Transparent orthodontic device and method of preparing the same

Abstract

A transparent orthodontic device and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The disclosed transparent orthodontic device includes tooth-side contact portions, the tooth-side contact portions being disposed in opposing positions and including a concavely configured tooth contact surface and a convexly configured tooth non-contact surface.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] A transparent orthodontic device and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. More specifically, a transparent orthodontic device with excellent orthodontic effect and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. [Background technology]

[0002] Transparent orthodontic appliances are less inconvenient and more aesthetically pleasing in daily life than existing adhesive orthodontic appliances, but they are unhygienic when used repeatedly, and there has been persistent concern about the large amount of movement per transparent orthodontic appliance, as well as pain and inconvenience when using them. The new method of manufacturing digital transparent orthodontic appliances based on 3D scanning and 3D printing involves obtaining a 3D image of the patient's teeth using a scanner, gradually moving the virtual teeth in the desired direction through CAD work to a degree that does not cause orthodontic strain, setting up the virtual tooth model, and then immediately manufacturing a transparent orthodontic appliance that fits the virtual tooth model set up using a 3D printer without making a physical tooth model, and using it on the patient. This method has the advantage of not using a physical tooth model, making it easy to gradually change the amount of movement of the set up virtual teeth, and there is less deformation when manufacturing the actual transparent orthodontic appliance, resulting in precision. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] One embodiment of the present invention provides a transparent orthodontic appliance with excellent orthodontic effects. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing the transparent orthodontic device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] One aspect of the present invention is Including the contact portion of the tooth side, The tooth-side contact portions are disposed opposite each other to provide a transparent orthodontic device including a concavely configured tooth contact surface and a convexly configured non-contact tooth surface. The contact portion of the tooth side surface may be configured so that its lower end is located inside a vertical line passing through its upper end. The tooth contact surface may be configured to have a shape opposite to that of the lateral surface of a natural tooth so as to fit closely over the lateral surface of the natural tooth.

[0005] The contact portion of the tooth side surface includes a contact portion of an inner tooth surface and a contact portion of an outer tooth surface arranged to face the contact portion of the inner tooth surface and spaced apart from each other, The inner tooth surface contact portion and the outer tooth surface contact portion may include a concavely configured tooth contact surface and a convexly configured tooth non-contact surface, respectively. One of the contact portion on the inner tooth surface and the contact portion on the outer tooth surface may be configured to act as an action portion that moves the tooth, and the other may be configured to act as a fixing portion that fixes the tooth.

[0006] The transparent orthodontic device may further include a contact portion on the upper surface of the teeth. The tooth top surface contact portion may include at least one open top portion. The transparent orthodontic appliance may not include upper tooth contacts. The contact portion of the tooth side surface may include the contact portion of the inner tooth surface but may not include the contact portion of the outer tooth surface. The contact portion of the tooth side surface may include the contact portion of the outer tooth surface but may not include the contact portion of the inner tooth surface.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a transparent orthodontic device, the method including: printing a transparent orthodontic device using a 3D printer (S10); the transparent orthodontic device includes contact portions on tooth sides, the contact portions on tooth sides being arranged opposite each other and including a concavely configured tooth contact surface and a convexly configured tooth non-contact surface. In step S10, a transparent orthodontic appliance having an at least partially open top can be printed. In the method for manufacturing the transparent orthodontic device, a transparent orthodontic device with the entire top closed is printed in step (S10), and in this case, the method may further include a step (S20) of at least partially opening the top of the transparent orthodontic device. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The transparent orthodontic device according to an embodiment of the present invention has excellent adhesion to the front part of the teeth, thereby improving the orthodontic effect. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a half-sectional view of a transparent orthodontic device according to the prior art. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a half-sectional view of a transparent orthodontic device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a transparent orthodontic device according to a second embodiment of the present invention by cutting open an upper end of the transparent orthodontic device of FIG. [Figure 4a] FIG. 4a is a perspective view of a transparent orthodontic appliance according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4b] FIG. 4b is a top view of the transparent orthodontic device of FIG. 4a. [Figure 5a] FIG. 5a is a half-sectional view of the transparent orthodontic device of FIG. 4a. [Figure 5b] FIG. 5b is another cross-sectional side view of the transparent orthodontic device of FIG. 4a. [Figure 6a] FIG. 6a is a perspective view of a transparent orthodontic appliance according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6b] FIG. 6b is a top view of the transparent orthodontic device of FIG. 6a. [Figure 7a] FIG. 7a is a perspective view of a transparent orthodontic appliance according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7b] FIG. 7b is a top view of the transparent orthodontic device of FIG. 7a. [Figure 8a]FIG. 8a is a perspective view of a transparent orthodontic appliance according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8b] FIG. 8b is a top view of the transparent orthodontic device of FIG. 8a. [Figure 9a] FIG. 9a is a perspective view of a transparent orthodontic appliance according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9b] FIG. 9b is a top view of the transparent orthodontic device of FIG. 9a. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The present invention relates to a transparent orthodontic device including tooth-side contacts, The tooth flank contact portions are disposed opposite each other and include a tooth contact surface configured as a concave shape and a tooth non-contact surface configured as a convex shape.

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a transparent orthodontic device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As used herein, "tooth side contacting portion" means the portion that contacts the side of the tooth. In addition, in this specification, "tooth inner side contacting portion" means the portion that contacts the tongue side of the tooth. In addition, in this specification, the term "tooth outer side contacting portion" refers to the portion that contacts the cheek side of the tooth. Additionally, in this specification, the term "tooth contacting portion" means the surface that contacts the teeth. In addition, as used herein, the term "tooth non contacting portion" refers to the portion that does not contact the teeth. In addition, in this specification, the term "vertical line" refers to a straight line parallel to the direction of gravity when the transparent orthodontic appliance is placed horizontally on a flat ground in the attitude in which it is worn on the teeth.

[0012] *FIG. 1 is a half-sectional view of a transparent orthodontic device (10) according to the prior art. Referring to FIG. 1, a prior art transparent orthodontic device (10) includes a tooth-side contact portion (11) and a tooth-top contact portion (12). The tooth side contact portion (11) includes a side lower portion (11a) and a side upper portion (11b).

[0013] Moreover, the contact portion 11 of the tooth side surface is configured so that a vertical line passing through its upper end also passes through its lower end. Specifically, the contact portion 11 of the tooth side surface is configured so that a vertical line exists that contacts both the upper end of the upper side surface 11b and the lower end of the lower side surface 11a. The tooth upper surface contact portion (12) includes an upper surface central portion (12a) and an upper surface side portion (12b).

[0014] The upper side (11b), the upper central part (12a) and the upper side (12b) are in close contact with the teeth (TE), but at least a part of the lower side (11a) is not in close contact with the teeth (TE). Therefore, when the transparent orthodontic device (10) is attached to the teeth (TE), the upper side (11b) pushes out the upper side of the teeth (TE), but the lower side (11a) cannot push out the lower side of the teeth (TE) in the horizontal direction, so the teeth do not move as a whole, and only the upper part of the teeth moves, not the lower part. This means that the teeth are not aligned as originally intended, and the teeth may even become misaligned.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a half-sectional view of a transparent orthodontic device (20) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, a transparent orthodontic device (20) according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a tooth-side contact portion (21) and a tooth-top contact portion (22). The tooth flank contact portion (21) may include a tooth contact surface (S1) and a tooth non-contact surface (S2). The tooth contact surface (S1) and the tooth non-contact surface (S2) may be located opposite each other, for example, the tooth contact surface (S1) may be located on the tooth (TE) side and the tooth non-contact surface (S2) may be located on the opposite side of the tooth (TE).

[0016] In addition, the tooth contact surface (S1) can be configured concavely, and the tooth non-contact surface (S2) can be configured convexly. Also, the tooth contact surface (S1) can be configured to have a shape opposite to the shape of the side surface of the natural tooth so as to come into close contact with the entire side surface of the natural tooth. Additionally, the tooth side contact portion (21) may include a lower side portion (21a) and an upper side portion (21b). In addition, the tooth side contact portion (21) may be configured so that its lower end is located inside a vertical line passing through its upper end (i.e., on the tooth contact surface (S1) side). Specifically, the tooth side contact portion (21) may be configured so that the lower end of the lower side surface portion (21a) is located inside a vertical line passing through the upper end of the upper side surface portion (21b).

[0017] The tooth upper surface contact portion (22) may include an upper surface central portion (22a) and an upper surface side portion (22b). Additionally, the contact portion (22) on the upper tooth surface may include at least one upper opening (h, h1, h2, h3) as shown in Figures 4a, 4b, 6a, 6b, 7a and 7b. The boundary between the upper side surface portion (21b) and the upper side surface portion (22b) may be a portion that corresponds to the maximum cervical ridge of a natural tooth.

[0018] Not only the upper side (21b), the upper central part (22a) and the upper side (22b), but also the lower side (21a) can be in close contact with the teeth (TE). Therefore, when the transparent orthodontic device (20) is attached to the teeth (TE), the upper side (21b) pushes the upper side of the teeth (TE) in the horizontal direction, and at the same time, the lower side (21a) also pushes the lower side of the teeth (TE) in the horizontal direction, so that the teeth move as a whole, and the upper and lower teeth move together, and orthodontic treatment can be performed as originally intended.

[0019] The tooth side contact portion 21 and the tooth top contact portion 22 having the above-mentioned configuration are formed to be divided for each tooth, and are connected to each other in a plurality of basic tooth side contact portions and a plurality of basic tooth top contact portions.

[0020] This may include a contact portion on the upper surface of the tooth. Furthermore, the material, manufacturing method, and color of the transparent orthodontic device 20 are not particularly limited, and the device can be manufactured using a variety of materials, manufacturing methods, and colors. Furthermore, the transparent orthodontic device (20) may further include a concave and / or convex structure on the lower side (21a) for detachment from and / or pressure application to natural teeth.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a transparent orthodontic device (30) according to embodiment 2 of the present invention by cutting open the upper end of the transparent orthodontic device (20) of FIG. 2, FIG. 4a is an oblique view of the transparent orthodontic device (30) according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, and FIG. 4b is a plan view of the transparent orthodontic device (30) of FIG. 4a.

[0022] 3, the transparent orthodontic device 20 shown in FIG. 2 can be cut along a cutting line (CL) to manufacture a transparent orthodontic device 30. In this case, the cutting line (CL) may be a line corresponding to the height of the upper end of the maximum prominence of a natural tooth.

[0023] 4a and 4b, a transparent orthodontic device (30) according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes a contact portion (30-1) on an inner tooth surface, a contact portion (30-2) on an outer tooth surface, and a connecting portion (30-3). The contact portion (30-2) on the outer tooth surface can be disposed opposite the contact portion (30-1) on the inner tooth surface, spaced apart from each other.

[0024] The tooth inner surface contact portion (30-1) and the tooth outer surface contact portion (30-2) may include a tooth contact surface that is configured as a concave shape and a tooth non-contact surface that is configured as a convex shape, respectively. Specifically, the specific configurations and functions of the tooth inner surface contact portion (30-1) and the tooth outer surface contact portion (30-2) are the same as or similar to the configurations and functions of the tooth side surface contact portion (11) of the transparent orthodontic device (20) shown in Fig. 2, so detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0025] The connecting portion (30-3) serves to connect the contact portion (30-1) on the inner side of the teeth and the contact portion (30-2) on the outer side of the teeth to each other. Also, the transparent orthodontic device 30 may not include a contact portion on the upper surface of the teeth. Specifically, the transparent orthodontic device 30 may have an entire upper surface open except for the connecting portion 30-3. That is, the transparent orthodontic device 30 may include an upper open portion (h) extending in a U-shape on the upper surface.

[0026] Fig. 5A is a cross-sectional view of one side of the transparent orthodontic device 30 of Fig. 4A, and Fig. 5b is a cross-sectional view of the other side of the transparent orthodontic device 30 of Fig. 4a. Specifically, Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b are drawings illustrating the transparent orthodontic device 30 of Fig. 4a attached to teeth. In Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b, TE indicates teeth, and GI indicates gums. Referring to Figures 5a and 5b, one of the contact portion (30-1) on the inner surface of the tooth and the contact portion (30-2) on the outer surface of the tooth can be configured to act as an action portion that moves the tooth, and the other can be configured to act as a fixing portion that fixes the tooth.

[0027] Specifically, referring to FIG. 5a, the contact portion (30-1) on the inner surface of the teeth acts as an action portion, and the contact portion (30-2) on the outer surface of the teeth acts as a fixed portion. In this case, the contact portion (30-1) on the inner surface of the teeth may be made of a material having relatively low rigidity and high elasticity, and the contact portion (30-2) on the outer surface of the teeth may be made of a material having relatively high rigidity and low elasticity.

[0028] Also, referring to FIG. 5b, the contact portion (30-1) on the inner surface of the tooth acts as a fixed portion, and the contact portion (30-2) on the outer surface of the tooth acts as an action portion, in which case the contact portion (30-1) on the inner surface of the tooth can be positioned away from the tooth (TE).

[0029] FIG. 6a is a perspective view of a transparent orthodontic device (40) according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6b is a top view of the transparent orthodontic device (40) of FIG. 6a. Referring to Figures 6a and 6b, a transparent orthodontic device (40) according to embodiment 3 of the present invention includes a contact portion (40-1) on an inner surface of the teeth, a contact portion (40-2) on an outer surface of the teeth, a contact portion (40-3) on an upper surface of the teeth, and a connecting portion (40-4). The transparent orthodontic device (40) of Figures 6a and 6b differs from the transparent orthodontic device (30) of Figures 4a and 4b in that the upper opening portion (h1, h2) is divided into two instead of one. Specifically, the transparent orthodontic device (40) may include one upper tooth contact portion (40-3) in the middle portion in the length direction and two connecting portions (40-4), one at each end.

[0030] FIG. 7a is a perspective view of a transparent orthodontic device (50) according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7b is a top view of the transparent orthodontic device (50) of FIG. 7a. Referring to Figures 7a and 7b, a transparent orthodontic device (50) according to Example 4 of the present invention includes a contact portion (50-1) on an inner surface of the teeth, a contact portion (50-2) on an outer surface of the teeth, contact portions (50-3, 50-4) on upper surfaces of the teeth, and a connecting portion (50-5). The transparent orthodontic device (50) of Figures 7a and 7b differs from the transparent orthodontic device (30) of Figures 4a and 4b in that the upper opening portion (h1, h2, h3) is divided into three instead of one. Specifically, the transparent orthodontic device (50) may include two upper tooth contact portions (50-3, 50-4) spaced apart from each other between both ends in the length direction, and may include two connecting portions (50-5), one at each end.

[0031] FIG. 8a is a perspective view of a transparent orthodontic device (60) according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8b is a top view of the transparent orthodontic device (60) of FIG. 8a. 8a and 8b, the transparent orthodontic device (60) according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention includes a contact portion on the inner surface of the teeth, but does not include a contact portion on the upper surface of the teeth or a contact portion on the outer surface of the teeth. That is, the transparent orthodontic device (60) can be composed of only the contact portion on the inner surface of the teeth. The transparent orthodontic appliance 60 having the above-mentioned configuration may be a lingual transparent orthodontic appliance that is inserted only on the lingual side of the dental arch to straighten the teeth. Additionally, the transparent orthodontic device 60 may be made of titanium, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0032] FIG. 9a is a perspective view of a transparent orthodontic device (70) according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9b is a top view of the transparent orthodontic device (70) of FIG. 9a. 9a and 9b, the transparent orthodontic device (70) according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention includes a contact portion on the outer surface of the teeth, but does not include a contact portion on the upper surface of the teeth or a contact portion on the inner surface of the teeth. That is, the transparent orthodontic device (70) can be composed of only the contact portion on the outer surface of the teeth.

[0033] The transparent orthodontic appliance 70 having the above-mentioned configuration may be a buccal transparent orthodontic appliance that is inserted only on the buccal side of the dental arch to correct teeth. Furthermore, the transparent orthodontic device (20-70) described above may have a thickness of 0.2-2 mm (e.g., 0.2-0.5 mm). Therefore, the transparent orthodontic device (20-70) is thin and can reduce the foreign body sensation felt by the patient when it is attached to the patient's teeth. In this specification, the "thickness of the transparent orthodontic device" refers to the distance between the inner wall (i.e., the surface on the tooth side) and the outer wall (i.e., the surface opposite the teeth).

[0034] Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a transparent orthodontic device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. A method for manufacturing a transparent orthodontic appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention includes printing (S10) a transparent orthodontic appliance using a 3D printer. The transparent orthodontic device can include tooth-side contacts. The tooth flank contact portion may include a tooth contact surface and a tooth non-contact surface. The tooth contact surface and the tooth non-contact surface may be oppositely disposed, i.e., the tooth contact surface may be an inner surface and the tooth non-contact surface may be an outer surface. The contacting surfaces of the teeth may be configured concavely and the non-contacting surfaces of the teeth may be configured convexly. In step S10, a transparent orthodontic appliance having an at least partially open top can be printed.

[0035] Also, in step (S10), a transparent orthodontic appliance with the entire top closed is printed, in which case, a step (S20) of at least partially opening the top of the transparent orthodontic appliance may be further included. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the transparent orthodontic appliance (30) shown in Fig. 2 may be printed using a 3D printer, and then cut along a cutting line (CL) to manufacture a transparent orthodontic appliance with an at least partially open top. In this case, the cutting line (CL) may be a line corresponding to the height of the upper end of the maximum prominence of a natural tooth.

[0036] Furthermore, the above-mentioned manufacturing method of a transparent orthodontic device can manufacture a transparent orthodontic device having a thickness of 0.2 to 2 mm (e.g., 0.2 to 0.5 mm). Therefore, the above-mentioned manufacturing method of a transparent orthodontic device can provide a transparent orthodontic device that is thin and reduces the foreign body sensation felt by the patient when it is attached to the patient's teeth.

[0037] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, it is to be understood that the present invention is merely illustrative and that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0038] The transparent orthodontic device according to the present invention has excellent adhesion to teeth, improves the orthodontic effect, and has great potential for use in the field of orthodontics.

Claims

1. Including the contact portion of the tooth side, The tooth side contact portions are disposed opposite each other and include a concavely configured tooth contact surface and a convexly configured tooth non-contact surface.

2. 2. The transparent orthodontic device according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion of the tooth side surface is configured so that its lower end is located inside a vertical line passing through its upper end.

3. 3. The transparent orthodontic device of claim 2, wherein the tooth contact surface is configured to have a shape opposite to that of the side surface of a natural tooth so as to come into close contact with the entire side surface of the natural tooth.

4. The contact portion of the tooth side surface includes a contact portion of an inner tooth surface and a contact portion of an outer tooth surface arranged to face the contact portion of the inner tooth surface and spaced apart from each other, 2. The transparent orthodontic device of claim 1, wherein the inner tooth surface contact portion and the outer tooth surface contact portion comprise a concavely configured tooth contact surface and a convexly configured tooth non-contact surface, respectively.

5. 5. The transparent orthodontic device according to claim 4, wherein one of the contact portion on the inner surface of the tooth and the contact portion on the outer surface of the tooth acts as an action portion for moving the tooth, and the other acts as a fixing portion for fixing the tooth.

6. 10. The transparent orthodontic device of claim 1, further comprising an upper tooth contact portion.

7. 7. The transparent orthodontic device of claim 6, wherein the upper tooth contact portion includes at least one upper opening.

8. 10. The transparent orthodontic device of claim 1, which does not include any contact portion on the upper teeth surface.

9. 9. The transparent orthodontic device of claim 8, wherein the contact portions on the tooth sides include contact portions on inner tooth surfaces but do not include contact portions on outer tooth surfaces.

10. 9. The transparent orthodontic device of claim 8, wherein the contact portions of the tooth sides include contact portions of outer tooth surfaces but do not include contact portions of inner tooth surfaces.

11. A method for manufacturing a transparent orthodontic device, comprising: a step (S10) of printing a transparent orthodontic device using a 3D printer, the transparent orthodontic device including contact portions on tooth sides, the contact portions on tooth sides being arranged opposite each other and including a concavely configured tooth contact surface and a convexly configured tooth non-contact surface.

12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein in step (S10), a transparent orthodontic appliance having an at least partially open top is printed.

13. 12. The method for manufacturing a transparent orthodontic device according to claim 11, wherein in step (S10), a transparent orthodontic device with an entirely closed top is printed, and in this case, the method further comprises a step (S20) of at least partially opening the top of the transparent orthodontic device.

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