Attachment for tooth-axis correction, and aligner comprising same

Abstract

An attachment for tooth-axis correction, and an aligner comprising same are disclosed. The attachment for tooth-axis correction, according to one embodiment of the present application, may comprise: a lower plate part attached to the surface of a tooth to be corrected; and an upper plate part coupled to the lower plate part so as to apply an external force for moving the tooth to be corrected from an initial position to a target position.

Description

Attachment for orthodontic correction and orthodontic device including same

[0001] The present invention relates to an attachment for orthodontic correction and an orthodontic device including the same. For example, the present invention relates to a transparent orthodontic device equipped with an attachment for orthodontic correction.

[0002] Invisalign is a modern treatment method that corrects teeth using a 3D scanner, computer software, and customized clear aligner devices. This method uses the principle of applying continuous, gentle pressure to the teeth to gradually move them. It has the advantages of being aesthetically pleasing and convenient because it is transparent and removable.

[0003] This transparent orthodontic treatment process first involves taking a 3D scan of the patient's teeth and using computer software to establish a tooth movement plan. A series of clear plastic aligners are then manufactured according to this plan, each with a slightly different shape. Each aligner applies gentle pressure to the teeth to gradually move them. The patient must replace the aligners with new ones at regular intervals (e.g., every two weeks), gradually moving the teeth to their target positions. In cases where complex tooth movements are required, small attachments may be attached to the teeth to enhance the effectiveness of the aligners.

[0004] Meanwhile, for this type of orthodontic treatment, the practitioner needs to regularly monitor the progress and adjust the plan if necessary. In the case of existing orthodontic treatment, if the teeth to be orthodontized do not move according to the established plan and the orthodontic treatment method needs to be modified, there was the inconvenience of having to reattach the attachments. When placing new attachments like this, there was a possibility that the pre-made aligners would not be properly attached to the teeth to be orthodontized. In addition, even when applying the conventional orthodontic method using wires, there was a problem that the positions of the brackets connected to the wires had to be adjusted every time if the teeth to be orthodontized did not move according to the orthodontic plan.

[0005] The technology underlying this application is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0050190.

[0006] The present invention is intended to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and to provide an attachment for orthodontic correction that adopts a separate structure including an upper plate and a lower plate and has an attachment that can be easily adjusted by the operator, thereby increasing the treatment time and the efficiency of responding to problems that may arise, and an orthodontic device including the attachment.

[0007] However, the technical tasks to be achieved by the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the technical tasks described above, and other technical tasks may exist.

[0008] As a technical means for achieving the above-mentioned technical task, an attachment for orthodontic correction according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a lower plate attached to the surface of a tooth to be corrected and an upper plate coupled to the lower plate so as to apply an external force to move the tooth to be corrected from an initial position to a target position.

[0009] Additionally, it may be provided so that at least one of the joining position and joining direction of the upper part and the lower part can be adjusted.

[0010] Additionally, the upper portion may have an outer surface inserted into the inner side of a receiving space formed in the aligner to receive the teeth to be corrected.

[0011] Additionally, a wire member for transmitting the external force to the teeth to be corrected may be inserted through the upper part or the lower part.

[0012] Additionally, the lower portion may have a first plate and a first connecting member, and the upper portion may have a second plate and a second connecting member.

[0013] In addition, one of the first coupling member and the second coupling member may be formed to protrude outwardly with respect to the first plate or the second plate, and the other of the first coupling member and the second coupling member may be formed to be recessed inwardly with respect to the first plate or the second plate.

[0014] In addition, the upper plate may be provided to be rotatable along a surface direction corresponding to a joint surface formed by the first plate and the second plate while the first joint member and the second joint member are mutually coupled.

[0015] Additionally, the size of the first plate may be set smaller than the size of the second plate.

[0016] Additionally, the first connecting member may be formed to protrude outwardly with respect to the first plate, and the second connecting member may be formed to be recessed inwardly with respect to the second plate.

[0017] Additionally, at least a portion of the lower portion and the upper portion may be made of a ceramic material.

[0018] Additionally, at least one of the lower portion and the upper portion can be manufactured using a 3D printing method.

[0019] Meanwhile, an orthodontic device including an attachment for orthodontic correction according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an aligner forming a receiving space for receiving a tooth to be corrected to move the tooth to be corrected of a subject from an initial position to a target position, a lower plate attached to a surface of the tooth to be corrected, and an upper plate coupled to the lower plate and having an outer surface inserted into the inner side of the receiving space, and an attachment provided such that at least one of a position and a direction in which the upper plate is coupled to the lower plate can be adjusted.

[0020] The above-described problem-solving methods are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. In addition to the exemplary embodiments described above, additional embodiments may be included in the drawings and detailed description of the invention.

[0021] According to the aforementioned means for solving the problem of the present invention, an attachment for orthodontic correction and an orthodontic device including the same can be provided, which adopts a separate structure including an upper plate and a lower plate and has an attachment that can be easily adjusted by the operator, thereby increasing the treatment time and the efficiency of responding to problems that may arise.

[0022] According to the aforementioned solution to the problem of the present invention, the problem of environmental pollution caused by the conventional resin material can be solved by replacing the inconvenience of treatment and poor regeneration of the conventional resin material attachment with a ceramic material attachment.

[0023] However, the effects that can be obtained from this center are not limited to the effects described above, and other effects may exist.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an orthodontic device including an attachment for orthodontic correction according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 is a drawing showing an example of a state in which an attachment for orthodontic correction according to one embodiment of the present invention is attached to a tooth to be corrected.

[0026] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the joint structure of the upper and lower parts of an attachment for tooth axis correction according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a method for adjusting the joining direction of the upper and lower parts of an attachment for axis correction according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail to facilitate easy implementation by those skilled in the art. However, the present invention can be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, irrelevant parts have been omitted for clarity, and similar reference numerals have been used throughout the specification to indicate similar elements.

[0029] Throughout this specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly connected," but also the case where it is "electrically connected" or "indirectly connected" with another element in between.

[0030] Throughout this specification, when it is said that a member is located “on,” “above,” “upper,” “lower,” “lower” or “lower” another member, this includes not only cases where the member is in contact with the other member, but also cases where another member exists between the two members.

[0031] Throughout this specification, whenever a part is said to "include" a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components, unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0032] For reference, terms related to direction or position (upper, lower, upper side, lower side, surface direction, etc.) in the description of the embodiments of the present invention are explained based on the arrangement of each component shown in the drawings. For example, when viewed in FIG. 2, the upper and lower directions may be the normal direction of the drawing.

[0033] However, this orientation may vary depending on the arrangement of the main device. For example, the main device may be arranged so that the upward direction as shown in Fig. 1 faces horizontally (left-right), as needed. Alternatively, the main device may be arranged so that the upward direction as shown in Fig. 1 faces an obliquely inclined direction.

[0034] The present invention relates to an attachment for orthodontic correction and an orthodontic device including the same. For example, the present invention relates to a transparent orthodontic device equipped with an attachment for orthodontic correction.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an orthodontic device including an attachment for orthodontic correction according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 1, an orthodontic device (10) including an attachment for axial correction according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “orthodontic device (10)”) may include an attachment (100) for axial correction according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “attachment (100)”) and an aligner (200).

[0037] In the description of the embodiment of the present invention, the aligner (200) can form a receiving space (201) for receiving the tooth (1) to be corrected in order to move the tooth (1) to be corrected from the initial position to the target position.

[0038] Specifically, the aligner (200) can be manufactured to be worn on the upper or lower teeth of a subject including the teeth to be corrected (1), and may refer to an orthodontic body that plays a role in moving the teeth to be corrected (1) to the final point to be corrected according to the alignment of the teeth of the subject.

[0039] In this regard, when the aligner (200) is worn on the upper or lower teeth of the subject including the teeth to be corrected (1), and the lower jaw movement of the upper and lower teeth occurs, the teeth to be corrected (1) can be moved to the point where they will be finally corrected through expansion, rotation, return pressure, extrusion, etc.

[0040] In addition, the aligner (200) may have a recessed orthodontic groove formed in a shape corresponding to the orthodontic shape of the tooth (1) to be corrected by 3D printing to form a receiving space (201), and the tooth of the target tooth may be worn in this orthodontic groove.

[0041] Additionally, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the aligner (200) may be manufactured from a transparent material. In particular, the transparent material of the aligner (200) may include an elastic material, and more preferably, the aligner (200) may be manufactured using transparent plastic or transparent polymer, but is not limited thereto.

[0042] Meanwhile, although Fig. 1 illustrates that an attachment (100) is attached to the front of a part of the subject's lower jaw teeth, it is not limited thereto, and it goes without saying that the teeth (1) to be corrected, on the surface of which the attachment (100) is attached, can be set in various positions and in various numbers, taking into account the subject's dental condition, the purpose of correction, etc.

[0043] Fig. 2 is a drawing showing an example of a state in which an attachment for axial correction according to one embodiment of the present invention is attached to a tooth to be corrected, and Fig. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a joint structure of an upper part and a lower part of an attachment for axial correction according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the attachment (100) may be structured to include a lower plate (110) attached to the surface of the tooth to be corrected (1) and an upper plate (120) coupled to the lower plate (110) to apply an external force to move the tooth to be corrected (1) from the initial position to the target position.

[0045] In addition, the attachment (100) disclosed herein may be provided so as to be capable of adjusting at least one of the joining position and joining direction of the upper plate (120) and the lower plate (110). For example, 'a' of FIG. 2 illustrates a joining area where the lower plate (110) and the upper plate (120) are mutually joined, and adjustments may be made to the joining position and / or joining direction between the lower plate (110) and the upper plate (120) in a state where the lower plate (110) and the upper plate (120) are mutually joined through the joining area.

[0046] In addition, the upper part (120) of the attachment (100) disclosed herein may be manufactured in a standard such that its outer surface can be inserted into the inner side of the receiving space (201) formed in the aligner (200) to receive the tooth (1) to be corrected, and may be coupled to the lower part (110).

[0047] In addition, referring to FIG. 3, the lower part (110) of the attachment (100) disclosed herein may have a first plate (111) and a first connecting member (112), and the upper part (120) of the attachment (100) may have a second plate (121) and a second connecting member (122).

[0048] In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, one of the first coupling member (112) and the second coupling member (122) may be formed to protrude outwardly with respect to the first plate (111) or the second plate (121), and the other of the first coupling member (112) and the second coupling member (122) may be formed to be recessed inwardly with respect to the first plate (111) or the second plate (121).

[0049] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the first connecting member (112) of the lower plate (110) is formed to protrude outwardly with respect to the first plate (111), the second connecting member (122) of the upper plate (120) can be formed to be recessed inwardly with respect to the second plate (121).

[0050] However, it is not limited to this, and according to another embodiment of the present invention, when the first connecting member (112) of the lower plate (110) is formed to be recessed inward with respect to the first plate (111), the second connecting member (122) of the upper plate (120) may be formed to be protruded outward with respect to the second plate (121).

[0051] In other words, the attachment (100) disclosed herein has a pair of connecting members (112, 122) arranged on each of the lower plate (110) and the upper plate (120), one of which is provided in an outwardly protruding shape (e.g., a protrusion shape, etc.) and the other is provided in an inwardly recessed shape (e.g., a groove shape, a hole shape, etc.), so that the pair of connecting members (112, 122) can be designed to have complementary shapes so that the pair of connecting members (112, 122) are mutually connected (e.g., a fitting connection, etc.).

[0052] For reference, in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, based on the complementary shapes of the inwardly recessed and outwardly protruding connecting members, a pair of connecting members (112, 122) may be referred to as a ball-and-socket connecting structure. As another example, the complementary shapes of the inwardly recessed and outwardly protruding connecting members may be understood as having a protruding structure.

[0053] Meanwhile, in FIG. 3, a pair of inwardly recessed connecting members and corresponding outwardly protruding connecting members are provided, but according to an implementation example of the present invention, a plurality of inwardly recessed connecting members are provided, and a method in which a connecting position between the upper plate (120) and the lower plate (110) is adjusted by inserting an outwardly protruding connecting member into one of the plurality of connecting members may also be applied.

[0054] In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG. 3, the size of the first plate (111) of the lower part (110) may be set smaller than the size of the second plate (121) of the upper part (120). For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the vertical length (from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock in FIG. 3) of the first plate (111) may be set smaller than the vertical length of the second plate (121), so that the attachment (100) may be designed so that the operator can easily adjust the coupling direction of the attachment (100) by holding the upper part (120) and rotating the upper part (120) relative to the lower part (110), but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0055] Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a method for adjusting the joining direction of the upper and lower parts of an attachment for axis correction according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 4, the attachment (100) disclosed herein may be provided so that the upper portion (120) can be rotated along a surface direction corresponding to a joint surface formed by the first plate (111) and the second plate (121) when the first joint member (112) and the second joint member (122) are mutually coupled.

[0057] For example, (a) of FIG. 4 shows the initial bonding state of the attachment (100) for moving the tooth (1) to be corrected from the initial position to the target position on the surface of the tooth (1) to be corrected, and (b) of FIG. 4 shows the state in which the relative bonding direction of the upper part (120) of the attachment (100) with respect to the lower part (110) is modified in consideration of the state of the tooth (1) to be corrected in the process of moving the tooth (1) to be corrected using the orthodontic device (10).

[0058] For example, a practitioner (e.g., a dentist, etc.) performing a procedure to correct a subject's teeth using an orthodontic device (10) may perform a coupling direction adjustment by rotating the upper part (120) of the attachment (100) in the initial state as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 4 at least partially clockwise with respect to the lower part (110) in consideration of the orthodontic situation of the subject's teeth (1) (degree of movement from the initial position, degree of arrival to the planned position considering the shape of the manufactured aligner (200), etc.) as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 4.

[0059] In this regard, in the case of a teeth correction method using an aligner (200), a tooth movement plan is established in advance based on data scanned of the subject's teeth condition before correction is performed, and a plurality of aligners (200) that the subject must wear by replacing them at regular intervals are individually manufactured in accordance with the established plan. If the tooth (1) to be corrected moves correctly at each stage in accordance with the tooth movement plan established in advance, the aligner (200) corresponding to the next order can be worn to fit the tooth (1) to be corrected well. However, depending on the condition of the subject's teeth or how consistently and properly the subject wears the aligner (200), there may be some error between the previously established tooth movement plan and the actual movement state of the tooth (1) to be corrected.

[0060] If the tooth (1) to be corrected does not move according to the existing tooth movement plan based on the scan and simulation results for the tooth (1) to be corrected, first, the previously manufactured lower priority aligner (200) may not fit the tooth (1) to be corrected, or it may be difficult to wear the aligner (200) due to interference with the outer surface of the attachment (100). In order to solve this problem, the attachment (100) disclosed in the present invention is designed to have a two-stage structure of an upper plate and a lower plate so that the direction, angle, etc. of the upper plate (120) of the attachment (100) where the inner surface and the outer surface of the receiving space (201) formed in the aligner (200) are in contact can be adjusted as needed, so that even when the already manufactured aligner (200) interferes with the outer surface of the attachment (100) and is difficult to wear on the tooth (1) to be corrected, the aligner (200) can be easily worn on the tooth (1) to be corrected by having the practitioner adjust at least one of the relative bonding position and bonding direction of the upper plate (120) with respect to the lower plate (110) as needed.

[0061] In addition, if the tooth (1) to be corrected does not move according to the previously established tooth movement plan, the practitioner can adjust at least one of the relative bonding position and bonding direction of the upper portion (120) with respect to the lower portion (110) to actively adjust the orthodontic plan so that the tooth (1) to be corrected moves in accordance with the pre-planned tooth movement plan by adjusting the detailed method of applying the external force (e.g., the direction of applying the external force to move the tooth (1) to be corrected, the magnitude of the external force, etc.) to be applied to the attachment (100) while the aligner (200) is worn on the tooth (1) to be corrected.

[0062] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present invention, in the case of the attachment (100) disclosed in the present invention, at least a portion of the lower plate (110) and the upper plate (120) may be provided with a ceramic material. More preferably, at least the lower plate (110) attached to the surface of the tooth (1) to be corrected is made of a ceramic material, so that the attachment (100) can be firmly attached to the surface of the tooth (1) to be corrected compared to a conventional resin material attachment, thereby improving the durability of the attachment (100) during the correction process. In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the upper plate (120) is made of a ceramic material, wear during the correction process can be reduced compared to a conventional resin material attachment.

[0063] In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, in the case of the attachment (100) disclosed in the present invention, at least a portion of the lower portion (110) and the upper portion (120) may be manufactured through a three-dimensional printing method.

[0064] Meanwhile, in the description of the embodiment of the present invention described above, the embodiment of the present invention was described focusing on an embodiment in which the attachment (100) is applied to the transparent correction (Invisalign) method using the aligner (200), but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a wire member (not shown) for transmitting an external force for moving the tooth (1) to be corrected is provided to be insertable through the upper part (120) or the lower part (110) of the attachment (100), so that the present invention can also be applied to a correction method using a wire member (not shown), and in this embodiment as well, when an error occurs in the tooth movement plan established in advance for the tooth (1) to be corrected, the relative joining position and / or joining direction between the upper part (120) and the lower part (110) of the attachment (100) can be adjusted, thereby actively modifying the correction plan so that the tooth (1) to be corrected moves in accordance with the tooth movement plan planned in advance.

[0065] Meanwhile, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the attachment (100) disclosed in the present invention may be provided with a locking means (not shown) that fixes and maintains the coupling state of the upper part (120) and the lower part (110) as needed so as to enable switching between an unlocked state in which at least one of the coupling position and coupling direction of the upper part (120) and the lower part (110) can be adjusted, and a locked state in which at least one of the coupling position and coupling direction of the upper part (120) and the lower part (110) cannot be adjusted. For example, a practitioner who has confirmed the movement status of a tooth (1) to be corrected may operate a locking means (not shown) to preferentially switch the attachment (100) in a locked state to an unlocked state, adjust at least one of the relative joining positions and joining directions of the upper part (120) and the lower part (110) in accordance with a modified orthodontic plan in consideration of the movement status of the tooth (1) to be corrected, and then switch the attachment (100) to a locked state again, thereby allowing the attachment (100) to remain in a locked state while an external force is applied toward the tooth (1) to be corrected to move the tooth (1) to be corrected in a desired direction by wearing the aligner (200).

[0066] For example, in order to implement the aforementioned locking means (not shown), when a pair of coupling members (112, 122) having complementary shapes are coupled to exceed a preset critical depth, the attachment (100) is maintained in a locked state, and when a pair of coupling members (112, 122) are coupled to a depth below the critical depth, the coupling direction between the upper portion (120) and the lower portion (110) can be adjusted. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0067] The above description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention can be readily modified into other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential characteristics 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 entity may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may be implemented in a combined manner.

[0068] The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. For attachments for orthodontic correction, The lower part attached to the surface of the tooth to be corrected; and An upper plate that is coupled to the lower plate to apply an external force to move the teeth to be corrected from the initial position to the target position; Including, An attachment characterized in that at least one of the joining position and joining direction of the upper part and the lower part is adjustable.

2. In paragraph 1, The above upper part, An attachment whose outer surface is inserted into the inner side of a receiving space formed in the aligner to accommodate the teeth to be corrected.

3. In paragraph 1, An attachment in which a wire member for transmitting the external force to the tooth to be corrected is inserted through the upper or lower plate.

4. In paragraph 1, The lower part has a first plate and a first connecting member, and the upper part has a second plate and a second connecting member, An attachment, wherein one of the first coupling member and the second coupling member is formed to protrude outwardly with respect to the first plate or the second plate, and the other of the first coupling member and the second coupling member is formed to be recessed inwardly with respect to the first plate or the second plate.

5. In paragraph 4, An attachment in which the upper portion is rotatable along a plane direction corresponding to a joint surface formed by the first plate and the second plate while the first joint member and the second joint member are mutually coupled.

6. In paragraph 4, An attachment in which the size of the first plate is set smaller than the size of the second plate.

7. In paragraph 4, The first connecting member is formed to protrude outwardly with respect to the first plate, An attachment in which the second joining member is formed to be recessed inwardly relative to the second plate.

8. In paragraph 1, An attachment characterized in that at least a portion of the lower portion and the upper portion are made of a ceramic material.

9. In paragraph 1, An attachment, wherein at least one of the lower part and the upper part is manufactured using a three-dimensional printing method.

10. In an orthodontic device including an attachment for orthodontic correction, An aligner that forms a receiving space to accommodate the teeth to be corrected in order to move the teeth to be corrected from the initial position to the target position; and An attachment comprising a lower plate attached to the surface of the tooth to be corrected, and an upper plate coupled to the lower plate and having an outer surface inserted into the inner side of the receiving space, wherein at least one of the position and direction in which the upper plate is coupled to the lower plate can be adjusted. An orthodontic device, including:

11. In paragraph 10, An orthodontic device wherein the above aligner is made of a transparent material.

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