Nasal Stent Integrated 3D Nasoalveolar Shaping System

Abstract

This invention relates to a three-dimensional nasoalveolar shaping appliance with a nasal stent used in the preoperative orthopedic treatment of infants with congenital cleft lip and palate (CLP). The invention encompasses an innovative design that enables the digital integration of the nasal stent into the appliance using CAD / CAM methods and its accurate three-dimensional positioning. Within the scope of this invention, the nasal stent is manufactured in a fixed, integrated manner with the appliance, thus eliminating the risk of stent displacement and making the treatment easier for the patient's caregiver (family). Furthermore, three different digital positioning methods are presented: impression pinch, stepwise alignment, and traditional photographic analysis. In particular, the stepwise alignment method increases the positioning accuracy of the nasal stent by taking two separate extraoral scans—one with the impression tray inserted and the other without—and three-dimensionally aligning them with fixed anatomical references.