Design method for clear orthodontic aligners and attachments
A computer-aided design method optimizes attachments and aligners for precise orthodontic force application, addressing inefficiencies in existing methods by enhancing force transmission and reducing labor through 3D printing.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ODS CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing methods for designing transparent aligners and attachments for dental correction are labor-intensive and lack precise control over the direction and shape of correction forces, leading to inefficient orthodontic treatment.
A computer-aided design method that optimizes the shape of attachments and aligners to enhance orthodontic force transmission, involving the creation of virtual grooves and projections, and uses 3D printing for efficient manufacturing.
Enables precise attachment placement, effective orthodontic force application, and reduces manufacturing time and cost by using computer-aided design and 3D printing.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a method for designing a transparent aligner and an attachment using a computer. More specifically, it relates to a method for designing a transparent aligner and an attachment that can more efficiently correct teeth that require correction. According to the present invention, not only can the correction effect be further enhanced, but it is also expected that the time and cost required for manufacturing the correction device can be reduced.
Background Art
[0002] In the field of dental correction using a transparent aligner, the present invention relates to a method for designing a transparent aligner and an attachment using a computer, in which the correction force can be more effectively exerted. Specifically, it is for more effectively performing dental correction by attaching an attachment (referred to as "attachment" in the industry) to the surface of a tooth and designing the transparent aligner so that a certain force is applied to the attachment. Further, it aims to more effectively perform correction by forming a predetermined groove on the surface of the tooth and designing a transparent aligner having a corresponding shape. The technique of attaching an attachment to the surface of a tooth for use in correction has already been published through the Korean Patent Gazette (Patent No. 10-2148778). The above patented invention is characterized in that the direction of the correction force is correctly induced by the operator in the target direction by attaching an attachment from the surface of the tooth to the gingival surface (tooth root part). However, the same invention only presents the direction of the correction force applied to the tooth, and the specific shape of the attachment is not shown. Also, there is not even a technical description regarding the method of forming a groove in the correction target tooth model or forming a groove or protrusion on the inner surface of the correction device. Furthermore, the same invention manufactures the transparent aligner manually, which requires a great deal of labor for its manufacture, and is significantly different from the one using a computer as in the present invention. The present invention is in the process of designing a transparent aligner using a computer, The attachments to be placed on the tooth surface are designed in a form optimized for orthodontics, and the inner surface of the clear aligner is designed to be concave (inner surface) to match these designed attachments, or This method is characterized by creating virtual grooves on the surface of the teeth and designing the inner surface of the transparent aligner to have a convex shape (ridge) to correspond to these grooves, thereby effectively exerting a stronger orthodontic force on the teeth. In short, the present invention relates to a program that uses a computer to design the overall shape of clear aligners and attachments so that more effective orthodontic force is exerted on the teeth being treated. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]
[0003] The present invention aims to enable the rapid and accurate design of orthodontic appliances (preferably clear aligners) using a computer, and to facilitate more efficient orthodontic treatment of teeth through the orthodontic appliances thus manufactured. Furthermore, the present invention aims to provide a design program for an orthodontic appliance that can more efficiently transmit orthodontic force to teeth by providing attachments and / or grooves on the surface of the teeth to be orthodontized. [Means for solving the problem]
[0004] The design method for transparent aligners and attachments for orthodontic treatment according to the present invention was devised to solve the above problems. The first embodiment is, A method for designing an orthodontic appliance using a computer, comprising the steps of: designing the shape of an attachment to be applied to the surface of a tooth model (S01); designing the inner surface shape of a transparent aligner to match the shape of the attachment designed in step S01 (S02); and outputting the transparent aligner with a 3D printer (S03). The above attachment is characterized by comprising two pressure surfaces (101) formed opposite to each other, two inclined surfaces (201) that are in contact with the two pressure surfaces (101) and are formed inclined opposite to each other, an upper end surface (301) where the two pressure surfaces (101) and the two inclined surfaces (201) and their edges all make contact, and an attachment surface (401) that is applied to the surface of the tooth. Other embodiments of the present invention include: The transparent aligner is characterized in that one groove (601) is formed on each tooth, or two grooves (601) are formed on different sides of the tooth model at opposite positions to generate rotational force on teeth requiring rotational correction, and a projection (602) is formed on the transparent aligner in a shape corresponding to the groove (601) at the position of the groove (601). [Effects of the Invention]
[0005] According to the design program of the present invention, it becomes possible to attach attachments to the teeth to be orthodontized in a more precise position, and has the effect of exerting the optimal orthodontic force on the teeth during orthodontic treatment. Furthermore, the design program according to the present invention allows for easy design of transparent aligners corresponding to attachments or grooves, and enables output using a 3D printer, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and improving cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the orthodontic method according to the present invention maximizes the orthodontic effect by effectively exerting the orthodontic force of the transparent aligner on the teeth to be corrected, while also improving the ease of attaching and detaching the orthodontic appliance, thereby enhancing convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0006] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an attachment according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an attachment according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an attachment according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the attachment according to the present invention attached to a tooth model. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the attachment according to the present invention attached to a tooth model. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0007] The present invention relates to a method for designing orthodontic appliances using a computer, Step (S04) to form virtual grooves (601) on the surface of the tooth model, The process (S05) involves designing the inner surface shape of the transparent aligner to match the shape of the tooth model designed in the S04 process, and This process includes the step of printing the transparent aligner using a 3D printer (S06), Either one groove (601) is formed on each tooth, or two grooves are formed on opposite sides of the tooth model in opposite positions to generate rotational force on teeth requiring rotational correction. The transparent aligner is characterized in that a projection (602) is formed on its inner surface in a shape corresponding to the groove (601) and at a position corresponding to the groove (601). The above-mentioned projection (602) is, Two pressure surfaces (101) formed opposite each other, Two inclined surfaces (201) are in contact with the two pressurized surfaces (101) and are formed to be inclined toward each other, The upper end surface (301) where all four edges of the two pressurized surfaces (101) and the two inclined surfaces (201) are in contact, The best form is characterized by being composed of an attachment surface (401) that is applied to the surface of the tooth. The advantages and features of the present invention, as well as methods for achieving them, will become clear with reference to the embodiments described below in detail with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below and can be implemented in various forms. These embodiments are provided to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to allow a person ordinary in the art to fully understand the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined solely by the claims. This invention relates to a program for designing transparent aligners using a computer. The computer, as defined herein, includes various devices capable of performing calculations and providing results to the user, and comprises an input processing unit, a calculation unit, an output unit, and the like. In this specification, images relating to tooth models refer to multidimensional images such as two-dimensional and three-dimensional images showing the arrangement of the entire dentition, and include all images acquired by medical image processing methods using tomography. For example, this includes various types of images, such as CT (Computed Tomography) images, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Computed Tomography (NMR-CT) images, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) images, CBCT (Cone-Beam CT) images, and Oral Scanner images.
[0008] In this specification, "tooth to be corrected" means a tooth whose position is not appropriate or which is abnormally rotated, and which requires repositioning and / or rotation through orthodontics. In this specification, "lingual surface" refers to the surface of a tooth that contacts the tongue, "labial surface" refers to the surface of a tooth that contacts the lip, "buccal surface" refers to the surface of a tooth that contacts the inner surface of the cheek (buccal mucosa), "occlusal surface" refers to the upper surface of a molar that directly chews food, and "incisal surface" refers to the obliquely inclined inner surface (the side portion that has the function of cutting food) of a tooth that does not have an occlusal surface (for example, anterior teeth). Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The present invention relates to a method for designing a correction device using a computer, and includes a step (S01) of designing the shape of an attachment attached to the surface of a tooth model, a step (S02) of designing the inner surface shape of a transparent aligner according to the shape of the attachment designed in step S01, and a step (S03) of outputting the transparent aligner with a 3D printer. For designing the correction device according to the present invention, an image related to a tooth model is displayed. It is desirable that the image related to the tooth model is obtained by scanning the inside of a patient's oral cavity with a 3D scanner, but it is also possible to use various photographing devices as described above. Step S01 is a step of designing an attachment. Attachments are stored in a library in various shapes, and the attachment most suitable for the teeth to be corrected is selected from among them. The selected specific attachment can be modified in terms of horizontal width, vertical width, thickness, etc. on the screen. FIG. 1 shows an attachment according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The attachment according to the first embodiment is characterized by including two pressing surfaces (101) formed to be inclined facing each other, two inclined surfaces (201) that are in contact with these two pressing surfaces (101) and are formed to be inclined facing each other, an upper end surface (301) where the two pressing surfaces (101) and the two inclined surfaces (201) and their ridge lines are all in contact, and an attachment surface (401) attached to the surface of a tooth. The pressing surface (101) is configured such that a correction force acts thereon. After the transparent aligner is attached to the teeth to be corrected, the transparent aligner applies a force to the pressing surface (101). As a result, a correction force acts on the teeth to be corrected to which the attachment is applied.
[0009] The transparent aligner is a device for correcting teeth through the gradual movement of the teeth. When a patient wears a transparent aligner formed according to the position where the teeth to be corrected are desired to be moved, the teeth to be corrected gradually undergo a gradual displacement according to the shape of the transparent aligner, and as a result, correction is performed. When horizontal / vertical movement of teeth (including orthodontics such as tooth movement, intrusion, extrusion, etc.) is required, there is a limit to the horizontal orthodontic force exerted by the clear aligner itself on the teeth. Although the clear aligner is worn in close contact with the dental arch and exerts an orthodontic force on the teeth, a means is necessary to more effectively exert a horizontal / vertical orthodontic force on the teeth. The attachment according to the present invention is configured to enable the orthodontic force to act more effectively by providing an artificial protrusion on the tooth. The inner surface of the clear aligner is formed with a concave shape that corresponds to the shape of the attachment. This effectively transmits the orthodontic force of the clear aligner to the teeth to be corrected. The pressure surface (101) is shown to have a slight inclination, but the degree of the inclination can be adjusted according to the orthodontic conditions of the teeth to be corrected, and in some cases, it may be formed without inclination. The inclined surfaces (201) are in contact with the two pressure surfaces (101) located on both sides, and the two inclined surfaces (201) are formed to incline facing each other. The attachment belongs to a configuration for effective transmission of the orthodontic force, but it is a configuration that hinders the wearing and removal of the clear aligner. For the ease of wearing and removing the clear aligner, the inclined surface (201) has a predetermined inclination. The upper end surface (301) is formed so that all the ridges of the two pressure surfaces (101) and the two inclined surfaces (201) are in contact. What is shown in FIG. 1 is only one embodiment of the present invention. It is possible to adjust the width of the upper end surface (301) to expand or contract, and it is also possible to adjust the width and inclination of the inclined surface (201) and the pressure surface (101) according to the adjusted width of the upper end surface (301). The attachment surface (401) is configured such that the attachment contacts and adheres to the surface of the tooth. Although not shown in the drawings, the attachment surface (401) can be formed with the same curvature as the outer surface of the tooth to which it adheres, and such a shape can enhance the adhesive force. FIG. 2 shows an attachment according to the second embodiment of the present invention. <00The attachment according to the second embodiment has a structure specifically designed for tooth extrusion orthodontics. Figure 2 shows only the case for the upper jaw, but the principle is the same for the lower jaw, only the direction of the attachment is reversed, so the explanation is omitted.
[0010] The attachment according to the second embodiment is composed of two pressure surfaces (102) formed opposite to each other, a first inclined surface (202) and a second inclined surface (203) that are in contact with these pressure surfaces (102) and are formed inclined opposite to each other, a stepped portion (501) formed on the second inclined surface (203), an upper end surface (302) where the two pressure surfaces (102), the first inclined surface (202) and the second inclined surface (203) and their edges all make contact, and an attachment surface (402) that adheres to the surface of the tooth. The explanation of the two pressure surfaces (102), the first inclined surface (202), and the second inclined surface (203) is the same as the explanation of the pressure surface (101) and inclined surface (201) in Figure 1, so it will be omitted here. The stepped portion (501) is formed on the second inclined surface (203) and is designed to allow the clear aligner to hook onto the attachment. When the clear aligner is fitted to the dentition, it engages with the stepped portion (501), allowing for more effective orthodontic force (vertical orthodontic force) to be exerted on the teeth to be orthodontized (teeth requiring extrusion orthodontics). Here, "effective orthodontic force" means a sustained and powerful orthodontic force. The first inclined surface (202) has a predetermined inclination for easy insertion of the transparent aligner, and the stepped portion (501) formed on the second inclined surface (203) has a locking portion that exerts a more effective orthodontic force on the teeth to be straightened. On the other hand, in the second embodiment of the present invention, as in the first embodiment, it is also possible to obtain a horizontal orthodontic force via the pressure surface (102). When inserting or removing the clear aligner, the user can easily remove it by gently pulling the edge of the clear aligner outwards. Figure 3 shows an attachment according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The attachment according to the third embodiment consists of two triangular pressure surfaces (103) formed opposite to each other, two inclined surfaces (204) that are in contact with these two pressure surfaces (103) and are formed inclined opposite to each other, an upper end surface (303) where the two pressure surfaces (103) and the two inclined surfaces (204) and their edges all make contact, and an attachment surface (403) that adheres to the tooth surface. The pressure surfaces (103) are formed in a triangular shape overall, and the two pressure surfaces (103) face each other. The inclined surfaces (204) are in contact with the two pressure surfaces (103) and are formed inclined to face each other.
[0011] The pressure surfaces (102, 103) are shown to have a slight incline in the drawing, but the degree of incline can be adjusted according to the conditions of the teeth to be orthodontized, and in some cases they may be formed vertically without any incline. Although not shown in Figure 3, the attachment according to the third embodiment can also be further provided with a stepped portion (501). By providing the stepped portion (501) on the inclined surface (204), it can be used for extrusion orthodontics, and it is also possible to prevent the clear aligner from easily detaching from the dentition by allowing it to catch on the attachment. Figures 4 and 5 are displays showing the attachment (blue portion) according to the present invention attached to a tooth model; Figure 4 is a side view, and Figure 5 is a top view. The purpose of the present invention has been explained as being to effectively transmit orthodontic force by attaching attachments to the teeth to be straightened. However, the attachments according to the present invention can be attached not only to teeth to be straightened, but also to teeth that are not to be straightened. In other words, if it is desired to move a tooth to be straightened laterally, attachments can be placed on the adjacent teeth, and these attachments can be used as fixed ends of the transparent aligner. It is expected that the transparent aligner will exert a stronger orthodontic force on the tooth to be straightened by being supported by attachments attached to the adjacent teeth. Therefore, the attachment according to the present invention can be attached not only to teeth to be orthodontized, but also to teeth that are not to be orthodontized. The teeth used as support structures may be teeth adjacent to the teeth to be orthodontized, and may be located several teeth apart depending on the oral cavity.
Claims
1. In a method of designing orthodontic appliances using a computer, Step (S04) to form a virtual groove (601) on the surface of the tooth model; A step (S05) to design the inner surface shape of the transparent orthodontic appliance to match the shape of the tooth model designed in step S04; and The process includes outputting the transparent orthodontic device using a 3D printer (S06), The groove (601) may be formed one per tooth. The grooves (601) may be formed in pairs on other sides of the tooth model, opposite to each other, so as to generate a moment for the tooth that is to be rotated. On the inner surface of the transparent orthodontic device, a projection (602) is formed at a position corresponding to the groove (601), with a shape corresponding to the groove (601). The aforementioned projection (602) is Two pressurized surfaces (101) formed opposite each other; Two inclined surfaces (201) that are in contact with the two pressurized surfaces (101) and are formed to be inclined toward each other; The upper end surface (301) to which the two pressurized surfaces (101) and the two inclined surfaces (201) and all four ridges are in contact; and It is characterized by being composed of an attachment surface (401) that adheres to the surface of the tooth. Design method for clear orthodontic appliances and attachments for dental orthodontics.
2. In a method of designing orthodontic appliances using a computer, Step (S04) to form a virtual groove (601) on the surface of the tooth model; A step (S05) to design the inner surface shape of the transparent orthodontic appliance to match the shape of the tooth model designed in step S04; and The process includes outputting the transparent orthodontic device using a 3D printer (S06), The groove (601) may be formed one per tooth. The grooves (601) may be formed in pairs on other sides of the tooth model, opposite to each other, so as to generate a moment for the tooth that is to be rotated. On the inner surface of the transparent orthodontic device, a projection (602) is formed at a position corresponding to the groove (601), with a shape corresponding to the groove (601). The aforementioned projection (602) is Two pressurized surfaces (102) formed opposite each other; A first inclined surface (202) and a second inclined surface (203) are formed in contact with the two pressurized surfaces (102) and are inclined toward each other; A stepped portion (501) formed on the second inclined surface (203); The two pressure surfaces (102), the first inclined surface (202), and the upper end surface (302) where all four ridges are in contact; and It is characterized by being composed of an attachment surface (402) that adheres to the tooth surface, Design method for clear orthodontic appliances and attachments for dental orthodontics.