base defining a first impression having an outer perimeter and conforming to a first occlusal tooth surface, and a second impression conforming to at least a portion of a second occlusal tooth surface; and a buccal wall defining a well for releasably engaging the orthodontic appliance, the buccal wall extending outwardly beyond the outer perimeter of the occlusal base, the buccal wall and the well being in a first region of the indirect bonding tray associated with the first impression, the first region being adjacent to a second region of the indirect bonding tray associated with the second impression, an outer wall of the second region extending to the outer perimeter of the occlusal base.

[0006] Some embodiments relate to another exemplary indirect bonding tray for transferring an orthodontic appliance to teeth. An exemplary indirect bonding tray includes: an occlusal base defining (i) a first impression having a first end and a second end and conforming to at least a first portion of a first occlusal tooth surface, and (ii) a second impression having a third end and a fourth end and conforming to at least a second portion of a second occlusal tooth surface, the at least second portion being smaller than at least one first portion, a first width defined by the first end and the second end being greater than a second width defined by the third end and the fourth end, the occlusal base defining the second impression; and a well defining a well for releasably engaging the orthodontic appliance and including a buccal wall extending substantially orthogonally from the occlusal base and the first end.

[0007] Some aspects relate to an apparatus for constructing an indirect bonding tray for transferring an orthodontic appliance to teeth, the apparatus comprising: a memory storing instructions; and a processor executing the following instructions: obtaining dental data related to a patient, generating a computer model of the patient's teeth, specifying the placement of an orthodontic appliance relative to the teeth using the computer model, and constructing an indirect bonding tray using a stereolithography process based on at least one of the dental data or the computer model, the indirect bonding tray comprising: an occlusal base having an outer perimeter and defining a first impression conforming to a first occlusal tooth surface and a second impression conforming to at least a portion of a second occlusal tooth surface; and a buccal wall defining a well for releasably engaging the orthodontic appliance, the buccal wall extending outwardly beyond the outer perimeter of the occlusal base, the buccal wall being included, the buccal wall and the well being in a first region of the indirect bonding tray related to the first impression, the first region being adjacent to a second region of the indirect bonding tray related to the second impression, an outer wall of the second region extending to the outer perimeter of the occlusal base. The foregoing relates to the apparatus, including the processor, configured to perform the foregoing.

[0008] Some aspects relate to at least one computer-readable non-transitory storage medium that, when executed, causes a processor to: obtain dentition data related to a patient; generate a computer model of the patient's teeth; identify an orthodontic appliance placement for one of the teeth using the computer model; and construct an indirect bonding tray using a stereolithography process based on at least one dentition data or computer model, the indirect bonding tray comprising: an occlusal base having an outer perimeter and defining a first impression that conforms to a first occlusal tooth surface and a second impression that conforms to at least a portion of a second occlusal tooth surface; and a buccal wall defining a well for releasably engaging the orthodontic appliance, the buccal wall extending outwardly beyond the outer perimeter of the occlusal base, the buccal wall being included, the buccal wall and the well being in a first region of the indirect bonding tray related to the first impression, the first region being adjacent to a second region of the indirect bonding tray related to the second impression, an outer wall of the second region extending to the outer perimeter of the occlusal base, the storage medium comprising instructions that cause the above to be executed.

[0009] Some aspects relate to a method of manufacturing an indirect bonding tray for moving an orthodontic appliance to teeth. An exemplary method includes: measuring dentition data related to a patient; generating a computer model of the patient's teeth; identifying an orthodontic appliance placement for one of the teeth using the computer model; and constructing an indirect bonding tray using a stereolithography process based on at least one dentition data or computer model, the indirect bonding tray comprising: an occlusal base having an outer perimeter and defining a first impression that conforms to a first occlusal tooth surface and a second impression that conforms to at least a portion of a second occlusal tooth surface; and a buccal wall defining a well for releasably engaging the orthodontic appliance, the buccal wall extending outwardly beyond the outer perimeter of the occlusal base, the buccal wall being included, the buccal wall and the well being in a first region of the indirect bonding tray related to the first impression, the first region being adjacent to a second region of the indirect bonding tray related to the second impression, an outer wall of the second region extending to the outer perimeter of the occlusal base, the method including the above.

[0010] The above summary is not intended to be limiting. Further, various aspects of the present disclosure can be implemented alone or in combination with other aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is shown in various figures is represented by like reference characters. For clarity, not every component is labeled in every figure. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and instead, emphasis is placed on showing the various aspects of the technologies and devices described herein.

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[0024] This application relates to an indirect bonding tray. This application provides an example of an indirect bonding tray for an orthodontic appliance. This application also provides example techniques for its design and / or manufacture.

[0025] Dental treatment plans, such as orthodontic treatment plans, may include performing a series of procedures using dental hardware to achieve a desired result for the patient. Non-limiting examples of desired results include aesthetic results and / or dental health results. For example, an aesthetic result may be to correct one or more teeth, which is a typical result of an orthodontic treatment plan. An exemplary dental health result is to separate adjacent teeth to achieve an appropriate space between them to promote gum and / or tooth health.

[0026] Orthodontic treatment plans can be performed using an indirect bonding tray (also referred to as an indirect bonding tray). The indirect bonding tray can be created based on a model of the patient's mouth. The tray can include an impression of each tooth in the patient's mouth. The tray can include hollow spaces configured as holes, cavities, and / or wells defined to accommodate instruments such as brackets for adhering to the teeth that match the impression. A clinical professional, such as a dentist or orthodontist, can transfer the instrument to the hollow space. The clinical professional can move and secure the tray within the patient's oral cavity. The clinical professional can adhere the instrument to each tooth and remove the tray from the patient's oral cavity.

[0027] The inventors recognize that there are several challenges when using an indirect bonding tray for the placement of orthodontic appliances. For example, the inventors recognize that one of the challenges when using an indirect bonding tray is that access to certain teeth may be difficult depending on the position within the patient's mouth. For example, due to the position within the patient's mouth, posterior teeth can be difficult to access and may be difficult to keep dry during the adhesion of the appliance.

[0028] The inventors also recognize that another challenge when using an indirect bonding tray is to ensure the support or surface area necessary to support the adhesion of the appliance. For example, often, if only one molar tooth is included in the tray, the support or surface area necessary to securely hold, position, and fix the tray and adhere the appliance is not obtained.

[0029] The inventors recognized that, as yet another problem in bonding an appliance to a tooth using an indirect bonding tray, the placement of the tray may be affected by and / or interfere with appliances adjacent to the tooth of interest. For example, if one or more brackets or tubes are already bonded to a tooth adjacent to the tooth to be bonded with the appliance and thus the placement of the tray interferes, it may not be desirable to use a tray that spans the entire dental arch or a segmented tray that spans two or more teeth.

[0030] The inventors have developed examples of indirect bonding trays for orthodontic appliances and examples of techniques for their design and / or manufacture. The techniques described herein can, for example, overcome the aforementioned problems and / or other problems. In one aspect, the techniques disclosed herein can facilitate the bonding of appliances, including avoiding interference with other appliances already bonded to the patient's teeth, assisting in the accurate placement of the appliances, and providing stability to the tray. In some embodiments, an integral handle can be formed on the tray or a handle can be formed on the tray to support the accurate placement of the appliance. Advantageously, clinicians can benefit from the size and shape of the example trays disclosed herein, which are easy to place and hold. Advantageously, the size and shape of the example trays disclosed herein improve the clinician's ability to place the tray deep in the patient's mouth while ensuring a secure fit and accurate placement of the appliance.

[0031] In some embodiments, an indirect bonding tray can be constructed to bond an orthodontic appliance to anterior or posterior teeth. Advantageously, such an indirect bonding tray can overcome the problems of conventional indirect bonding trays that have access to posterior teeth. In some embodiments, the teeth to be bonded are premolars or molars (e.g., first, second, or third molars). In some embodiments, the indirect bonding tray is for the second molar (which may also be referred to as "7"). In some embodiments, the orthodontic appliance can be a bracket, molar tube, or auxiliary appliance (e.g., hook, button, or bite turbo).

[0032] In some embodiments, the indirect bonding tray can include perforations defined between the occlusal base of the tray and the first and second impressions of the tray. Advantageously, the perforations can be configured to separate the occlusal base, leaving only the area of the first impression for bonding the orthodontic appliance. In some embodiments, the perforations can include a portion of the second impression, the first impression is substantially or completely intact, and the second impression is a partial impression. For example, the perforations can be in the distal region of the second impression.

[0033] In some embodiments, the indirect bonding tray can include one or more recesses defined in the occlusal base of the tray. In some of such embodiments, the recesses are on the surface of the tray opposite the impression of the tray. Advantageously, the recesses can be configured to engage tools such as pliers or forceps when a clinician positions the tray. Additionally or alternatively, the recesses can be configured to engage a clinician's finger. Advantageously, such recesses can overcome the problems of conventional indirect bonding trays that lack the support or surface area necessary to secure the tray in a patient's mouth.

[0034] In some embodiments, rather than constructing a model of the patient's dentition (e.g., a physical model) and forming a tray over the model, additive manufacturing (e.g., three-dimensional (3D) printing) techniques can be utilized to directly form the tray. In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing can form the tray as a custom tray based on the patient's teeth. For example, the additive manufacturing can form an indirect bonding tray such that the tray can selectively engage one or more teeth. In some such embodiments, the tray can be configured to be able to bond an appliance to a first tooth and avoid appliances that are already bonded to surrounding teeth. Advantageously, such custom trays can overcome the problem that existing appliances in the patient's mouth interfere with the placement of conventional indirect bonding trays.

[0035] Referring to the figures, the illustrative examples of FIGS. 1A and 1B show perspective and side views, respectively, of an exemplary indirect bonding tray 100 for moving an orthodontic appliance to a tooth. Non-limiting examples of appliances such as orthodontic appliances include brackets (e.g., orthodontic brackets), molar tubes, and auxiliary appliances. Non-limiting examples of auxiliary appliances include bite turbos, buttons, or hooks.

[0036] The tray 100 includes an occlusal base 102 that defines a first impression 104 that can conform to the occlusal surface of a tooth, a second impression 106 that can conform to at least a portion of the occlusal surface of a second tooth, and a third impression 108 that can conform to at least a portion of the occlusal surface of a third tooth. In some embodiments, the first impression 104 is distal to the second impression 106. In some embodiments, the first impression 104 is proximal to the second impression 106. In some embodiments, the tooth corresponding to the first impression 104 is the second molar, and the tooth corresponding to the second impression 106 can be configured to removably re-engage with the first molar.

[0037] In some embodiments, the second impression 106 and / or the third impression 108 conform to only a portion of the occlusal surface of the applicable teeth and not the entire occlusal surface. For example, the second impression 106 and / or the third impression 108 may be partial impressions that assist in the placement of the tray 100 and provide stability for more accurately placing the appliance.

[0038] The tray 100 includes a first buccal wall 110 that defines at least a hollow space 112. For example, the hollow space 112 can be configured as a bore, cavity, hole, or well for releasably engaging an orthodontic appliance. The first buccal wall 110 extends substantially orthogonally (e.g., 90 degrees, 90 degrees + / - 1 degree, 90 degrees + / - 2 degrees, etc.) from the occlusal base 102 in a first region 114 of the first impression 104. The hollow space 112, and / or more generally, the first buccal wall 110 that defines the hollow space 112, is angled and / or offset from the longitudinal axis 116 of the tray 100 by an angle θ (or 180 degrees minus θ). In this example, at least one of the base 117 or one or more side surfaces 119, 121 of the first buccal wall 110 can be offset by an angle θ with respect to the longitudinal axis 116. In this example, the hollow space 112, and / or more generally, the first buccal wall 110 that defines the hollow space 112, can be offset by an angle θ with respect to the second surface 138. In this example, the first buccal wall 110 is defined by and / or includes side regions 123, 127.

[0039] The tray 100 also includes a second buccal wall 118 and a third buccal wall 120. Alternatively, the second buccal wall 118 and / or the third buccal wall 120 may be absent. In this example, the second buccal wall 118 is in the second region 122 of the second impression 106. For example, the second buccal wall 118 can extend above the occlusal base 102. In this example, the third buccal wall 120 is in the third region 124 of the third impression 108. For example, the third buccal wall 120 can extend above the occlusal base 102. In the illustrated example, the height of the first buccal wall 110 above the occlusal base 102 is higher than the heights of the second buccal wall 118 and the third buccal wall 120. Alternatively, the height of the second buccal wall 118 and / or the height of the third buccal wall 120 may be the same as the height of the first buccal wall 110.

[0040] In the illustrated example, the first buccal wall 110 is in the first region 114 and extends outwardly (e.g., substantially orthogonally) from the outer periphery 125 of the occlusal base 102. The first region 114 is adjacent to and / or abuts the second region 122. The second region 122 is adjacent to and / or abuts the third region 124. In the illustrated example, the second region 122 and the third region 124 extend to the outer periphery 125 of the occlusal base 102. For example, the outer wall of the second region 122, such as the second buccal wall 118, can extend to the outer periphery 125 of the occlusal base 102. In some such embodiments, the second buccal wall 118 and the third buccal wall 120 do not extend beyond the outer periphery 125 of the occlusal base 102. For example, the second buccal wall 118 and the third buccal wall 120 are not configured to releasably engage an instrument for adhering to teeth, so they do not extend beyond the outer periphery 125 of the occlusal base 102.

[0041] The tray 100 in the illustrated example includes a first lingual wall 126 configured to cover at least a portion of the lingual surface of the teeth. Alternatively, the tray 100 may include a portion of the first lingual wall 126. Alternatively, the tray 100 may not include the first lingual wall 126.

[0042] The tray 100 of the illustrated example includes a second lingual wall 128 configured to cover at least a portion of the lingual surface of the second tooth. Alternatively, the tray 100 may include a portion of the second lingual wall 128. Alternatively, the tray 100 may not include the second lingual wall 128, and the second lingual wall 128 does not exist.

[0043] The tray 100 of the illustrated example includes a third lingual wall 130 configured to cover at least a portion of the lingual surface of the third tooth. Alternatively, the tray 100 may include a portion of the third lingual wall 130. Alternatively, the tray 100 may not include the third lingual wall 130, and the third lingual wall 130 does not exist.

[0044] It is beneficial that the buccal wall and / or the lingual wall can be designed to avoid interference with appliances already adhered to the second and / or third teeth. For example, the absence, partial or complete non - existence of the buccal wall or the lingual wall, or combinations thereof, helps to place the tray 100 in the patient's oral cavity and provides stability for more accurate placement of the appliance, while allowing the buccal wall or the lingual wall to avoid interference with other previously adhered appliances (e.g., existing appliances on the teeth associated with the second and third impressions 106, 108).

[0045] As an example, as shown in FIGS. 1A - 1B, the second and third lingual walls 126, 128 extend gingivally more than the opposite second and third buccal walls 118, 120. There may be no appliance attached to the teeth associated with the first impression 104, but appliances are already adhered to the teeth associated with the second and third impressions 106, 108. Advantageously, the second and third buccal walls 118, 120 can be configured to extend from the occlusal base 102 to a height 132 (identified as H) to create a space (e.g., an opening) to accommodate the existing appliances and not interfere with the placement of the tray 100.

[0046] In the illustrated example, the tray 100 includes one or more recesses 134 defined in the occlusion base 102. The one or more recesses 134 are also shown in FIGS. 2A and / or 2B for clarity. The one or more recesses 134 are on the first surface 136 of the tray 100 on the opposite side of the second surface 138 of the impressions 104, 106, 108. For example, the first surface 136 is the bottom surface of the tray 100 and the second surface 138 is the top surface of the tray 100. For example, the first buccal wall 110 can extend above the second surface 138 such as the second surface 138 of the first region 114, the second region 122, and / or the third region 124. In some embodiments, the one or more recesses 134 can be implemented by notches, openings, spaces, or hollow portions.

[0047] In this example, the one or more recesses 134 are positioned under the second impression 106. For example, the occlusion base 102 can taper under the second impression 106 to accommodate the one or more recesses 134. Additionally or alternatively, the one or more recesses 134 can be positioned under the first impression 104 and / or the third impression 108. In some embodiments, the first of the recesses 134 can be positioned under the first impression 104, the second of the recesses 134 can be positioned under the second impression 106, and / or the third of the recesses 134 can be positioned under the third impression 108. In some embodiments, the one or more recesses 134 can be configured to engage with a hemostat when a clinician positions the tray 100. Additionally or alternatively, the one or more recesses 134 may be configured to engage with a clinician's finger. Non-limiting examples of hemostats include a Weingart hemostat and an anterior bracket forceps.

[0048] In some embodiments, the tray 100 can be formed as two or more parts. For example, the tray 100 can be formed of a first part (e.g., an impression part) that includes impressions such as impressions 104, 106, 108, and a second part (e.g., a handle part) that includes one or more recesses 134. For example, the portion of the occlusal base 102 that includes one or more recesses 134, and / or more generally the occlusal base 102, can form a handle that can be used by a clinician to position the tray 100. In some embodiments, a manufacturer (e.g., an indirect bonding tray manufacturer) or a clinician can assemble at least the first part and the second part prior to appliance bonding.

[0049] Figures 2A and 2B respectively show a side perspective view and a bottom perspective view of another indirect bonding tray 200 that includes perforations 202 formed in the occlusal base 204 of the indirect bonding tray 200. The illustrated indirect bonding tray 200 of FIGS. 2A-2B includes the first impression 104, the first buccal wall 110, the first lingual wall 126, one or more recesses 134 (identified as 134A and 134B in FIG. 2B), the first surface 136, and the second surface 138 of FIGS. 1A-1B. For example, the indirect bonding tray 100 of FIGS. 1A-1B can be configured to releasably engage the first, second, and third teeth corresponding to the first impression 104. In some embodiments, the indirect bonding tray 200 of FIGS. 2A-2B can be configured to releasably engage the first tooth and the fourth tooth corresponding to the fourth impression 206.

[0050] The perforation 202 in the illustrated example is defined in the occlusal base 204 between the first impression 104 and the fourth impression 206. In some embodiments, the perforation 202 can be configured and / or used to separate the occlusal base 204, such that only the first impression 104 region remains for bonding of the orthodontic appliance. Advantageously, the perforation 202 can be configured to detach, separate, and / or otherwise remove the fourth impression 206 (and / or surrounding structures) from the first impression 104 prior to placement of the tray 200 in situations where the teeth have shifted relative to each other since the scan that led to the construction of the tray 200. In such an exemplary situation, the portion of the tray 200 that includes the fourth impression 206 can be removed so that the first impression 104 can be placed on the teeth corresponding to the first impression 104 without interference from the fourth impression 206 that may no longer fit adjacent teeth.

[0051] In some embodiments, the perforation 202 can include a portion of the fourth impression 206, such that the first impression 104 is substantially intact (e.g., 90% intact, 95% intact, 99% intact) or completely intact (e.g., 100% intact), and the fourth impression 206 is a partial impression. For example, the perforation 202 can be present in the distal region of the fourth impression 206.

[0052] In the illustrated examples of FIGS. 2A-2B, the tray 200 includes a first lingual wall 126 opposite the first buccal wall 110 and a fourth lingual wall 208 opposite the fourth buccal wall 210. In these examples, the first lingual wall 126 and the fourth lingual wall 208 are at the same height or substantially the same height (e.g., within 1%, 2% of each other considering manufacturing tolerances) relative to the occlusal base 204. Alternatively, the heights of the first lingual wall 126 and the fourth lingual wall 208 can be different.

[0053] In the illustrated example, the height of the first buccal wall 110 is higher than the height of the fourth buccal wall 210. For example, since an instrument may already be attached to the fourth tooth releasably engaged by the fourth buccal wall 210, the first buccal wall 110 may be higher than the fourth buccal wall 210. Among such embodiments, there are those in which the fourth buccal wall 210 is lower than the first buccal wall 110 to create an opening in which the attached instrument can be placed. Advantageously, different heights of the buccal walls allow the tray 200 to be placed without being obstructed by previously adhered instruments. Alternatively, the heights of the first buccal wall 110 and the fourth lingual wall 208 may be the same or substantially the same.

[0054] The tray 200 in the illustrated example includes a pair of recesses 134 including a first recess 134A and a second recess 134B. The recesses 134A, 134B are defined in the occlusal base 204 of the first impression 104 region (e.g., the first region 114 of FIGS. 1A - 1B). The recesses 134A, 134B extend from the outer periphery 212 of the tray 200 to the inside of the occlusal base 204. For example, the outer periphery 212 can be the outer boundary, edge, or perimeter of the tray 200. The recesses 134A, 134B are separated by a portion 214 of the occlusal base 204.

[0055] FIGS. 3A and 3B show a perspective view of a first side and a perspective view of a second side of yet another indirect bonding tray 300 that includes perforations formed in the occlusal base of the indirect bonding tray and omits the buccal and lingual walls, respectively. The indirect bonding trays 300 of these examples include a portion of the first impression 104, the second impression 106, the first buccal wall 110, and the first surface 136 of FIGS. 1A - 1B. The illustrated example further shows the perforations 202 of FIGS. 2A - 2B formed in the occlusal base 302 of the tray 100 between the first impression 104 and a portion of the second impression 106.

[0056] In the illustrated example of FIGS. 3A - 3B, the second impression 106 is a partial impression of the second impression 106. The tray 300 can be conveniently configured to use the second impression 106 to adhere an appliance to the teeth corresponding to the first impression 104. As an example, the tray 300 can be configured such that the first buccal wall 110 defines a hollow space 112 for accommodating an appliance for adhering to the teeth corresponding to the first impression 104. In such an embodiment, the second impression 106 can correspond to the second teeth where there are existing appliances. Advantageously, in such an embodiment, the tray 300 can be configured to engage the second teeth using a portion of the second impression 106, thereby providing additional support and / or surface area for improving the adhesion of the appliance to the first teeth with less material. Advantageously, the tray 300 can be a reduced form of the tray 100 of FIGS. 1A - 1B, whereby only a portion of the second impression 106 is used, thus reducing the amount of material used to construct the tray 300 (compared to the tray 100 of FIGS. 1A - 1B).

[0057] In the illustrated example of FIGS. 3A - 3B, the tray 300 has no lingual wall. Since there is no additional buccal wall on the first buccal wall 110 of the tray 300, it provides support and / or surface area for improving the adhesiveness of the appliance while further reducing the amount of material required for constructing the tray 300.

[0058] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of another indirect adhesion tray 400 including a plurality of impressions including partial impressions. The tray 400 of this example includes the first impression 104, the first buccal wall 110, the hollow space 112, a portion of the second impression 106, and a portion of the third impression 108 of FIGS. 1A - 1B.

[0059] The illustrated example of the tray 400 includes an occlusion base 402 including a first region 404 and a second region 406. The first region 404 includes the first impression 104 of the teeth to which the appliance is to be adhered. The first impression 104 of this example has a first width defined by, for example, the distance, length, etc. between a first end 408 and a second end 410 opposite the first end 408.

[0060] The second region 406 includes a partial second impression 106 of the second tooth and a partial third impression 108 of the third tooth. In some embodiments, the first impression 104 is for a second molar, the second impression 106 is for a first molar, and the third impression 108 is for a premolar. As shown in the figure, the second impression 106 is a partial impression that coincides along the central axis of the second tooth (e.g., the groove between the lingual cusp and the buccal cusp), and the third impression 108 is a partial impression that coincides with the distal pit between the distal lingual cusp and the buccal cusp.

[0061] The second impression 106 of this example has a second width defined by, for example, the distance, length, etc. between a third end 412 and a fourth end 414 on the opposite side of the third end 412. In the illustrated example, the first width is larger than the second width. This is because a part (substantially the whole) of the first impression 104 is larger than a part (which is smaller than substantially the whole because it is a partial impression) of the second impression 106.

[0062] In some embodiments, the second region 406 forms and / or provides a handle 416 that can be held by a clinician's tool (e.g., pliers) or a finger. Advantageously, in some embodiments, the second region 406 assists in positioning the tray 400 by providing surface contact while avoiding interference with other features of the patient's mouth and / or other instruments that may have been previously adhered, and can provide stability to the tray 400.

[0063] In some embodiments, the tray 400 includes in the first region 404 one of the recesses 134 of FIGS. 1A - 1B and / or one or more recesses (not shown) such as the recesses 134A, 134B of FIGS. 2A - 2B. In some embodiments, the tray 400 includes a perforation (not shown) between the first region 404 and the second region 406.

[0064] FIG. 5A shows a perspective view of another indirect bonding tray 500 configured to removably engage a first tooth and be at least partially supported by a second tooth. FIG. 5B shows a bottom perspective view of the indirect bonding tray 500 removably engaged with the first tooth.

[0065] These example trays 500 include a first impression 104, a portion of the second impression 106, a first buccal wall 110, the hollow space 112 of FIGS. 1A-1B, and a second lingual wall 128. The tray 500 includes an occlusal base 502 that includes a first region 404 and a second region 504 of FIG. 4. The first region 404 includes the first impression 104 of the first tooth 506 (shown in FIG. 5B) to be bonded. The second region 504 of the occlusal base 502 has a second lingual wall 128 that meshes with the second tooth 508, but there is no impression region or buccal wall (e.g., the second buccal wall 118 of FIGS. 1A-1B).

[0066] In the illustrated examples of FIGS. 5A-5B, the second lingual wall 128 can assist in positioning the tray 500 and provide stability during bonding. These example trays 500 include recesses 134A, 134B in the first region 404. Optionally, the tray 500 may include perforations (e.g., the perforations 202 of FIGS. 2A-2B) between the first region 404 and the second region 504.

[0067] FIG. 6 shows an example of a dental hardware manufacturing system 600 that includes an electronic device 606 and an additive manufacturing system 608, and constructs an example of dental hardware 610. The dental hardware 610 can include the indirect bonding trays disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the trays 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 of FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4, 5A, and / or 5B can implement the dental hardware 610. Other types of dental hardware 610 are also contemplated, such as brackets, tubes (e.g., molar tubes), auxiliaries (e.g., buttons, hooks, bite turbos). Further, FIG. 6 shows a clinician office 602, a network 604, and an electronic device 606. The electronic device 606 of this example includes or implements a network interface 612, a data extractor 614, a model generator 616, a manufacturing (MFG) control data generator 618, and a data store 620. The data store 620 of this example includes, stores, or implements a 3D computer-aided design (CAD) model 622, dental data 624, and manufacturing control data 626 (identified as MFG CONTROL DATA).

[0068] In some embodiments, a patient (e.g., a human patient, an adult patient, a pediatric patient, etc.) may be evaluated at a clinician's office 602 to facilitate a dental treatment plan (e.g., an orthodontic treatment plan). The patient may have lost one or more teeth. A clinician, such as a dentist, physician, and / or orthodontist affiliated with the clinician's office 602, may take measurements of dentition data 624 to support the construction of dentition hardware 610 for adhering an appliance to one or more teeth in the patient's mouth. For example, such measurements may use a non-contact 3D scanner or an intraoral scanner to directly perform a computed tomography (CT) layer scan of the patient's teeth. In some embodiments, such measurements of the dentition data 624 may use 3D readings of a tooth model that has been pre-cast or 3D printed using a coordinate measuring machine, a laser scanner, or a structured light digitizer. The scan accuracy of such techniques is typically less than about 0.02 millimeters (mm). Non-limiting examples of the dentition data 624 include CT data, 3D reading data, a 3D model of the patient's mouth, coordinate measuring machine data, laser scanner data, and structured light digitizer data.

[0069] In some embodiments, the clinical expert office 602 can transmit the dentition data 624 to the electronic device 606 via the network 604. For example, using a computer associated with the clinical expert office 602, any type of data format (e.g., compressed file, drop file, email, flat file, etc.) and / or type of network connection, the dentition data 624 can be transmitted to the electronic device 606 via the network 604. In some embodiments, the network 604 can be implemented by any wired and / or wireless network such as one or more cellular networks, one or more local area networks (LANs), one or more fiber optic networks, one or more private networks, one or more public networks, one or more wireless local area networks (WLANs), etc., and / or any combination thereof. For example, the network 604 can be the Internet, but any other type of private network and / or public network is also contemplated.

[0070] In some embodiments, the electronic device 606 can be an electronic system and / or computing system that causes the manufacture of the dentition hardware 610 based on the dentition data 624 via the additive manufacturing system 608. In some embodiments, the electronic device 606 can be associated with the designer, seller, and / or manufacturer of the dentition hardware 610. For example, the electronic device 606 can be an appliance, a bonding tray, and / or a server (e.g., a computer server), a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a computer workstation, etc. associated with a dentition hardware manufacturer.

[0071] The electronic device 606 includes a network interface 612 for receiving and / or obtaining the dentition data 624 from the network 604. For example, the network interface 612 can receive tooth measurements, identification information and / or positions of existing appliances in the patient's mouth, desired torques, offsets, and angles of brackets, occlusal and / or incisal surface coatings of placement guides, and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the network interface 612 can implement a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) interface, a Secure HTTP interface (HTTPS), a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) interface, or other types of interfaces. In some embodiments, the network interface 612 can implement an Ethernet interface, a cellular network interface, a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) interface, a Simple File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) interface, and / or other types of network protocol interfaces. The network interface 612 can store the dentition data 624 in the data store 620.

[0072] The electronic device 606 includes a data extractor 614 for extracting and / or identifying data of interest from the dentition data 624. In addition to or in place of the above examples of the dentition data 624, non-limiting examples of information that the data extractor 614 can extract include the position and / or type of one or more teeth (e.g., tooth types such as incisors, canines, premolars, etc.) for positioning a tray and / or appliance, the mesiodistal width between adjacent teeth, and the occlusal gingival height of one or more teeth for placing a tray. The data extractor 614 can save the extracted data in the data store 620.

[0073] The electronic device 606 includes a model generator 616 for constructing and / or generating a model (such as a 3D CAD model) of the patient's mouth and / or teeth in the mouth based on the dental data 624. In some embodiments, the model generator 616 can reposition the teeth in the model to achieve a desired treatment result based on the long axes of the teeth. In some embodiments, the model generator 616 can save the model as a 3D CAD model 622 or a part thereof in the data store 620. For example, the model generator 616 can save an initial 3D CAD model representing the patient's mouth and / or teeth as the 3D CAD model 622 in the data store 620. In some embodiments, the 3D CAD model 622 can be saved (e.g., stored) in a model file format. Non-limiting examples of the model file format include the standard triangle language or the standard tessellation language format (.stl) and the additive manufacturing file (.amf) format.

[0074] In some embodiments, the model generator 616 can use the 3D CAD model 622 to create and / or model an indirectly bonded tray (such as a custom indirectly bonded tray) customized and / or adjusted to fit the patient's mouth, which corresponds to the dental data 624. For example, the model generator 616 can construct and / or generate a model such as a 3D CAD model of the indirectly bonded tray based on at least one of the model of the patient's mouth or the dental data 624. In some embodiments, the model generator 616 can save the model of the indirectly bonded tray as the 3D CAD model 622 or a part thereof in the data store 620. For example, the model generator 616 can save a second 3D CAD model representing the indirectly bonded tray as the 3D CAD model 622 in the data store 620. In some embodiments, the 3D CAD model 622 can be saved (e.g., stored) in a model file format.

[0075] In some embodiments, the indirect bonding tray can be designed and / or manufactured before, during, or simultaneously with the design and / or manufacture of the orthodontic appliance. For example, the tray can be designed to include one or more of the features described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-5. In some embodiments, the tray can be manufactured by a direct manufacturing process, a subtractive manufacturing process such as milling, or by forming a mold and molding the tray on the mold. In some embodiments, the tray can be formed from a flexible biocompatible material such as silicone, or from a polymer formed by a stereolithography process. For example, the tray can be constructed in a stereolithography process using a photopolymer resin based on an acrylic ester monomer.

[0076] In some embodiments, the model of the indirect bonding tray can be a model (e.g., a computer model, a digital model, etc.) of one of the trays 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 of FIGS. 1A-5. The indirect bonding tray can be constructed based on the model to implement a treatment plan for a patient. For example, the model of the indirect bonding tray can be used to identify and / or select an appliance for insertion into the indirect bonding tray and ultimately placement in the patient's mouth. For example, orthodontic appliances such as brackets, molar tubes, or auxiliary appliances (buttons, hooks, bite turbos, etc.) can be identified and / or selected and inserted into the indirect bonding tray.

[0077] In some embodiments, the model of the patient's mouth and the model of the indirect bonding tray may be separate models, such as being included in separate model files. In some embodiments, the model of the patient's mouth and the model of the indirect bonding tray may be the same model, such as being included in the same model file.

[0078] In some embodiments, the model can be designed by the model generator 616 and / or more generally the electronic device 606 based on at least one of the measured teeth and / or the 3D CAD model 622 of the indirect bonding tray, the model of the desired treatment result, or the input additional information such as the desired torque, offset, angle of the selected bracket, and the coverage rate of the occlusal / incisal surface of the placement guide. The output of the design process can be one or more 3D CAD models 622 designed for a single lingual / labial bracket structure, including bracket guides and bracket pads that contact the tooth surface, as well as slots in the ideal positions according to orthodontic requirements, tooth profiles, and / or orthodontic appliances. In some embodiments, the indirect bonding tray can implement a bracket guide, which can be a single bracket pad for a single bracket or a rigid ceramic rectangular archwire with two or more occlusal supports. For example, the indirect bonding tray can be designed to assist in the placement of brackets by indirect bonding. In some embodiments, the model generator 616 and / or more generally the electronic device 606 can design a 3D CAD model of the labial or lingual bracket and / or the bracket structure of the orthodontic appliance according to the orthodontic requirements, materials, and tooth morphology.

[0079] The electronic device 606 includes a manufacturing control data generator 618 that processes the 3D CAD model 622 to generate and / or output manufacturing control data 626 for use in the additive manufacturing system 608. For example, the manufacturing control data 626 can be commands, configuration data, instructions, etc. that cause (e.g., control, instruct, direct) the additive manufacturing system 608 to build the dental hardware 610, and / or any combination thereof.

[0080] The additive manufacturing system 608 can perform one or more 3D printing processes and / or, more generally, additive manufacturing processes to generate dental hardware 610. Non-limiting examples of 3D printing processes include digital light processing (DLP), laser photopolymerization stereolithography, jet printing (particle injection, nanoparticle injection, etc.), layer slurry deposition (LSD), and ceramic slurry-based additive manufacturing techniques such as laser-induced slip casting. For example, when the additive manufacturing system 608 implements a ceramic slurry-based additive manufacturing system, the additive manufacturing system 608 can slice a 3D CAD model 622 (e.g., a 3D CAD bracket structure model) into thin layers and obtain a horizontal cross-sectional model of each layer to manufacture an orthodontic appliance that can include brackets, molar tubes, and / or auxiliaries. Based on this sectional model, the additive manufacturing system 608 can directly manufacture the orthodontic appliance while ensuring that the shape of each layer matches the 3D CAD structural data. For example, the thickness of such a layer can range from about 20 micrometers or microns (μm) to about 50 μm with a manufacturing accuracy of about 5 μm to about 10 μm by using interlayer stacking error correction. In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing system 608 is a polymer-based additive manufacturing system and / or can implement it, and accordingly can form a polymer orthodontic appliance. In some embodiments, post-processing includes washing, drying, and curing.

[0081] In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing system 608 performs post-processing of the dental hardware 610. Non-limiting examples of post-processing operations include washing, heat treatment (for binder burnout), and sintering processes to achieve an optimal or improved ceramic density. For example, the green body is removed from the device (e.g., the build box) of the additive manufacturing system 608, exposed to a furnace to decompose the polymerization binder (a process called debinding), and sintered to form a ceramic bracket, molar tube, and / or auxiliary. In some embodiments, the green body is an orthodontic appliance as disclosed herein.

[0082] The additive manufacturing system 608 can develop dental hardware 610 using high-strength oxides, nitrides, carbide ceramics, and / or metals. For example, the additive manufacturing system 608 can 3D print the dental hardware 610 using high-strength oxides, nitrides, carbide ceramics, and / or metals. Non-limiting examples of such materials include aluminum oxide (Al2O3), zirconium oxide (ZrO2), alumina toughened zirconia (ATZ), zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA), lithium disilicate, leucite silicate, and silicon nitride, stainless steel 17-4PH or 316L, titanium (Ti / Ti-Al6-V4), cobalt chrome (CoCr), tungsten, and tungsten carbide / cobalt (W or WC / Co), silicon carbide (SiC), molybdenum (Mo), and precious metals such as gold (Au).

[0083] In some embodiments, the additive manufacturing system 608 can prepare a photo-curable material or a photo-reactive suspension (slurry) based on commercially available bifunctional and monofunctional methacrylates. For example, the additive manufacturing system 608 can prepare a slurry used to 3D print ceramic appliances using bifunctional and monofunctional methacrylates. Non-limiting examples of the photo-curable material or the photo-reactive suspension include a slurry mixture of about 0.01-0.025 weight percent (wt%) of a highly reactive photoinitiator, about 0.05-6 wt% of a dispersant, an absorbent, and about 2-20 wt% of a non-reactive diluent. For example, the photoinitiator, methacrylate, and dispersant are burned and / or decomposed during 3D printing and / or during a subsequent curing process, leaving the ceramic appliance intact. In some embodiments, solid fillers of high-strength oxide ceramics such as aluminum oxide (Al2O3) or zirconium oxide (ZrO2) powder can be used, but other ceramic materials and metals can also be used.

[0084] In some embodiments, the content of alumina or zirconia in the slurry (e.g., ceramic slurry) can exceed about 49 wt%, 50 wt%, 55 wt%, 60 wt%, 65 wt%, 70 wt%, 75 wt%, 80 wt%, 85 wt%, 90 wt%, 95 wt%, or 99 wt%. In some embodiments, the content of alumina or zirconia in the slurry can be between 50-60 wt%, 60-70 wt%, 70-80 wt%, 80-90 wt%, 90-95 wt%, 95-100 wt%. In some embodiments, the purity of the sintered alumina or zirconia can exceed 95 wt%, 95.5 wt%, 96 wt%, 96.5 wt%, 97 wt%, 97.5 wt%, 98 wt%, 98.5 wt%, 99 wt%, 99.1 wt%, 99.2 wt%, 99.3 wt%, 99.4 wt%, 99.5 wt%, 99.6 wt%, 99.7 wt%, 99.8 wt%, or 99.9 wt%, or can be about 95 wt%, 95.5 wt%, 96 wt%, 96.5 wt%, 97 wt%, 97.5 wt%, 98 wt%, 98.5 wt%, 99 wt%, 99.1 wt%, 99.2 wt%, 99.3 wt%, 99.4 wt%, 99.5 wt%, 99.6 wt%, 99.7 wt%, 99.8 wt%, or 99.9 wt%. In some embodiments, the reduction in component size from the green body to the sintered component can be about 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, or 50%.

[0085] The acrylate portion can be a monomer, oligomer, or polymer. The acrylate portion can include one or more methacrylate portions. The weight content of the acrylate portion can be between 5% and 50% by weight. In some embodiments, the weight content is 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or 45% by weight or more, or about 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, or 45% by weight. The acrylate portion can be a methacrylate portion or an acrylate ester. For example, the additive manufacturing system 608 can use a photopolymer resin based on an acrylic ester monomer to construct an indirect bonding tray such as any of the trays 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 of FIGS. 1A-5.

[0086] In some embodiments, the model generator 616 can generate a 3D CAD model 622 that includes a model of the dental hardware 610 that can include one of the trays 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and / or related instruments. The manufacturing control data generator 618 can generate manufacturing control data 626 that, based on the 3D CAD model 622, instructs the additive manufacturing system 608 to construct at least one of the trays 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 as a single body. Alternatively, the manufacturing control data 626 may cause the additive manufacturing system 608 to construct at least one of the trays 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 as separate bodies. In some embodiments, the manufacturing control data generator 618 can generate manufacturing control data 626 that, based on the 3D CAD model 622, instructs the additive manufacturing system 608 to construct a dental orthodontic appliance associated with one of the trays 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 as a single body. Alternatively, the manufacturing control data 626 may cause the additive manufacturing system 608 to construct a dental orthodontic appliance associated with one of the trays 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 as separate bodies.

[0087] The electronic device 606 includes a data store 620 for recording data. Non-limiting examples of data to be recorded include dental alignment data 624, 3D CAD models 622, and manufacturing control data 626. In some embodiments, the data store 620 can be implemented by any technique for storing data. For example, the data store 620 can be implemented by volatile memory (e.g., synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), RAMBUS dynamic random access memory (RDRAM), etc.) and / or non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory). The data store 620 can be additionally or alternatively implemented by one or more double data rate (DDR) memories such as DDR, DDR2, DDR3, DDR4, mobile DDR (mDDR). The data store 620 can be additionally or alternatively implemented by one or more mass storage devices such as hard disk drives (HDD), compact disk (CD) drives, digital versatile disk (DVD) drives, solid state disk (SSD) drives. In the illustrated example, the data store 620 is shown as a single data store, but the data store 620 can be implemented by any number and / or any type of data store. Further, the data stored in the data store 620 can be in any data format. Non-limiting examples of data formats include CAD models (such as 3D CAD models), flat files, binary data, comma-separated data, tab-separated data, and structured query language (SQL) structures.

[0088] FIG. 6 shows an exemplary implementation of an electronic device 606 and / or, more generally, a dental hardware manufacturing system 600, although other implementations are possible. For example, one or more blocks, components, functions, etc. of the electronic device 606 and / or the dental hardware manufacturing system 600 can be combined or divided in other ways. The illustrated example of the electronic device 606 can be implemented with only hardware or with a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, the electronic device 606 can be implemented by one or more analog or digital circuits (e.g., comparators, operational amplifiers, etc.), one or more hardware-implemented state machines, one or more programmable processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.), one or more network interfaces (e.g., network interface circuit, network interface card (NIC), smart NIC, etc.), one or more ASICs, one or more memories (e.g., non-volatile memory, volatile memory, etc.), one or more mass storage disks or devices (e.g., hard disk drive (HDD), solid state disk (SSD) drive, etc.), and / or any combination thereof.

[0089] FIG. 7 is a flowchart 700 representing machine-readable instructions executed by a processor circuit to implement an electronic device such as the electronic device 606 of FIG. 6 and / or, more generally, an appliance manufacturing system such as the dental hardware manufacturing system 600 of FIG. 6. Additionally or alternatively, one or more blocks of the flowchart 700 of FIG. 7 can represent the states of one or more hardware-implemented state machines, algorithms implemented only in hardware such as an ASIC, and / or any combination thereof.

[0090] The flowchart 700 of FIG. 7 begins with block 702 where the dental hardware manufacturing system 600 measures dental data related to a patient. For example, a clinician associated with the clinician's office 602 of FIG. 6 can measure and / or generate dental data 624. In some embodiments, the clinician can generate dental data 624 via a 3D reading of a pre-cast or 3D printed dental model using a CT layer scan, a coordinate measuring machine, a laser scanner, or a structured light digitizer. In some embodiments, the dental data 624 can be transmitted to the electronic device 606 via the network 604.

[0091] In block 704, the dental hardware manufacturing system 600 generates a 3D CAD model of the patient's teeth. For example, after the network interface 612 receives the dental data 624 via the network 604, the data extractor 614 can extract and / or identify the data of interest for use in creating the 3D CAD model 622. In some embodiments, the model generator 616 can generate the 3D CAD model 622 based on the data extracted from the dental data 624. In some embodiments, the 3D CAD model 622 may be a digital representation of the patient's mouth and / or the teeth within the mouth. Additionally or alternatively, the 3D CAD model 622 may be a digital representation of an indirect bonding tray such as any of the trays 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 of FIGS. 1A - 5 that is placed within the patient's mouth.

[0092] In block 706, the dental hardware manufacturing system 600 relocates the teeth within the 3D CAD model based on the dental data to achieve a desired treatment outcome. For example, the model generator 616 can relocate or move the teeth within the digital representation of the patient's mouth to achieve a desired treatment outcome based on the long axes of the patient's teeth.

[0093] At block 708, the dentition hardware manufacturing system 600 obtains configuration data. For example, the model generator 616 can obtain configuration data from the dentition data 624 and / or from the user of the electronic device 606 via a user interface associated with the electronic device 606. Non-limiting examples of configuration data include the desired and / or specified torque, offset, angle of the selected bracket, and the occlusal / incisal surface coverage of the placement guide. Other non-limiting examples of configuration data include information regarding the tooth type (incisor, canine, premolar, etc.) for appliance adhesion, tooth position, mesiodistal width between adjacent teeth, and the height of the gingiva of the occlusal surface of one or more teeth.

[0094] At block 710, the dentition hardware manufacturing system 600 constructs an appliance based on at least one of the 3D CAD model or the configuration data. For example, the manufacturing control data generator 618 can generate manufacturing control data 626 and output it to the additive manufacturing system 608. In some embodiments, the manufacturing control data 626 can cause the additive manufacturing system 608 to manufacture dentition hardware 610 that can include one or more appliances using additive manufacturing techniques as disclosed herein. For example, the additive manufacturing system 608 can separate the 3D CAD model 622 into thin layers based on the manufacturing control data 626 and obtain a horizontal cross-sectional model of each layer. Based on this sectional model, the additive manufacturing system 608 manufactures one or more appliances that can include brackets, tubes, and / or auxiliary appliances, ensuring that the shape of each layer matches the structured data of the 3D CAD model 622.

[0095] In block 712, the dentition hardware manufacturing system 600 constructs a tray based on at least one of an appliance, a 3D CAD model, or configuration data. For example, an indirect bonding tray can be designed and / or manufactured before, during, or simultaneously with the design and / or manufacture of an orthodontic appliance. In some embodiments, the tray can be configured to accommodate and / or releasably engage an appliance that can be represented by a 3D CAD model 622 or another 3D CAD model. In some embodiments, the tray can be configured based on configuration data. In some embodiments, the tray can be designed to include one or more of the functions described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-5. In some embodiments, the tray can be manufactured by a direct manufacturing process, a subtractive manufacturing process such as milling, or by forming a mold and molding the tray over the mold. In some embodiments, the tray can be formed from a flexible biocompatible material such as silicone or a polymer formed by a stereolithography process and can be implemented by a stereolithography system 608. For example, the tray can be constructed in a stereolithography process using a photopolymer resin based on an acrylic ester monomer.

[0096] In block 714, the dentition hardware manufacturing system 600 performs post-processing on at least one of the appliance or the tray. For example, the stereolithography system 608 can perform post-processing on at least one of the trays 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 of FIGS. 1A-5 or the associated appliance. In some embodiments, the stereolithography system 608 can perform a cleaning, heat treatment (for binder combustion), and / or sintering process to optimize or improve the ceramic density (an example where the stereolithography system 608 implements a ceramic slurry-based stereolithography system). Alternatively, in the case of an example where the stereolithography system 608 implements a polymer-based stereolithography system, post-processing may include cleaning, drying, and curing.

[0097] At block 716, the dentition hardware manufacturing system 600 mounts an instrument on the tray. For example, a user (e.g., a human user or a robotic user such as a collaborative robot or an autonomous robot) can mount an instrument corresponding to the hollow space 112 of the tray 100 in FIGS. 1A - 1B. In some embodiments, a clinician in the clinician's office 602 mounts an instrument corresponding to the hollow space 112.

[0098] At block 718, the dentition hardware manufacturing system 600 adheres an instrument to one of the patient's teeth. For example, a user such as a clinician in the clinician's office 602 can place the tray 100 into the patient's mouth. The clinician can adhere an instrument to one of the patient's teeth. After the adhesion is complete, the clinician can remove the tray 100.

[0099] At block 720, the dentition hardware manufacturing system 600 determines whether to create another patient's instrument and / or tray. For example, the electronic device 606 can determine whether additional instruments and / or trays need to be created based on the dentition data received by another patient's network interface 612. If at block 720 the dentition hardware manufacturing system 600 determines to create another patient's instrument and / or tray, control returns to block 702. Otherwise, the exemplary flowchart 700 of FIG. 7 ends.

[0100] FIG. 8 is an implementation example of an electronic platform 800 configured to execute machine-readable instructions represented by the flowchart 700 of FIG. 7 to implement an electronic device such as the electronic device 606 of FIG. 6. It should be understood that FIG. 8 is not intended to be an explanation or comprehensive depiction of the components necessary for an electronic device and / or computing device to operate as the electronic device 606 in accordance with the techniques described herein. The electronic platform 800 of this example is an electronic device such as a desktop computer, laptop computer, server (such as a computer server, blade server, rack-mounted server, etc.), tablet computer, computer workstation, or other type of computing device and / or electronic device.

[0101] The illustrated example of the electronic platform 800 includes a processor circuit 802, which can be implemented by one or more programmable processors, one or more hardware-implemented state machines, one or more ASICs, etc., and / or any combination thereof. For example, one or more programmable processors can include one or more CPUs, one or more DSPs, one or more FPGAs, etc., and / or any combination thereof. The processor circuit 802 includes a processor memory 804, which may be a volatile memory such as any type of random access memory (RAM). The processor circuit 802 of this example implements the data extractor 614, model generator 616, and manufacturing control data generator 618 of FIG. 6.

[0102] The processor circuit 802 can execute machine-readable instructions 806 (identified by INSTRUCTIONS) stored in the processor memory 804 to implement at least one of the data extractor 614, the model generator 616, or the manufacturing control data generator 618 of FIG. 6. The machine-readable instructions 806 can include data representing computer-executable instructions and / or machine-executable instructions that implement techniques operating in accordance with the techniques described herein. For example, the machine-readable instructions 806 may include data (e.g., code, embedded software (e.g., firmware), software, etc.) representing the flowchart 700 of FIG. 7 or a portion thereof.

[0103] The electronic platform 800 includes a memory 808 that can include the machine-readable instructions 806. The memory 808 of this example can be controlled by a memory controller 810. For example, the memory controller 810 can control reads, writes, and / or more generally accesses to the memory 808 by other components of the electronic platform 800. The memory 808 of this example can be implemented by volatile memory, non-volatile memory, etc., and / or any combination thereof. For example, volatile memory can include static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), cache memory (e.g., level 1 (L1) cache memory, level 2 (L2) cache memory, level 3 (L3) cache memory, etc.), and / or any combination thereof. In some examples, non-volatile memory can include flash memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM, F-RAM, or FRAM), etc., and / or any combination thereof.

[0104] The electronic platform 800 includes an input device 812 that enables data and / or commands to be input into the processor circuit 802. For example, the input device 812 can include an audio sensor, a camera (such as a still camera, a video camera, etc.), a keyboard, a microphone, a mouse, a touch screen, a voice recognition system, etc., and / or any combination thereof.

[0105] The electronic platform 800 includes an output device 814 for transmitting, displaying, and / or presenting information to a user (such as a human user, a machine user, etc.). For example, the output device 814 includes one or more display devices, speakers, etc. The one or more display devices include an extended reality (AR) and / or virtual reality (VR) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a quantum dot (QLED) display, a thin film transistor (TFT) LCD, a touch screen, etc., and / or any combination thereof. The output device 814 can be used, among other things, to generate, activate, and / or present a user interface. For example, when presenting the output visually, the output device 814 can generate and / or implement the user interface, and when presenting the output aurally, the speaker or other sound generating device can generate and / or implement the user interface.

[0106] The electronic platform 800 includes an accelerator 816, which is a hardware device that can offload computing tasks from the processor circuit 802 to speed up processing. For example, the accelerator 816 can include an artificial intelligence / machine learning (AI / ML) processor, an ASIC, an FPGA, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural network (NN) processor, a system-on-chip (SoC), a vision processing unit (VPU), etc., and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more of the data extractor 614, the model generator 616, and / or the manufacturing control data generator 618 can be implemented by one of the accelerators 816 instead of the processor circuit 802. In some embodiments, the data extractor 614, the model generator 616, and / or the manufacturing control data generator 618 can be executed simultaneously (e.g., in parallel, substantially in parallel, etc.) by the processor circuit 802 and the accelerator 816. For example, the processor circuit 802 and one of the accelerators 816 can execute the functions corresponding to the model generator 616 in parallel.

[0107] The electronic platform 800 includes a storage 818 for recording data such as machine-readable instructions 806 and / or controlling access to the data. In this example, the storage 818 can implement a data store 620, a 3D CAD model 622, dental alignment data 624, and manufacturing control data 626. The storage 818 can be implemented by one or more mass storage disks or devices such as HDDs, SSDs, and / or any combination thereof.

[0108] The electronic platform 800 includes an interface 820 for performing data exchange with external devices (e.g., any type of computing device and / or electronic device) via a network 822. In some embodiments, the network 822 can be implemented by the network 604 of FIG. 6. In some embodiments, the interface 820 can be used to communicate with a 3D printing system such as the 3D printing system 608 of FIG. 6. For example, the interface 820 can implement one or more interfaces for transmitting data to the 3D printing system 608 or receiving data from the 3D printing system 608.

[0109] The illustrated example of the interface 820 can be implemented by a network interface circuit (NIC, smart NIC, etc.), an interface device such as a gateway, router, switch, and / or any combination thereof. The interface 820 can implement any type of communication interface such as BLUETOOTH®, a cellular phone system (e.g., 4G LTE interface, 5G interface, 6G interface, etc.), an Ethernet interface, a near field communication (NFC) interface, an optical disc interface (e.g., Blu-ray® disc drive, compact disc (CD) drive, digital versatile disc (DVD) drive, etc.), an optical fiber interface, a satellite interface (e.g., beyond line of sight (BLOS) satellite interface, line of sight (LOS) satellite interface, etc.), a universal serial bus (USB) interface (e.g., USB type A, USB type B, USB type C®, USB-C®, etc.), and / or any combination thereof.

[0110] The electronic platform 800 includes a power supply 824 that stores energy and supplies power to the components of the electronic platform 800. The power supply 824 can be implemented by a power converter such as an AC / DC power converter, a DC / DC power converter, and / or any combination thereof. For example, the power supply 824 is powered by an external power source such as an alternating current (AC) power source (e.g., a power grid), a direct current (DC) power source (e.g., a battery, a battery backup system, etc.), and the power supply 824 can convert an AC input or a DC input into a voltage suitable for use by the electronic platform 800. In some embodiments, the power supply 824 may be a power source with a limited duration, such as a battery (e.g., a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion battery).

[0111] The components of the electronic platform 800 can communicate with each other via a bus 826. For example, the bus 826 can be any type of computing bus and / or electrical bus, such as an I2C bus, a PCI bus, a PCIe bus, an SPI bus, etc.

[0112] The network 822 can be implemented by any wired and / or wireless network, such as one or more cellular networks (e.g., 4G LTE cellular network, 5G cellular network, 6G cellular network, etc.), one or more data buses, one or more LANs, one or more fiber optic networks, one or more private networks, one or more public networks, one or more WLANs, and / or any combination thereof. For example, the network 822 can be the Internet, but any other type of private network and / or public network is also contemplated.

[0113] The illustrated example network 822 facilitates communication between the interface 820 and the central facility 828. The central facility 828 in this example can be an entity associated with one or more servers, such as one or more physical hardware servers or the virtualization of one or more physical hardware servers. For example, the central facility 828 can be implemented by a public cloud provider, a private cloud provider, etc., and / or any combination thereof. In this example, the central facility 828 can compile, generate, update, etc., the machine-readable instructions 806 and store the machine-readable instructions 806 so that they can be accessed (such as downloaded) via the network 822. For example, the electronic platform 800 can send a request for the machine-readable instructions 806 to the central facility 828 via the interface 820 and receive the machine-readable instructions 806 from the central facility 828 via the network 822 in response to the request.

[0114] Additionally, or alternatively, the interface 820 can receive the machine-readable instructions 806 via a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium such as an optical disk 830 (such as a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk, CD, DVD, etc.) or another type of removable non-transitory machine-readable storage medium such as a USB drive 832. For example, the optical disk 830 and / or the USB drive 832 can store the machine-readable instructions 806 therein and provide the machine-readable instructions 806 to the electronic platform 800 via the interface 820.

[0115] Techniques operating in accordance with the principles described herein can be implemented in any suitable manner. The processing and decision blocks of the above flowcharts represent steps and operations that may be included in algorithms that execute these various processes. Algorithms derived from these processes can be integrated with one or more single-purpose or multi-purpose processors and implemented as software that directs their operation, or implemented as functionally equivalent circuits such as DSP circuits or ASICs, or implemented in other suitable ways. It should be understood that the flowcharts included herein do not indicate the syntax or operation of a particular circuit, a particular programming language, or the type of programming language. Rather, the flowcharts indicate functional information that can be used to manufacture circuits or implement computer software algorithms for performing the processing of a particular apparatus that executes the techniques of the type described herein. For example, a flowchart or a portion thereof may be implemented by only hardware (e.g., one or more analog or digital circuits, one or more hardware-implemented state machines, etc., and / or any combination thereof) configured or structured to execute the various processes of the flowchart. In some examples, a flowchart or a portion thereof is implemented by machine-executable instructions (e.g., machine-readable instructions, computer-readable instructions, computer-executable instructions, etc.) such that when executed by one or more single or multi-purpose processors, the various processes of the flowchart are executed. Also, unless specifically stated otherwise herein, the particular sequences of steps and / or operations described in each flowchart are merely exemplary of implementable algorithms and should be understood to be changeable in the implementations and embodiments of the principles described herein.

[0116] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the techniques described herein may be embodied as machine-executable instructions in software that includes application software, system software, firmware, middleware, embedded code, or other suitable types of computer code. Such machine-executable instructions can be generated, written, etc. using any of a number of suitable programming languages and / or programming tools or scripting tools, and can also be compiled as executable machine language code or intermediate code to be executed on a framework, virtual machine, or container.

[0117] When the techniques described herein are embodied as machine-executable instructions, these machine-executable instructions can be implemented in any suitable manner, such as as a number of functional facilities each providing one or more operations for completing the execution of an algorithm that operates in accordance with these techniques. A "functional facility" is a structural component of a computer system that is integrated with one or more computers, whether instantiated or not, and when executed, causes one or more computers to perform a particular operational role. A functional facility may be part or all of a software element. For example, a functional facility may be implemented as a function of a process, or as an individual process, or as some other suitable processing unit. When the techniques described herein are implemented as a plurality of functional facilities, each functional facility can be implemented in its own way and need not all be implemented in the same way. Further, these functional facilities can be executed in parallel and / or serially as needed, and can pass information to each other using shared memory on the executing computer, a message passing protocol, or some other suitable method.

[0118] Generally, functional facilities include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. Usually, the functions of functional facilities can be combined or distributed as needed within the systems in which they operate. In some implementations, one or more functional facilities that execute the techniques herein may come together to form a complete software package. These functional facilities may, in alternative embodiments, be adapted to interact with other unrelated functional facilities and / or processes to implement a software program application.

[0119] In this specification, some exemplary functional facilities for performing one or more tasks have been described. However, it should be understood that the described division of functional facilities and tasks is merely illustrative of the types of functional facilities that can be implemented using the exemplary techniques described herein, and embodiments are not limited to being implemented with a particular number, division, or type of functional facilities. In some implementations, all functions may be implemented in a single functional facility. Also, in some implementations, some of the functional facilities described herein may be implemented together with, or separately from (e.g., as a single unit or separate units), other functional facilities, and note that some of these functional facilities may not be implemented.

[0120] Machine-executable instructions (when implemented as one or more functional facilities or otherwise) for implementing the techniques described herein are, in some embodiments, encoded on one or more computer-readable media, machine-readable media, etc., and can provide functionality to the media. Computer-readable media include magnetic media such as hard disk drives, optical media such as CDs and DVDs, persistent or non-persistent solid-state memories (such as flash memory, magnetic RAM, etc.), or other suitable storage media. Such computer-readable media can be implemented in any suitable way. As used herein, the terms "computer-readable media" (also referred to as "computer-readable storage media") and "machine-readable media" (also referred to as "machine-readable storage media") refer to tangible storage media. Tangible storage media are non-transitory and comprise components of at least one physical structure. As used herein, "computer-readable media" and "machine-readable media" have at least one physical characteristic of at least one component of the physical structure that can be changed in some way during the process of creating the media containing the embedded information, the process of recording information thereon, or other processes of encoding information onto the media. For example, the magnetization state of a part of the physical structure of computer-readable media, machine-readable media, etc. can be changed during the recording process.

[0121] Furthermore, some of the above technologies include the act of storing information (such as data and instructions) in a particular way for use in these technologies. In some implementations of these technologies—such as implementations where the technology is implemented as machine-executable instructions—the information may be encoded on a computer-readable storage medium. Where particular structures are described herein as advantageous formats for storing this information, these structures can be used to convey the physical configuration of the information when encoded on the storage medium. These advantageous structures provide functionality to the storage medium by affecting the operation of one or more processors that interact with the information; for example, by enhancing the efficiency of computer operations executed by the processor.

[0122] In some, but not all, implementations, these techniques may be embodied as machine-executable instructions that are executed by one or more suitable computing devices and / or electronic devices operating on any suitable computer and / or electronic system, or one or more computing devices (or one or more processors of one or more computing devices) and / or one or more electronic devices (or one or more processors of one or more electronic devices) may be programmed to execute the machine-executable instructions. A computing device, electronic device, or processor (e.g., a processor circuit) can be programmed to execute instructions if the instructions are stored in a way accessible to the computing device, electronic device, or processor, such as in an on-chip cache or instruction register, computer-readable storage media and / or machine-readable storage media accessible via a bus, computer-readable storage media and / or machine-readable storage media accessible via one or more networks and accessible from the device / processor. The functionality including these machine-executable instructions can be integrated with a single general-purpose programmable digital computing device, an adjustment system of two or more general-purpose computing devices sharing processing capabilities and jointly executing the techniques described herein, a single computing device dedicated to executing the techniques described herein or an adjustment system of computing devices (located in the same place or geographically dispersed), one or more FPGAs for executing the techniques described herein, or other suitable systems and can direct their operations.

[0123] Embodiments in which the technology is implemented in circuitry and / or machine-executable instructions have been described. Some embodiments may be in the form of a method, and it should be understood that at least one example of such has been provided. The operations performed as part of the method can be ordered in any suitable way. Thus, embodiments can be constructed in which the operations are performed in an order different from that shown, which may include performing some operations simultaneously, even if in the exemplary embodiments they are shown as sequential operations.

[0124] The various aspects of the embodiments described above can be used alone, in combination, or in various arrangements not specifically described in the foregoing embodiments, and thus their application is not limited to the details and arrangements of the components described in the foregoing description or shown in the drawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment can be combined with aspects described in another embodiment in any way.

[0125] The phrase "and / or" as used in this specification and the claims should be understood to mean "either or both" of the elements so conjoined, e.g., elements that exist conjunctively in some cases and disjunctively in other cases. Multiple elements listed with "and / or" should be construed likewise, e.g., "one or more" of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present whether or not they are related to the specifically identified elements in the "and / or" clause. Thus, by way of non-limiting example, a reference to "A and / or B" when used in combination with open-ended language such as "comprising" can refer in one embodiment to only A (optionally including elements other than B), in another embodiment to only B (optionally including elements other than A), and in yet another embodiment to both A and B (optionally including other elements).

[0126] As used in this specification and the claims, the indefinite articles "a" and "an" should be understood to mean "at least one" unless the contrary is clearly indicated.

[0127] In this specification and the claims, the phrase "at least one" used with respect to a list of one or more elements should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but does not necessarily include at least one of each element specifically recited in the list of elements, and does not exclude any combination of elements in the list of elements. In this provision, elements other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements referred to by the phrase "at least one" are permitted to optionally exist regardless of whether they are related to the specifically identified elements. Thus, by way of non-limiting example, "at least one of A and B" (or, equivalently, "at least one of A or B", or, equivalently, "at least one of A and / or B") can, in one embodiment, refer to at least one (optionally plural) A in which B does not exist (and optionally includes elements other than B), in another embodiment, can refer to at least one (optionally plural) B in which A does not exist (and optionally includes elements other than A), and in yet another embodiment, can refer to at least one (optionally plural) A and at least one (optionally plural) B (and optionally includes other elements).

[0128] The use of ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", "third", etc. to modify the elements of a claim in the claims does not, in itself, mean that an element of one claim has precedence, priority, or order over an element of another claim, or that the temporal order in which the operations of a method are performed, but is simply used as a label to distinguish an element of a particular claim having a certain name from another element having the same name (other than by the use of the ordinal number), and is for distinguishing the elements of the claim.

[0129] The use of ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", "third", etc. within a claim to change claim elements does not, in itself, imply that one claim element has priority, precedence, or order over another claim element, or that it implies the chronological order in which the operations of a method are performed. Instead, it is simply used as a label to distinguish one claim element with a particular name from another element with the same name (other than by the use of ordinal numbers) for the purpose of differentiating claim elements.

[0130] All regulations defined and used herein shall be understood to take precedence over dictionary regulations, regulations of documents incorporated by reference, and / or the ordinary meaning of the defined terms.

[0131] As used herein, the term "exemplary" is used in the sense of an example, instance, or illustration. Accordingly, the embodiments, implementations, processes, functions, etc. described herein as examples should be understood as illustrative examples and not, unless otherwise specified, as preferred or advantageous examples.

[0132] Although some aspects of at least one embodiment have been described as above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to them. Such changes, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the principles described herein. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are merely illustrative.

[0133] This disclosure describes various aspects including, but not limited to, the following aspects.

[0134] 1. An indirect bonding tray for transferring an orthodontic appliance to teeth, the indirect bonding tray comprising: an occlusal base having an outer periphery and defining a first impression that conforms to a first occlusal tooth surface and a second impression that conforms to at least a portion of a second occlusal tooth surface; and a buccal wall defining a well for releasably engaging the orthodontic appliance, the buccal wall extending outwardly beyond the outer periphery of the occlusal base, the buccal wall being included, and the buccal wall and the well being in a first region of the indirect bonding tray associated with the first impression, the first region being adjacent to a second region of the indirect bonding tray associated with the second impression. The indirect bonding tray, wherein an outer wall of the second region extends to the outer periphery of the occlusal base.

[0135] 2. The indirect bonding tray according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the well extends above the upper surface of the second region, above the outer periphery of the occlusal base, or both.

[0136] 3. The indirect bonding tray according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the base of the well or one or more side surfaces of the well is offset at an angle with respect to the upper surface of the second region.

[0137] 4. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the orthodontic appliance is a first orthodontic appliance and the second region is not configured to releasably engage a second orthodontic appliance.

[0138] 5. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a lingual wall configured to cover at least a portion of the teeth, the lingual wall being located on the opposite side of the buccal wall.

[0139] 6. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the teeth are first teeth, the buccal wall is a first buccal wall, and further comprising a second buccal wall configured to cover at least a portion of second teeth, the second teeth being adjacent to the first teeth.

[0140] 7. The tooth is the first tooth, and further includes a lingual wall configured to cover at least a part of the lingual surface of the second tooth, and the second tooth is adjacent to the first tooth. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 6.

[0141] 8. The tooth is the first tooth, and further includes a lingual wall configured to cover at least a part of the lingual surface of the second tooth, and the second tooth is adjacent to the first tooth. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 7.

[0142] 9. The first impression and the second impression are on the first surface of the occlusal base, and further include at least one recess defined on the second surface of the occlusal base, and the second surface is on the opposite side of the first surface. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 8.

[0143] 10. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 9, further including a perforation defined in the second region and including a part of the second impression.

[0144] 11. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 10, wherein the perforation is configured to enable the second region to be removed from the first region while substantially completely leaving the first impression intact after the second region is removed.

[0145] 12. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 11, wherein the tooth is a molar.

[0146] 13. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 12, wherein the tooth is the second molar, and the second impression is configured to engage releasably with the first molar.

[0147] 14. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 13, wherein the first impression is distal to the second impression.

[0148] 15. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 14, wherein the first impression is proximal to the second impression.

[0149] 16. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 15, wherein the orthodontic appliance is a molar tube.

[0150] 17. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 16, wherein the orthodontic appliance is an orthodontic bracket.

[0151] 18. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 17, wherein the orthodontic appliance is an auxiliary appliance.

[0152] 19. The indirect bonding tray according to 18, wherein the auxiliary appliance is a bite turbo, a button, or a hook.

[0153] 20. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 19, wherein the well conforms to the outer surface of the buccal side of the molar tube of the tooth.

[0154] 21. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 20, wherein the tooth is a first tooth, the second impression is associated with a second tooth, and the occlusion base defines a third impression that conforms to at least a part of the occlusal surface of a third tooth.

[0155] 22. The indirect bonding tray according to 21, wherein the third impression is adjacent to the first impression.

[0156] 23. The indirect bonding tray according to any one of 1 to 22, wherein the occlusion base tapers under the second impression.

[0157] 24. An indirect bonding tray for moving an orthodontic appliance to a first tooth, the indirect bonding tray comprising: an occlusal base defining (i) a first impression having a first end and a second end and conforming to at least a first portion of a first occlusal tooth surface, and (ii) a second impression having a third end and a fourth end and conforming to at least a second portion of a second occlusal tooth surface, the at least second portion being smaller than at least one first portion, and a first width defined by the first end and the second end being greater than a second width defined by the third end and the fourth end, the occlusal base defining the second impression; and an articulation bonding tray defining a well for releasably engaging the orthodontic appliance and including a buccal wall extending substantially orthogonally from the occlusal base and the first end.

[0158] 25. An apparatus for constructing an indirect bonding tray for moving an orthodontic appliance to a tooth, the apparatus comprising: a memory storing instructions; and a processor configured to execute the following instructions: obtaining dentition data related to a patient, generating a computer model of the patient's teeth, identifying an arrangement of an orthodontic appliance relative to one of the teeth by the computer model, and constructing an indirect bonding tray using a stereolithography process based on at least one of the dentition data or the computer model, the indirect bonding tray comprising: an occlusal base having an outer perimeter and defining a first impression conforming to a first occlusal tooth surface and a second impression conforming to at least a portion of a second occlusal tooth surface; and a buccal wall defining a well for releasably engaging the orthodontic appliance, the buccal wall extending outwardly beyond the outer perimeter of the occlusal base, the buccal wall and the well being in a first region of the indirect bonding tray associated with the first impression, the first region being adjacent to a second region of the indirect bonding tray associated with the second impression, an outer wall of the second region extending to the outer perimeter of the occlusal base.

[0159] 26. The apparatus of aspect 25, wherein the indirect bonding tray includes one or more of aspects 1-23.

[0160] 27. A computer-readable storage medium that, when executed, causes a processor to perform the following: obtaining dentition data related to a patient; generating a computer model of the patient's teeth; specifying the placement of an orthodontic appliance on one of the teeth using the computer model; and constructing an indirect bonding tray using a stereolithography process based on at least one dentition data or computer model, wherein the indirect bonding tray comprises: an occlusal base defining a first impression that conforms to a first occlusal tooth surface and a second impression that conforms to at least a portion of a second occlusal tooth surface; and a buccal wall defining a well for releasably engaging an orthodontic appliance, the buccal wall extending outwardly beyond the outer periphery of the occlusal base, the buccal wall being included, and the buccal wall and the well being in a first region of the indirect bonding tray related to the first impression, the first region being adjacent to a second region of the indirect bonding tray related to the second impression, and an outer wall of the second region extending to the outer periphery of the occlusal base, the storage medium including instructions for performing the above.

[0161] 28. The storage medium of aspect 27, wherein the indirect bonding tray comprises one or more of aspects 1-23.

[0162] 29. A method of manufacturing an indirect bonding tray for transferring an orthodontic appliance to teeth, the method comprising: measuring dental data related to a patient; generating a computer model of the patient's teeth; specifying the placement of the orthodontic appliance relative to one of the teeth by means of the computer model; and constructing the indirect bonding tray using a stereolithography process based on at least one dental data or computer model, the indirect bonding tray comprising: an occlusal base defining an outer perimeter and a first impression conforming to a first occlusal tooth surface and a second impression conforming to at least a portion of a second occlusal tooth surface; and a buccal wall defining a well for releasably engaging the orthodontic appliance, the buccal wall extending outwardly beyond the outer perimeter of the occlusal base, the buccal wall being included, the buccal wall and the well being in a first region of the indirect bonding tray related to the first impression, the first region being adjacent to a second region of the indirect bonding tray related to the second impression, the outer wall of the second region extending to the outer perimeter of the occlusal base.

[0163] 30. The method of aspect 29, wherein the indirect bonding tray comprises one or more of aspects 1-23.

Claims

1. An indirect adhesive tray for transferring orthodontic appliances to teeth, the indirect adhesive tray being as follows: An occlusal base having an upper surface and an outer circumference, defining a first impression that fits a first occlusal tooth surface and a second impression that fits at least a portion of a second occlusal tooth surface; and A buccal wall extending outward beyond the outer circumference of the occlusal base, the buccal wall having a buccal wall base, a first side surface, and a second side surface, the first and second side surfaces extending away from the buccal wall base and away from the upper surface of the occlusal base, the buccal wall including a well for releasably accommodating an orthodontic appliance toward the buccal wall base, The buccal wall and well are located in the first region of the indirect adhesive tray associated with the first impression. The first region is adjacent to the second region of the indirect adhesive tray related to the second impression, The outer wall of the second region extends to the outer circumference of the occlusal base. The aforementioned indirect adhesive tray.

2. The indirect bonding tray according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the well extends above the upper surface of the second region, above the outer circumference of the occlusal base, or both.

3. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the buccal wall base, first side surface, or second side surface of the buccal wall is offset at an angle with respect to the upper surface of the second region.

4. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein the orthodontic appliance is a first orthodontic appliance and the second region is not configured to engage releasably with the second orthodontic appliance.

5. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, further comprising a lingual wall configured to cover at least a portion of the tooth, wherein the lingual wall is located opposite to the buccal wall.

6. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein a tooth is a first tooth, a buccal wall is a first buccal wall, and further comprises a second buccal wall configured to cover at least a portion of a second tooth, the second tooth being adjacent to the first tooth.

7. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein the tooth is a first tooth and further includes a lingual wall configured to cover at least a portion of the lingual surface of a second tooth, and the second tooth is adjacent to the first tooth.

8. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein the tooth is the first tooth, the second impression fits a portion of the third occlusal tooth surface of the second tooth, and the second tooth is adjacent to the first tooth.

9. The indirect bonding tray according to claim 1, wherein a first impression and a second impression are located on a first surface of the occlusal base, and further includes at least one recess defined on a second surface of the occlusal base, the second surface being opposite to the first surface.

10. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, further comprising a perforation defined in a second region and including a portion of the second impression.

11. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 10, wherein the perforation is configured to allow the removal of the second region from the first region while leaving the first impression substantially intact after the second region has been removed.

12. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein the teeth are molars.

13. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein the tooth is a second molar and the second impression is configured to engage releasably with the first molar.

14. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein the first impression is distal to the second impression.

15. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein the first impression is located proximal to the second impression.

16. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein the orthodontic appliance is a molar tube.

17. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein the orthodontic appliance is an orthodontic bracket.

18. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein the orthodontic appliance is an auxiliary device.

19. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 18, wherein the auxiliary device is a bite turbo, a button, or a hook.

20. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein the wells fit the outer surface of the buccal surface of the molar canal of a tooth.

21. An indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein a tooth is a first tooth, a second impression is associated with the second tooth, and a third impression is defined in which the occlusal base fits to at least a portion of the occlusal surface of the third tooth.

22. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 21, wherein the third impression is adjacent to the first impression.

23. The indirect adhesive tray according to claim 1, wherein the occlusal base tapers below the second impression.

24. An indirect adhesive tray for transferring an orthodontic appliance to the first tooth, wherein the indirect adhesive tray is as follows: An occlusal base having a top surface, defining (i) a first impression comprising a first end and a second end and fitting to at least a first portion of a first occlusal tooth surface, and (ii) a second impression comprising a third end and a fourth end and fitting to at least a second portion of a second occlusal tooth surface, wherein at least the second portion is smaller than at least one first portion, and the first width defined by the first and second ends is greater than the second width defined by the third and fourth ends; and A buccal wall having a buccal wall base and one or more sides, the one or more sides extending away from the buccal wall base and away from the upper surface of the occlusal base, the buccal wall defining a well for releasably engaging an orthodontic appliance toward the buccal wall base, and the buccal wall extending substantially perpendicularly from the occlusal base and a first end, the buccal wall The joint adhesive tray, including the aforementioned joint adhesive tray.

25. An apparatus for constructing an indirect adhesive tray for transferring orthodontic appliances to teeth, the apparatus being as follows: Memory for storing instructions; and A processor that can perform the following instructions: To obtain dental arch data related to the patient, To generate a computer model of the patient's teeth and use that computer model to determine the placement of an orthodontic appliance on one of the teeth, and Constructing an indirect adhesive tray using an additive manufacturing process based on at least one set of dental arch data or a computer model, wherein the indirect adhesive tray is as follows: An occlusal base having an upper surface and an outer circumference, defining a first impression that fits a first occlusal tooth surface and a second impression that fits at least a portion of a second occlusal tooth surface; and A buccal wall extending outward beyond the outer circumference of the occlusal base, the buccal wall having a buccal wall base, a first side surface, and a second side surface, the first and second side surfaces extending away from the buccal wall base and away from the upper surface of the occlusal base, the buccal wall including a well for releasably accommodating an orthodontic appliance toward the buccal wall base, The buccal wall and well are located in the first region of the indirect adhesive tray associated with the first impression. The first region is adjacent to the second region of the indirect adhesive tray related to the second impression, The outer wall of the second region extends to the outer circumference of the occlusal base. The apparatus, including the processor configured to perform the following:

26. At least one computer-readable storage medium that, when executed, sends the following to the processor: To obtain dental arch data related to the patient, To generate a computer model of the patient's teeth and use that computer model to determine the placement of an orthodontic appliance on one of the teeth, and Constructing an indirect adhesive tray using an additive manufacturing process based on at least one set of dental arch data or a computer model, wherein the indirect adhesive tray is as follows: An occlusal base having an upper surface and an outer circumference, defining a first impression that fits a first occlusal tooth surface and a second impression that fits at least a portion of a second occlusal tooth surface; and A buccal wall extending outward beyond the outer circumference of the occlusal base, the buccal wall having a buccal wall base, a first side surface, and a second side surface, the first and second side surfaces extending away from the buccal wall base and away from the upper surface of the occlusal base, the buccal wall including a well for releasably accommodating an orthodontic appliance toward the buccal wall base, The buccal wall and well are located in the first region of the indirect adhesive tray associated with the first impression. The first region is adjacent to the second region of the indirect adhesive tray related to the second impression, The outer wall of the second region extends to the outer circumference of the occlusal base. The storage medium includes an instruction to execute.

27. A method for manufacturing an indirect adhesive tray for transferring orthodontic appliances to teeth, the method being as follows: Measuring dental data related to the patient, To generate a computer model of the patient's teeth and use that computer model to determine the placement of an orthodontic appliance on one of the teeth, and Constructing an indirect adhesive tray using an additive manufacturing process based on at least one set of dental arch data or a computer model, wherein the indirect adhesive tray is as follows: An occlusal base having an upper surface and an outer circumference, defining a first impression that fits a first occlusal tooth surface and a second impression that fits at least a portion of a second occlusal tooth surface; and A buccal wall extending outward beyond the outer circumference of the occlusal base, the buccal wall having a buccal wall base, a first side surface, and a second side surface, the first and second side surfaces extending away from the buccal wall base and away from the upper surface of the occlusal base, the buccal wall including a well for releasably accommodating an orthodontic appliance toward the buccal wall base, The buccal wall and well are located in the first region of the indirect adhesive tray associated with the first impression. The first region is adjacent to the second region of the indirect adhesive tray related to the second impression, and The outer wall of the second region extends to the outer circumference of the occlusal base. The method, including the method described above.

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