Clear Aligner

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a clear aligner for moving a tooth to be corrected to a target position, comprising a clear aligner body configured to at least partially surround a plurality of teeth according to the shape of the patient's dental arch, wherein the clear aligner body comprises a shell shaped to accommodate each tooth corresponding to one or more of the plurality of teeth, and a proximal region thickness reinforcing member for reinforcing the thickness of the clear aligner body at least partially in the proximal region between two adjacent shells.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a clear orthodontic device. Background Technology

[0002] Orthodontics is a treatment performed to correct irregular tooth alignment or abnormal bite between the upper and lower jaws. Orthodontics is classified into fixed orthodontics, which involves attaching brackets made of hard materials such as metal, resin, or ceramic to the teeth and straightening the teeth using the elasticity of wires, and removable orthodontics, which utilizes elastic devices that are easy to attach and detach.

[0003] Fixed orthodontics was performed by attaching orthodontic brackets made of biocompatible materials to the teeth to correct malocclusion, and then applying force with orthodontic wires to the brackets. In the case of conventional orthodontics using brackets and wires, treatment proceeds with the brackets and wires fixed to the teeth, which is aesthetically unpleasing and can lead to oral hygiene issues.

[0004] Clear aligners, a type of removable orthodontic treatment, are gaining significant popularity compared to other methods because they utilize transparent aligners placed over the teeth, making the devices invisible from the outside and offering excellent wearability through their ability to be freely attached and detached.

[0005] Clear aligners utilize transparent polymer materials instead of brackets and wires, offering superior aesthetics. Furthermore, they are removable as needed, making them effective for maintaining oral hygiene. Additionally, clear aligners cause relatively less foreign body sensation, allowing patients to undergo orthodontic treatment comfortably.

[0006] However, conventional clear aligners frequently fractured at fracture-prone areas due to external forces such as compression, tension, and twisting during frequent removal and handling, and consequently, there was a problem that the clear aligners had to be replaced even when it was not time for replacement. Prior art literature

[65535] Korean Published Patent Application No. 10-2021-0089702 (July 16, 2021) The problem to be solved

[0007] The present invention aims to solve the problems of the aforementioned prior art. The objective of the present invention is to provide a clear aligner that can effectively transmit orthodontic force and prevent fracture of the clear aligner caused by external forces by reinforcing the thickness of the proximal region, which is a fracture-vulnerable area. means of solving the problem

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, one aspect of the present invention provides a clear aligner for moving a tooth to be corrected to a target position, comprising a clear aligner body configured to at least partially surround a plurality of teeth according to the shape of the patient's dental arch, wherein the clear aligner body comprises a shell shaped to accommodate each tooth corresponding to one or more of the plurality of teeth, and a proximal region thickness reinforcing member for reinforcing the thickness of the clear aligner body at least partially in the proximal region between two adjacent shells.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the interdental area thickness reinforcing portion may be formed to protrude outwardly from the outer surface of the clear orthodontic body, and the clear orthodontic device may be characterized in that.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the interdental area thickness reinforcing portion may be formed on a part or the entire outer surface of the clear orthodontic body, and the clear orthodontic device may be characterized in that.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the interdental area thickness reinforcing portion may be formed on a part or the entire inner outer surface of the clear orthodontic body, and the clear orthodontic device may be characterized in that.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the interdental region thickness reinforcing member may be a clear orthodontic device characterized by being located between a first gingival end and a second occlusal end in the interdental region.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the interdental region thickness reinforcing member may be a clear orthodontic device characterized by being located at a first gingival end in the interdental region.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the interdental region thickness reinforcing member may be a clear orthodontic device characterized by being located at a second occlusal end in the interdental region.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the interdental region thickness reinforcing member may be a clear aligner characterized by being formed to extend from a first end on the gingival side to a second end on the occlusal side. In one embodiment of the present invention, the interdental region thickness reinforcing member may be a clear aligner characterized by being formed at a position where an interdental line between two adjacent shells intersects a virtual line connecting the maximum convexities of the shells accommodating each tooth.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the transparent orthodontic device may be characterized in that the interdental area thickness reinforcing portion and the transparent orthodontic body are integrally formed by a direct output method.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the interdental region thickness reinforcing member may be partially extended in both shell directions from the interdental region, and each of the interdental region thickness reinforcing members is separated from each other and is not connected to one another, and may be a clear orthodontic device.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the clear orthodontic device may be characterized by further including a margin line reinforcement configured to cover at least partially the gingiva beyond the gingival margin, which is the boundary between the patient's gingiva and the tooth.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the margin line reinforcing member may be a clear orthodontic device characterized by being configured to cover the interdental papilla area, which is the gingiva between each tooth.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the margin line reinforcement may be a transparent orthodontic device characterized by having a relatively thicker thickness at the edge portion. Effects of the invention

[0021] According to one aspect of the present invention, a clear aligner according to the present invention includes an interdental area thickness reinforcing member that reinforces the thickness of the clear aligner body in the interdental area, which is a fracture-prone area, thereby reducing the risk of fracture caused by external forces such as compressive force, tensile force, and torsion, and improving the strength of the clear aligner.

[0022] In addition, the clear aligner according to the present invention further includes a margin line reinforcement member to form a margin line with adjusted depth of the groove between shells, thereby preventing the problem of stress concentration in the groove between shells (particularly, the groove in the premolar region).

[0023] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and should be understood to include all effects that can be inferred from the configuration of the invention described in the detailed description of the invention or the claims. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0024] FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 are perspective views of a clear orthodontic device including an interdental area thickness reinforcing member according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figures 3 (a) and (b) are the AA' and BB' cross-sectional views of Figure 1, respectively. FIG. 4(a) is a plan view of a general clear aligner, and FIG. 4(b) is a plan view of a clear aligner including an interdental area thickness reinforcement portion according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a front view of a clear orthodontic device including an interdental area thickness reinforcement portion according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a rear view of a clear orthodontic device including an interdental area thickness reinforcement portion according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a plan view of a transparent orthodontic device including an interdental area thickness reinforcement portion according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a plan view of a clear orthodontic device including an interdental area thickness reinforcement portion according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9(a) is a drawing showing a general clear aligner, and FIG. 9(b) is a drawing showing a clear aligner with an adjusted margin line according to the present invention. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of CC' of Figure 9(b). FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining an experiment to compare a clear orthodontic device including an interdental area thickness reinforcing member according to one embodiment of the present invention with a conventional clear orthodontic device that does not include an interdental area thickness reinforcing member. Figure 12 is a diagram showing the experimental results of Figure 11. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0025] The present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is therefore not limited to the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, in order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts unrelated to the explanation have been omitted, and similar parts throughout the specification have been given similar reference numerals.

[0026] Throughout the specification, when it is stated that a part is "connected" to another part, this includes not only cases where they are "directly connected," but also cases where they are "indirectly connected" with other members interposed between them. Furthermore, when it is stated that a part "includes" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but rather allows for the inclusion of additional components.

[0027] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0028] FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 are perspective views of a clear orthodontic device including an interdental area thickness reinforcing member according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 3 (a) and (b) are cross-sectional views AA' and BB' of FIGS. 1, respectively, FIGS. 4 (a) is a plan view of a general clear orthodontic device, FIGS. 4 (b) is a plan view of a clear orthodontic device including an interdental area thickness reinforcing member according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 5 is a front view of a clear orthodontic device including an interdental area thickness reinforcing member according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 6 is a rear view of a clear orthodontic device including an interdental area thickness reinforcing member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] The transparent orthodontic device (10) of the present invention may be manufactured by setting virtual treatment object data based on initial data of the patient's teeth, generating intermediate data at each stage so that the teeth can be gradually moved from an initial position to a target position, and then indirectly or directly outputting the intermediate data and target data at each stage. Orthodontic dental data such as intermediate data and target data may be obtained through 3D image software from images of the patient's teeth obtained through impression taking, CT, 3D scanning, etc. That is, orthodontic dental data may be 3D image data. Orthodontic dental data may include one or more of maxillary dental data and mandibular dental data. For example, if the orthodontic teeth that have undergone movement through the orthodontic procedure are only maxillary dental data, the orthodontic dental data may consist only of maxillary dental data, and if the orthodontic teeth that have undergone movement through the orthodontic procedure are only mandibular dental data, the orthodontic dental data may consist only of mandibular dental data.

[0030] The indirect output method involves fabricating a tooth model through oral scanning or impression taking, and fabricating a clear aligner by applying a polymer sheet to the tooth model. More specifically, the indirect output method may include the steps of fabricating a tooth model through oral scanning or impression taking, and placing a polymer sheet on the tooth model and then heating the polymer sheet to fabricate a clear aligner so that the polymer sheet substantially conforms to the shape of the tooth model. In one embodiment, vacuum may be used for thermoforming to facilitate the alignment of the heated polymer sheet with the tooth model.

[0031] The direct printing method involves acquiring orthodontic alignment data through an oral scan to design a clear aligner and directly manufacturing the clear aligner. More specifically, the direct printing method may include the steps of acquiring orthodontic alignment data through an oral scan, designing a clear aligner on a computer using the acquired orthodontic alignment data, and directly printing the designed clear aligner using a 3D device such as a 3D printer. In other words, the clear aligner according to the direct printing method can be manufactured using a 3D device such as a 3D printer. As such, the direct printing method, which directly prints the clear aligner using a 3D device, can simplify the device manufacturing process by using software, improve precision by eliminating manual labor, and prevent unnecessary material consumption.

[0032] It will be obvious that the transparent orthodontic device (10) according to various embodiments of the present invention is not limited to the methods described above and can be manufactured through various known methods.

[0033] Meanwhile, the clear aligner (10) can be used for various orthodontic cases such as expansion, retraction, extrusion, intrusion, and rotation to wrap around the lower or upper teeth to be corrected and align them from an initial position to a target position. That is, the clear aligner (10) is used by placing it over the patient's teeth, and multiple units can be manufactured and used for each stage of the treatment plan, taking into account the maximum amount of movement of the teeth requiring correction.

[0034] The clear aligner (10) may be formed in a shape corresponding to an intermediate or target position of the tooth, and the internal shape of the clear aligner (10) that accommodates the tooth may differ from the current position of the tooth. Accordingly, when the clear aligner (10) is worn by a patient, the internal shape of the clear aligner (10) may be deformed at least partially so as to accommodate the tooth. The deformation of the clear aligner (10) may induce at least one force among compression, tension, shear, bending, and twisting in one or more parts of the clear aligner (10), and said force induced by the deformation of the clear aligner (10) may be transmitted to the tooth.

[0035] The clear aligner (10) may be made of an elastic material. The elasticity or shape-retaining force of the clear aligner (10) can provide force to the teeth to be corrected in a certain direction, thereby moving the teeth to be corrected from an initial position to a target position.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the clear orthodontic device (10) may comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, and glycon-modified polyethylene terephthalate.

[0037] According to another embodiment, the clear orthodontic device (10) may be made of a polymer material or an elastomer. The polymer material or elastomer may include, for example, natural polyisoprene such as cis-1,4-polyisoprene natural rubber and trans-1,4-polyisoprene gutta-percha, synthetic polyisoprene, polybutadiene, chloroprene rubber, polychloroprene, neoprene, vaprene, butyl rubber, halogenated butyl rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, halogenated nitrile rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, ethylene propylene diene rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, polyacrylic rubber, silicone rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, fluoroelastomer, perfluoroelastomer, polyether block amide, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate, thermoplastic elastomer, polysulfide rubber, elasto-olefin, or a combination thereof. The material of the aforementioned clear orthodontic device (10) is exemplary and is not limited thereto. That is, any material having physical properties necessary to achieve the function of the clear orthodontic device (10), such as transparency and elasticity, can be used as the material of the clear orthodontic device (10).

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, a clear orthodontic device (10) according to the present invention is for moving a tooth to be corrected to a target position and may include a clear orthodontic body (100) configured to at least partially surround a plurality of teeth of a patient's maxillary or mandibular dental arch. For example, the clear orthodontic body (100) may be shaped to surround at least one of the buccal (or labial), lingual, and occlusal surfaces of a patient's mandibular or maxillary dental arch.

[0039] A clear aligner body (100) may include an outer surface (101), an inner surface (102) that contacts the tooth, a tooth receiving cavity (103) defined by the inner surface (102) and accommodating a plurality of teeth, and margin lines (104) formed at both ends of the clear aligner body (100). That is, the clear aligner body (100) is configured to be fitted onto the tooth to move the tooth to be corrected from an initial position to a target position for each stage. At this time, the clear aligner body (100) may be provided in a form that reflects the target position so that tooth movement determined for each stage of orthodontic treatment is possible.

[0040] The clear aligner body (100) may include a plurality of tooth shells (110) and a thickness reinforcement portion for the proximal region (PR).

[0041] Among the plurality of tooth shells (110), each shell (110) may be shaped to accommodate each tooth so as to correspond to one or more of the plurality of teeth. In one example, the clear aligner body (100) may be configured to have a number of shells (110) for each tooth equal to the number of teeth. In another example, the clear aligner body (100) may be configured to have fewer shells (110) than the number of teeth. For example, the shells (110) may accommodate one or more teeth, or at least one of the teeth may not be accommodated in the shells (110). In yet another example, the clear aligner body (100) may be configured to have more shells (110) than the number of teeth. For example, two or more shells (110) may accommodate one or more teeth, or the clear aligner body (100) may be configured to have additional shells (110) for teeth that have not yet erupted.

[0042] The inner surface (102) of each shell (110) may be shaped to contact each tooth at a set position, set surface area, and / or set stress at one or more of each tooth. The shell (110) may surround at least one of the buccal (or labial), lingual, and occlusal portions of each tooth. In this way, by shaping each shell (110), the clear aligner (10) can control one or more of the forces and directions applied to each tooth.

[0043] The interdental area thickness reinforcement (120) is intended to reinforce the thickness of the clear aligner body (100) at least partially in the interdental area (PR) between two adjacent shells (110). In the conventional case, the portion between the shells (110) placed in the interdental area (PR) between the teeth was manufactured in a concave shape, which caused stress to concentrate in that area and made it vulnerable to fracture. That is, the interdental area thickness reinforcement (120) can increase resistance to external forces and prevent fracture by increasing the thickness of the interdental area between two adjacent shells (110), which is a fracture-vulnerable area.

[0044] The cross-sectional shape of the interdental area thickness reinforcement (120) may be substantially constant or vary depending on the length of the interdental area thickness reinforcement (120). The cross-sectional shape of the interdental area thickness reinforcement (120) may include, for example, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, other geometric shapes, or an irregular shape.

[0045] FIG. 7 is a plan view of a clear orthodontic device including an interdental area thickness reinforcing member according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a plan view of a clear orthodontic device including an interdental area thickness reinforcing member according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] In one embodiment, the interdental area thickness reinforcement (120) may preferably be formed to protrude outwardly from the outer surface (101) of the clear orthodontic body (100). For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the interdental area thickness reinforcement (120) may be formed on part or all of the outer outer surface (101a) and part or all of the inner outer surface (101b) of the outer surface (101). Here, the outer outer surface (101a) may be a buccal surface or a labial surface, and the inner outer surface (101b) may be a lingual surface. Alternatively, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the interdental area thickness reinforcement (120) may be formed only on part or all of the outer outer surface (101a) of the outer surface (101). Alternatively, for example, the interdental area thickness reinforcement (120) may be formed only on part or all of the inner outer surface (101b) of the outer surface (101) of the clear orthodontic body (100), as shown in FIG. 8. Alternatively, for example, the interdental area thickness reinforcement (120) may be formed only on the interdental area (PR) around the canine tooth, which is located in the most convex curvature area of ​​the dental arch and is highly prone to fracture.

[0047] In one embodiment, the interdental area thickness reinforcing member (120) may be set to be located between the gingival-side first end (E1) and the occlusal-side second end (E2) in the interdental area (PR). Alternatively, the interdental area thickness reinforcing member (10) may be set to be located at the gingival-side first end (E1) in the interdental area. Alternatively, the interdental area thickness reinforcing member (120) may be set to be located at the occlusal-side second end (E2) in the interdental area (PR). Alternatively, the interdental area thickness reinforcing member (120) may be formed to extend from the gingival-side first end (E1) to the occlusal-side second end (E2).

[0048] More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the interdental area thickness reinforcement (120) may be formed at the location where an interdental line (PL) between two adjacent shells (110) intersects a virtual line (AL) connecting the height of contours of the shells (110) that accommodate each tooth. The height of contour of a tooth is the location on the tooth with the maximum amount of curvature or convexity, furthest from the root axis line. When the clear aligner (10) is worn by a patient, the height of contour of each shell (110) may be positioned at a location corresponding to the height of contour of each tooth. As the interdental area thickness reinforcement (120) is partially formed at the location where the interdental line (PL) between two adjacent shells (110) intersects the virtual line (AL) connecting the maximum bulges of the shells (110), the foreign body sensation felt by the patient is minimized while considering aesthetics, and the strength of the interdental area (PR) is efficiently reinforced while reducing waste of the material forming the interdental area (PR).

[0049] In one embodiment, the interdental area thickness reinforcing member (120) may be partially extended in the direction of the two shells (110) from the interdental area (PR), and each of the interdental area thickness reinforcing members (120) may be formed to be separated rather than connected to one another. That is, the interdental area thickness reinforcing member (120) may be smoothly connected to the two shells (110) while extending to the two shells (110), and accordingly, stress that may be applied to a fracture-prone area during the process of attaching, detaching, or handling the clear aligner may be easily distributed throughout the entire clear aligner body (100).

[0050] The interdental area thickness reinforcement (120) may comprise any suitable material. In some examples, the interdental area thickness reinforcement (120) and the clear aligner body (100) may be formed from a single material. In some examples, the interdental area thickness reinforcement (120) and the clear aligner body (100) may be formed integrally by direct output through a 3D device such as a 3D printer.

[0051] In one embodiment, the interdental region thickness reinforcement (120) may be formed of a material having strength characteristics different from those of the shell (110). For example, the interdental region thickness reinforcement (120) may be formed of a material having a higher elastic modulus than the shell (110) to increase the strength of the clear aligner body (100) in the interdental region (PR) compared to an adjacent portion.

[0052] FIG. 9(a) is a drawing showing a general clear aligner, FIG. 9(b) is a drawing showing a clear aligner with an adjusted margin line according to the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the CC' of FIG. 9(b).

[0053] A general clear aligner (1) can cover the teeth by setting the gingival margin, which is the boundary between the gingiva and the tooth, as the margin line (3) for aesthetic purposes, as shown in FIG. 9 (a). This clear aligner (1) forms a margin line (3) with a deep depth of the groove (4) between the shells (2) and the shells (2). However, in a clear aligner (1) that forms a margin line (3) with a deep depth of the groove (3a) between the shells (2) and the shells (2), stress is concentrated in the groove (3a) between the shells (2) (especially the groove in the premolar area) during the process of attachment, detachment, and handling, and the area of ​​the groove (3a) may be vulnerable to fracture.

[0054] Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 9(b), the clear orthodontic device (10) according to the present invention may further include a margin line reinforcement (130) configured to cover at least partially the gingiva beyond the gingival margin, which is the boundary between the patient's gingiva and the tooth.

[0055] In one embodiment, the margin line reinforcement (130) may be configured to cover the interdental papilla area, which is the gingiva between each tooth. Thus, the clear orthodontic body (100) according to the present invention can form a margin line (104) in which the depth of the groove (104a) between the shell (110) and the shell (110) is adjusted. That is, the depth of the groove (104a) between the shell (110) and the shell (110) in the margin line (104) of the clear orthodontic body (100) can be adjusted in various ways depending on the stage of orthodontic treatment. For example, the clear orthodontic body (100) may include a margin line reinforcement (130) and may be configured to have a relatively shallow margin line (104) compared to a general clear orthodontic device (1), as shown in FIG. 9 (b).

[0056] Thus, the transparent orthodontic body (100) according to the present invention further includes a margin line reinforcement part (130) to form a margin line (104) in which the depth of the groove (104a) between the shells (110) and the shells (110) is adjusted, thereby preventing the problem of stress concentration in the groove (104a) between the shells (110) and the shells (110) (particularly the groove in the premolar region).

[0057] Additionally, referring to FIG. 9(b) and FIG. 10, the margin line reinforcement (130) may be formed with a relatively thicker thickness at the edge portion. For example, the edge portion of the margin line reinforcement (130) may be formed such that a cylinder shape with a circular cross-section is continuously connected. That is, as the thickness of the margin line is reinforced, the transparent orthodontic device (10) can prevent fracture of the transparent orthodontic device (10) and effectively transmit corrective force. FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining an experiment to compare a transparent orthodontic device including an interdental area thickness reinforcement according to an embodiment of the present invention with a conventional transparent orthodontic device not including an interdental area thickness reinforcement, and FIG. 12 is a drawing showing the experimental results of FIG. 11.

[0058] Referring to Fig. 11, Experiment 1 simulates a compression situation for a clear aligner including an interdental area thickness reinforcement and a conventional clear aligner not including an interdental area thickness reinforcement, and Experiment 2 simulates a twisting situation for a clear aligner including an interdental area thickness reinforcement and a conventional clear aligner not including an interdental area thickness reinforcement.

[0059] Experiment 1 (compression condition) and Experiment 2 (torsion condition) were simulated using Abaqus finite element modeling software (Dassault Systems, Véligi-Villacoublay, France), and the stress and maximum stress occurring in the fracture-vulnerable area of ​​the clear aligner (the part extending from the unilateral premolar to the anterior part to the lateral premolar) under compression and torsion conditions were analyzed.

[0060] First, in Experiment 1 (compression condition), with respect to the clear aligner model in software, the position of the shell (110) accommodating one molar (e.g., teeth 16 and 17) was fixed, and a displacement of 5 mm in the lingual direction was applied to the shell (110) accommodating the other molar (e.g., teeth 26 and 27). Referring to FIG. 12, in Experiment 1 (compression condition), a conventional clear aligner (comparative example) that does not include an interdental area thickness reinforcement was interpreted to exhibit a maximum compressive strength of 22.51 MPa at the fracture-prone area, while a clear aligner (example) that includes an interdental area thickness reinforcement was interpreted to exhibit a maximum compressive strength of 40.35 MPa at the fracture-prone area. That is, it was confirmed that the clear aligner including the interdental area thickness reinforcement according to the present invention has a maximum compressive strength increased by approximately 79% compared to a clear aligner that does not include an interdental area thickness reinforcement.

[0061] Experiment 2 (twisting condition) was performed with respect to a clear aligner model in software, while the position of the shell (110) accommodating one molar (e.g., teeth 16 and 17) was fixed, and a displacement of 20 mm in the occlusal direction was applied to the shell (110) accommodating the other molar (e.g., teeth 26 and 27). Referring to FIG. 12, in Experiment 2 (twisting condition), a conventional clear aligner (comparative example) that does not include an interdental area thickness reinforcement was interpreted to exhibit a maximum compressive strength of 21.06 MPa at the fracture-prone area, and a clear aligner (example) that includes an interdental area thickness reinforcement was interpreted to exhibit a maximum compressive strength of 39.09 MPa at the fracture-prone area. That is, it was confirmed that the clear aligner including the interdental area thickness reinforcement according to the present invention has a maximum compressive strength increased by approximately 86% compared to a clear aligner that does not include an interdental area thickness reinforcement.

[0062] As such, the clear orthodontic device according to the present invention includes an interdental area thickness reinforcing part that reinforces the thickness of the clear orthodontic body (100) in the interdental area (PR), which is a fracture-vulnerable area, thereby reducing the risk of fracture caused by external forces such as compressive force, tensile force, and torsion, and improving the strength of the clear orthodontic device.

[0063] The foregoing description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will understand that other specific forms can be easily modified without altering the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. For example, each component described as a single unit may be implemented in a distributed manner, and components described as distributed may likewise be implemented in a combined form.

[0064] The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims set forth below, and all modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts thereof should be interpreted as being included within the scope of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0065] 10, 20, 30 clear aligners 100 Clear Aligner Body 101 External Surface 102 inner surface 103 tooth receiving cavity 104 Margin Line 110 shells 120 Interdental Area Thickness Reinforcement 130 Margin Line Reinforcement

Claims

Claim 1 A clear aligner for moving a tooth to be corrected to a target position, comprising a clear aligner body configured to at least partially surround a plurality of teeth according to the shape of the patient's dental arch, wherein the clear aligner body comprises: a shell shaped to accommodate each tooth corresponding to one or more of the plurality of teeth; and a proximal region thickness reinforcing member for reinforcing the thickness of the clear aligner body at least partially in the proximal region between two adjacent shells, wherein the proximal region thickness reinforcing member is formed to protrude outwardly from the outer surface of the clear aligner body, wherein the proximal region thickness reinforcing member is located between a gingival-side first end and an occlusal-side second end in the proximal region, and wherein the proximal region thickness reinforcing member is formed at a position where a virtual line connecting the maximum convexities of the shells accommodating each tooth intersects the proximal line between two adjacent shells. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A clear orthodontic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the interdental area thickness reinforcing portion is formed on a part or the entire outer surface of the clear orthodontic body. Claim 4 A clear orthodontic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the interdental area thickness reinforcing portion is formed on a part or the entire inner outer surface of the clear orthodontic body. Claim 5 delete Claim 6 delete Claim 7 delete Claim 8 delete Claim 9 delete Claim 10 A clear orthodontic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the interdental area thickness reinforcing portion and the clear orthodontic body are integrally formed by a direct output method. Claim 11 A clear orthodontic device according to claim 1, wherein the interdental area thickness reinforcing member is partially extended in both shell directions from the interdental area, and each of the interdental area thickness reinforcing members is separated and not connected to one another. Claim 12 A clear orthodontic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the clear orthodontic body further comprises a margin line reinforcement configured to cover at least partially the gingiva beyond the gingival margin, which is the boundary between the patient's gingiva and the tooth. Claim 13 A clear orthodontic device according to claim 12, characterized in that the margin line reinforcing portion is configured to cover the interdental papilla area, which is the gingiva between each tooth. Claim 14 A transparent orthodontic device according to claim 12, characterized in that the margin line reinforcement is formed with a relatively thicker thickness at the edge portion.

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