Orthodontic device

Abstract

Provided is an orthodontic device capable of ensuring accuracy of a holding position of a tooth by a mouthpiece.　This orthodontic device comprises a mouthpiece having a tooth mold for correcting the teeth alignment of a patient, and an anchor device fixed to bone tissue in the oral cavity of the patient. The anchor device has a fitting part, and the mouthpiece has a fitted part detachably fitted to the fitting part of the anchor device.

Description

Orthodontic appliances

[0001] The present invention relates to an orthodontic appliance using a mouthpiece and an orthodontic method using the same.

[0002] Orthodontic treatment is a treatment method for moving and repositioning teeth that are causing problems with alignment or bite to their correct positions. Conventionally, retainers that fix and maintain the alignment of teeth in orthodontic treatment methods have typically been those that use steel wires and mouthpieces.

[0003] Orthodontic wire treatment involves bonding brackets to the surfaces of the teeth and tightening and securing the wires that are engaged in the grooves of the brackets, thereby applying stress to the teeth and gradually moving them to a predetermined position (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In conventional methods, both ends of the wire are secured to the back teeth (molars). However, the tension of the wire can cause the back teeth to tilt forward. To prevent this, orthodontic devices that secure the wire to the jawbone using dedicated anchor screws are available on the market (see, for example, Patent Document 2, i-station (registered trademark) provided by Okada Medical Materials Co., Ltd.).

[0004] In conventional orthodontic treatment using wires, only a specialized orthodontist can attach and remove the wires, making them cumbersome to handle. Furthermore, when the wires are exposed on the front teeth, they can also cause problems with aesthetic appearance.

[0005] Orthodontic mouthpieces, another form of retainer, are manufactured by taking impressions of the patient's teeth according to their shape, size, inclination, etc. In recent years, with the development of information processing technologies such as three-dimensional scanning and modeling, and the widespread use of high-speed, high-precision three-dimensional printers, mouthpieces for step-displacement orthodontics, which gradually move the teeth to a target position, have been put into practical use (for example, INVISALIGN (registered trademark) provided by Align Technology, Inc.; see Patent Document 3).

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-314456 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-200430 International Publication No. 2000-032132

[0007] While these orthodontic mouthpieces are made of transparent plastic material and are manufactured to mimic the shape of natural teeth, they are also required to be convenient, such as being easy to attach and remove depending on the situation or circumstances of daily life.

[0008] Conventional orthodontic mouthpieces rely on the molars as the fulcrum (anchorage) for applying a retention force to the teeth. In other words, the tooth molds for the mouthpiece are formed relative to the molars, using healthy, relatively rigid molars as the reference point. However, while the mouthpiece exerts a posterior stress on the anterior teeth (e.g., the front teeth) that require correction, it also exerts a forward counterforce on the fulcrum (the back teeth). This can lead to forward tilting of the molars, especially in patients with missing teeth. Even a slight tilt or movement of the molars, which are intended to serve as the anchor, can cause the entire mouthpiece to move slightly forward. This can result in errors in the retention position of the teeth (e.g., the front teeth) that require correction. Furthermore, slight movement of the mouthpiece can weaken the retention force acting on the teeth.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an orthodontic appliance that can ensure the accuracy of tooth retention position using a mouthpiece. Another object of the present invention is to provide an orthodontic mouthpiece that is easy to handle and highly convenient.

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration.

[0011] (Configuration 1) Configuration 1 is an orthodontic device that includes a mouthpiece having a dental mold for correcting the alignment of a patient's teeth, and an anchor device that is fixed to bone tissue in the patient's oral cavity, wherein the anchor device has an engaging portion, and the mouthpiece has an engaged portion that is detachably engaged with the engaging portion of the anchor device.

[0012] (Configuration 2) Configuration 2 is the orthodontic appliance of configuration 1, in which the fitting portion of the anchor device is convex, and the fitted portion of the mouthpiece is concave.

[0013] (Configuration 3) Configuration 3 is preferably the orthodontic appliance of configuration 1 or 2, wherein the anchor device includes a screw, and the fitting portion is formed on a head of the screw.

[0014] (Configuration 4) Configuration 4 is the orthodontic appliance of any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein the anchor device includes a screw, and the screw is configured to have an attachment that forms the fitting portion attached to its head.

[0015] (Configuration 5) Configuration 5 is the orthodontic appliance of any of Configurations 1 to 4, wherein the anchor device includes at least two screws and a plate member fixed via the at least two screws, and the plate member has a thickness that forms the fitting portion.

[0016] (Configuration 6) Configuration 6 is the orthodontic device of any one of Configurations 1 to 5, wherein the plate member has a shape that is elongated in the anterior-posterior direction and has a tapered portion, a chamfered portion, and / or a rounded edge portion at a front end of the plate member.

[0017] (Configuration 7) Configuration 7 is the orthodontic device of any one of Configurations 1 to 6, wherein the plate member has a shape that is long in the anterior-posterior direction and has a vertical edge portion at the posterior end of the plate member that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0018] (Configuration 8) Configuration 8 is the orthodontic appliance of any of Configurations 1 to 7, wherein the anchor device has one or more screws and an attachment attached to a head of the screw, and the fitting portion is formed on both ends of the attachment.

[0019] (Configuration 9) Configuration 9 is the orthodontic device of any of Configurations 1 to 8, including a plurality of mouthpieces for gradually moving teeth toward target positions, and the position of the tooth impression of each of the mouthpieces is determined based on the position of the fitting portion.

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to ensure the accuracy of the positioning of teeth by a mouthpiece, and also to facilitate the handling of the mouthpiece when attaching it to the teeth.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an orthodontic appliance according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed from diagonally below; FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a mouthpiece; FIG. 3 is a view showing an embodiment of a system for manufacturing a mouthpiece; FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a current dentition model; FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a target setup dentition model; FIG. 6 is a view for explaining a method for vacuum compression molding a mouthpiece; FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a mouthpiece manufactured by a step displacement method; FIG. 8 is a view showing another embodiment of a system for manufacturing a mouthpiece; FIG. 9 is a side view showing an anchor device according to a first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a side view showing an anchor device according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an anchor device according to a third embodiment; FIG. 12 is a side view showing a partial cross section of the anchor device according to the third embodiment; and FIG. 13 is a plan view showing an anchor device according to a fourth embodiment.

[0022] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are forms for embodying the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In this specification, an example of an orthodontic device using a mouthpiece worn on the upper jaw to correct the alignment of the upper teeth will be described, but the orthodontic device may also include a mouthpiece worn on the lower jaw. Furthermore, the orthodontic device may include a pair of mouthpieces for the upper and lower jaws to improve the occlusion of the upper and lower teeth.

[0023] <Orthodontic Device 1> As shown in Fig. 1, an orthodontic device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an orthodontic mouthpiece (simply referred to as a "mouthpiece" in this specification) 10 having a dental impression 13 for correcting the patient's dentition T, T, ..., and an anchor device 20 that is fixed to bone tissue in the patient's oral cavity. The mouthpiece 10 shown in Fig. 1 is a form of an orthodontic retainer. The mouthpiece 10 has a fitted portion 11 that is easily and detachably fitted into a fitting portion 21 of the anchor device 20.

[0024] According to the orthodontic appliance 1 of this embodiment, the anchor device 20 is fixed to a predetermined location in the patient's oral cavity. In the example of Fig. 1, the anchor device 20 is fixed near the inside of the alveolar bone that forms the gums of the upper jaw. By fixing the anchor device 20 to the bone tissue (e.g., the jawbone) in the patient's oral cavity in this manner, the anchor device 20 can be used as a fixation source to apply an orthodontic force based on the elastic stress of the mouthpiece 10 to each tooth T.

[0025] The anchor device 20, details of which will be described later, may include an anchor screw 23, as shown in, for example, Figures 8 to 10. By screwing the anchor screw 23 into bone tissue, the anchor device 20 can be firmly fixed to the bone tissue. The mouthpiece 10 has, for example, a concave fitting portion 11. For example, the mouthpiece 10 is attached to the dentition T, T, ... by fitting the concave fitting portion 11 into the convex fitting portion 21 of the anchor device 20. Because the anchor device 20 is firmly fixed to the bone tissue as described above, its position is not affected by external forces and does not move. The mouthpiece 10 according to this embodiment is attached to the dentition T, T, ... using the stable anchor device 20 as a fixation source, so that errors in the retention position of the tooth T to be corrected can be prevented.

[0026] <<Mouthpiece>> First, an orthodontic mouthpiece 10 will be described. Fig. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a mouthpiece 10 for the upper jaw. The mouthpiece 10 has a substantially U-shaped main body sheet 12 that extends along the patient's upper jaw, and tooth impressions 13, 13, ... that protrude in pocket-like shapes from the main body sheet 12. In addition, the main body sheet 12 of the mouthpiece 10 is formed with a fitted portion 11 that is detachably fitted into a fitting portion 21 of the anchor device 20.

[0027] 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the mouthpiece 10. Each tooth impression 13 is formed to fit the shape, size, posture, etc. of the corresponding tooth T. The geometric arrangement of each tooth impression 13 is determined based on the position of the engagement portion 11 formed on the main body 12 (the origin of the XYZ Cartesian coordinate system). Here, the position of the engagement portion 11 refers to the position of the anchor device 20 that engages with it, or more strictly, the position of the engagement portion 21.

[0028] <<<First Embodiment Related to Manufacturing of Mouthpiece>>> Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of a system for manufacturing the mouthpiece 10. With reference to this figure, an example of a method for manufacturing the mouthpiece 10 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0029] Step S11: First, dental diagnostic information of the patient's oral cavity is obtained using the dental diagnostic device 101. The dental diagnostic device 101 may include, for example, an X-ray device and a 3D (three-dimensional) scanner. The dental diagnostic information may include X-ray data of the dentition T and image data (scan data) obtained using the 3D scanner.

[0030] The dental diagnosis information (X-ray data and scan data) acquired by the dental diagnosis device 101 is input to an orthodontic information processing system 110. The orthodontic information processing system 110 is a computer system including an arithmetic processing device, a storage device, an input / output device, a human interface, etc. The orthodontic information processing system 110 of this embodiment includes a dentition model generator 111 and an orthodontic simulator 112. These processing means 111, 112 function by executing arithmetic processing by a general-purpose or dedicated processor constituting the orthodontic information processing system 110. At least some of the functions of the processing means 111, 112 may be provided by a dedicated server on a network.

[0031] Step S12: The dentition model generator 111 analyzes the scan data and identifies the positions of feature points that appear on the surface of the patient's dentition, gums, etc. The dentition model generator 111 then places these in a three-dimensional model coordinate system in virtual space to generate a dentition model 31 that is a three-dimensional digital replica of the patient's current dentition ( FIG. 4A ).

[0032] Step S13: The orthodontic simulator 112 analyzes the current dentition model 31 and simulates the amount of tooth movement, rotation angle, and other parameters until the target dentition is reached. The dentition model generator 111 then generates a set-up dentition model 32 that models the target dentition based on the defined parameters ( FIG. 4B ). In other words, the set-up dentition model 32 refers to a dentition shape model that reflects the positions and postures of the teeth to be repositioned after orthodontic treatment using a mouthpiece.

[0033] Step S14: The orthodontic simulator 112 can simulate root movement based on X-ray images in addition to crown movement. The position for fixing the anchor device 20 (the fitting portion 21) is determined to be a position on the jawbone that does not interfere with such root movement.

[0034] Step S15: The dentition model generator 111 adds the geometric information (position and shape) of the anchor device 20, whose fixing position has been determined, to the dentition model 31 and the setup dentition model 32. At this time, the dentition model generator 111 performs coordinate transformation on the dentition model 31 and the setup dentition model 32 so that the position of the anchor device 20 (fitting portion 21) is placed at the origin of the three-dimensional model coordinate system. As a result, the displacement of the teeth from the dentition model 31 to the setup dentition model 32 is determined based on the position of the fitting portion 21 of the anchor device 20.

[0035] Alternatively, the anchor device 20 may be fixed to the jawbone position determined in step S14, and then a 3D scanner may be used to acquire images of the patient's oral cavity from multiple angles. In this case, the dentition model generator 111 can generate the dentition model 31 based on scan data including geometric information of the anchor device 20. The dentition model generator 111 can also generate a setup dentition model 32 based on the dentition model 31.

[0036] Step S16: The orthodontic information processing system 110 transfers data of the set-up dentition model 32 to the 3D printer 102. Then, the 3D printer 102 uses, for example, a photocurable resin to form a dentition mold 33 having a shape corresponding to the set-up dentition model 32.

[0037] Step S17: As shown in Fig. 5, the shaped dental form 33 is placed in a vacuum forming device 103. Then, the transparent synthetic resin sheet 14, which is the material for the mouthpiece 10, is heated and softened, and is placed over the dental form 33 and vacuum-pressed to produce the mouthpiece 10 having a shape corresponding to the dental form 33.

[0038] By using the manufacturing system of this embodiment, it is possible to efficiently manufacture a plurality of mouthpieces for the step displacement correction method described below. Therefore, specifically, the above-mentioned steps S15 to S17 can further include the following steps.

[0039] Step 15-1: The orthodontic simulator 112 calculates the amount of movement, rotation angle, and other parameters for stepwise moving the teeth from the dentition model 31 (current dentition) to the setup dentition model 32 (target dentition) in accordance with an algorithm based on the step-displacement orthodontic method. Then, the orthodontic simulator 112 generates a number of step-up dentition models (first, second, ...) defined by parameters such as the amount of tooth movement in each step.

[0040] In the three-dimensional model coordinate system, the positions of the fitting portions 21 of the anchor devices 20 attached to the teeth model 31, the step-up teeth models (first, second, ... step-up teeth models), and the set-up teeth model 32 are all at the origin of the model coordinate system. This means that the step displacement of the teeth from the teeth model 31 to the set-up teeth model 32 is determined based on the position of the fitting portions 21 of the anchor devices 20.

[0041] Step S16-1: The orthodontic information processing system 110 transfers data of the set-up dentition model 32 and the plurality of step-up dentition models (first, second, ..., step-up dentition models) to the 3D printer 102. Then, the 3D printer 102 uses, for example, a photocurable resin to create physical dentition molds 33 (first, second, ..., Gth dentition molds 33) having shapes corresponding to the step-up dentition models (first, second, ..., step-up dentition models) and the set-up dentition model 32.

[0042] Step S17-1: Using the vacuum forming device 103, the step-up mouthpiece 10 is formed using each dental arch form 33 (the first, second, ..., Gth dental arch form 33). １ , 10 ２ , …, 10 Ｇ (1st, 2nd, ..., Gth step-up mouthpieces 10) are manufactured respectively.

[0043] As described above, the positions of the fitting portions 21 (anchor devices 20) of the step-up dentition models (first, second, ... step-up dentition models) and the set-up dentition model 32 coincide with each other at the origin of the coordinate system of the three-dimensional model. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the step-up mouthpiece 10 manufactured based on these three-dimensional models １ , 10 ２ , …, 10 Ｇ The positions of the tooth profiles are determined based on the position of the fitted portion 11 (the origin in the real XYZ coordinate system) that is common to all of them.

[0044] <<<Second Embodiment Related to Manufacturing of Mouthpiece>>> Next, a description will be given of a second embodiment related to manufacturing of the mouthpiece 10. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of a system for manufacturing the mouthpiece 10.

[0045] Step S21: First, dental diagnostic information of the patient's oral cavity is obtained using the dental diagnostic device 121. The dental diagnostic device 121 may include, for example, an X-ray device and a 3D (three-dimensional) scanner. The dental diagnostic information may include X-ray data of the dentition T and image data (scan data) obtained using the 3D scanner.

[0046] The dental diagnosis information (X-ray data and scan data) acquired by the dental diagnosis device 121 is input into an orthodontic information processing system 130. The orthodontic information processing system 130 is a computer system including an arithmetic processing device, a storage device, an input / output device, a human interface, etc. The orthodontic information processing system 130 of this embodiment includes a dentition model generator 131, an orthodontic simulator 132, and a mouthpiece model generator 133. These processing means 131, 132, and 133 function by executing arithmetic processing by a general-purpose or dedicated processor constituting the orthodontic information processing system 130. The functions of at least some of the processing means 131, 132, and 133 may be provided by a dedicated server on a network.

[0047] Step S22: The dentition model generator 131 analyzes the scan data and identifies the positions of feature points that appear on the surface of the patient's dentition, gums, etc. The dentition model generator 131 then places these in a three-dimensional model coordinate system in virtual space to generate a dentition model 31 that is a three-dimensional digital replica of the patient's current dentition ( FIG. 4A ).

[0048] Step S23: The orthodontic simulator 132 analyzes the current dentition model 31 and simulates the amount of tooth movement, rotation angle, and other parameters until the target dentition is reached. The dentition model generator 131 then generates a set-up dentition model 32 that models the target dentition based on the defined parameters ( FIG. 4B ). In other words, the set-up dentition model 32 refers to a dentition shape model that reflects the positions and postures of the teeth to be repositioned after orthodontic treatment using a mouthpiece.

[0049] Step S24: The orthodontic simulator 132 can simulate root movement based on an X-ray image in addition to crown movement. The position for fixing the anchor device 20 (the fitting portion 21) is determined to be a position on the jawbone that does not interfere with such root movement.

[0050] Step S25: The dentition model generator 131 adds the geometric information (position and shape) of the anchor device 20, whose fixing position has been determined, to the dentition model 31 and the setup dentition model 32. At this time, the dentition model generator 111 performs coordinate transformation on the dentition model 31 and the setup dentition model 32 so that the position of the anchor device 20 (fitting portion 21) is placed at the origin of the three-dimensional model coordinate system. As a result, the displacement of the teeth from the dentition model 31 to the setup dentition model 32 is determined based on the position of the fitting portion 21 of the anchor device 20.

[0051] Alternatively, the anchor device 20 may be fixed to the jawbone position determined in step S24, and then a 3D scanner may be used to acquire images of the patient's oral cavity from multiple angles. In this case, the dentition model generator 131 can generate the dentition model 31 based on scan data including geometric information of the anchor device 20. The dentition model generator 111 can also generate a setup dentition model 32 based on the dentition model 31.

[0052] Step S26: The mouthpiece model generator 133 sets thickness parameters on the tooth surfaces of the set-up dentition model 32 and generates a mouthpiece digital model based on the dentition model 32.

[0053] Step S27: The orthodontic information processing system 130 transfers data of the generated mouthpiece digital model to the 3D printer 122. Then, the mouthpiece 10 can be manufactured based on the mouthpiece digital model by the 3D printer 122. The modeling method using the 3D printer 122 is not particularly limited, but for example, a liquid vat photopolymerization method using a photocurable resin as the material can be used.

[0054] By using the manufacturing system of this embodiment, it is possible to efficiently manufacture a plurality of mouthpieces for the step displacement correction method described below. Therefore, specifically, the above-mentioned steps S25 to S27 can further include the following steps.

[0055] Step 25-1: The orthodontic simulator 132 calculates the amount of movement, rotation angle, and other parameters for stepwise moving the teeth from the dentition model 31 (current dentition) to the setup dentition model 32 (target dentition) in accordance with an algorithm based on the step-displacement orthodontic method. Then, the orthodontic simulator 132 generates a number of step-up dentition models (first, second, ...) defined by parameters such as the amount of tooth movement in each step.

[0056] In the three-dimensional model coordinate system, the positions of the fitting portions 21 of the anchor devices 20 attached to the teeth model 31, the step-up teeth models (first, second, ... step-up teeth models), and the set-up teeth model 32 are all at the origin of the model coordinate system. This means that the step displacement of the teeth from the teeth model 31 to the set-up teeth model 32 is determined based on the position of the fitting portions 21 of the anchor devices 20.

[0057] Step S26-1: The mouthpiece model generator 133 sets thickness parameters on the tooth surfaces for each of the step-up dentition models (first, second, ..., step-up dentition models) and the setup dentition model 32, and generates multiple mouthpiece digital models (first, second, ..., Gth mouthpiece digital models).

[0058] Step S27-1: The orthodontic information processing system 130 transfers data of the generated plurality of mouthpiece digital models (first, second, ..., Gth mouthpiece digital models) to the 3D printer 122. Then, the 3D printer 122 prints a plurality of step-up mouthpieces 10 based on each mouthpiece digital model (first, second, ..., Gth mouthpiece digital model). １ , 10 ２ , …, 10 Ｇ are manufactured respectively.

[0059] As described above, the positions of the fitting portions 21 (anchor devices 20) of the step-up dental row models (first, second, ... step-up dental row models) and the set-up dental row model 32 coincide with each other at the origin of the coordinate system of the three-dimensional model. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the step-up mouthpiece 10 manufactured based on these three-dimensional models １ , 10 ２ , …, 10 Ｇ The positions of the tooth profiles are determined based on the position of the fitted portion 11 (the origin in the real XYZ coordinate system) that is common to all of them.

[0060] <<Anchor Device>> As shown in Fig. 1, the orthodontic appliance 1 according to this embodiment includes an anchor device 20 that is fixed to bone tissue in the patient's oral cavity, preferably the jawbone. The anchor device 20 is a device that serves as a fixing source for the mouthpiece 10 attached to the patient's dentition T, T, .... By using the anchor device 20 as a fixing source for the mouthpiece 10, it is possible to ensure the accuracy of the retained position of the teeth. Furthermore, the mouthpiece 10 can be easily attached and detached, providing greater convenience than conventional devices.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 8 , the anchor device 20 has a fixing portion 22 and a fitting portion 21. The fixing portion 22 preferably includes one or more orthodontic anchor screws 23. The anchor screws 23 can be made of, for example, titanium or a titanium alloy. The length of the anchor screw 23 is preferably 5 to 12 mm, more preferably 6 to 10 mm. The diameter of the anchor screw 23 is preferably 1 to 2 mm, more preferably 1.4 to 1.6 mm. Such an anchor screw 23 can be firmly fixed to bone tissue, preferably cortical bone with a sufficient thickness, by being screwed into the bone tissue. The fitting portion 21 is formed on the head of the anchor screw 23. Here, the head of the anchor screw 23 refers to the portion exposed from the oral cavity epithelium when the anchor device 20 is fixed to the jawbone.

[0062] The shape of the fitting portion 21 of the anchor device 20 is preferably convex. When the shape of the fitting portion 21 is convex, the shape of the fitted portion 11 of the mouthpiece 10, which is detachably fitted into the fitting portion 21, is in contrast concave.

[0063] <<<First Embodiment Related to Anchor Device>>> Figure 8 is a side view of an anchor device 210 according to a first embodiment. The anchor device 210 according to this embodiment has a screw 212 as a fixing portion 22 and an engaging portion 211 which is a head 212A of the screw 212. The screw 212 is screwed into the jawbone and fixed. In Figure 8, the engaging portion 211 utilizes a hexagonal head for screwing the screw 212 into bone tissue. Although not shown, the engaging portion 211 may be substituted with a screw head having a hexagonal socket.

[0064] The height of the screw head (convex portion) 212A used as the fitting portion 211 is preferably 0.8 to 2 mm.

[0065] Such anchor devices 210 are fixed at two locations, one on the left and one on the right, in the patient's oral cavity. Depending on the case, or in order to more stably support and fix the mouthpiece 10, the number of anchor devices 210 may be increased or decreased.

[0066] <<<Second Embodiment Related to Anchor Device>>> Figure 9 is a side view of an anchor device 220 according to a second embodiment. The anchor device 220 according to this embodiment has a screw 222 as the fixing portion 22, and an attachment fitting portion 221 attached to a head 222A of the screw 222. The screw 222 is screwed into the jawbone and fixed. The attachment fitting portion 221 is replaceable with a screw, for example, for the head of the screw 222. The height of the convex attachment fitting portion 221 is preferably 0.8 to 2 mm.

[0067] 9, the attachment fitting portion 221 has a circular dome shape. However, the shape of the attachment fitting portion 221 is not limited as long as it is convex. Because the attachment fitting portion 221 is replaceable, fitting portions of various shapes can be selected depending on the case.

[0068] In the anchor device 220 of this embodiment, the fixing positions and number of the screws 222 can also be set appropriately depending on the case, such as the degree of correction.

[0069] <<<<Third Embodiment Related to Anchor Device>>> Fig. 10A is a plan view of an anchor device 230 according to a third embodiment, and Fig. 10B is a side view showing a portion of the anchor device 230 in cross section. The anchor device 230 according to this embodiment has two screws 232 as the fixing portion 22 and a plate member 233 that is suspended between the two screws 232. The two screws 232 are screwed into the jawbone and fixed. The plate member 233 is fixed onto the epidermis of the oral cavity via the two screws 232. In this embodiment, the fitting portion 231 is configured to include heads 232A of the two screws 232 and the plate member 233. In other words, the plate member 233 has a predetermined thickness, thereby forming the fitting portion 231.

[0070] The thickness of the plate member 233 is preferably 0.8 to 2 mm. The height of the surface of the plate member 233 is preferably the same as or lower than the height of the head 232A of the screw 232. By having the head 232A of the screw 232 protrude from the surface of the plate member 233, it is possible to further improve the fit with the fitted portion 11 of the mouthpiece 10.

[0071] The plate member 233 has a shape that is long in the front-to-rear direction. The length of the plate member 233 is preferably 6 to 10 mm. The front end 233F of the plate member 233 may be formed with a tapered portion that gradually reduces in thickness toward the front. Furthermore, the inner surface of the front end 233F of the plate member 233 may be formed with a chamfered portion or a rounded edge. By providing the front end 233F of the plate member 233 with such a tapered portion, chamfered portion, and / or rounded edge, the attachment and detachment of the plate member 233 to the fitted portion 11 of the mouthpiece 10 can be easily and smoothly performed.

[0072] Furthermore, the rear end 233R of the plate member 233 forms a vertical edge that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the plate member 233. By providing such a vertical edge at the rear end 233R of the plate member 233, the plate member 233 can reliably receive the stress of the mouthpiece 10.

[0073] <<<Fourth Embodiment Related to Anchor Device>>> Figure 11 is a plan view of an anchor device 240 according to a fourth embodiment. The anchor device 240 according to this embodiment has one or more screws 242 and a bridge-type attachment 243 that is replaceably attached to the head of the screw 242. In this embodiment, the center of the attachment 243 is fixed to the jawbone with two screws 242, 242. In addition, fitting portions 241, 241 are formed at the respective tips of both wings (or arms) of the attachment 243. The anchor device 240 configured as described above is fixed so that the attachment 243 is bridged across the left and right portions of the mouthpiece 10.

[0074] According to the orthodontic device 1 of the embodiment described above, the anchor device 20 that fits into the mouthpiece 10 is fixed to, for example, the jawbone in the patient's oral cavity. The anchor device 20, which serves as a fulcrum for the stress of the mouthpiece 10, is firmly fixed to the jawbone, which does not interfere with the movement of the tooth roots, thereby ensuring sufficient accuracy in the retention position of, for example, front teeth that require correction, and maintaining a specified holding force.

[0075] Furthermore, according to the orthodontic device 1 of this embodiment, the mouthpiece 10 has a fitted portion 11 that is detachably fitted into the fitting portion 21 of the anchor device 20. This makes it easy to accurately attach and remove the mouthpiece 10 at a predetermined position. Therefore, it is possible to provide an orthodontic mouthpiece 10 that is easy to handle and highly convenient.

[0076] <Orthodontic Treatment Using a Mouthpiece> Next, an orthodontic treatment method using the above-described mouthpiece 10 and anchor device 20 will be described.

[0077] The orthodontic treatment method includes the following steps: acquiring dental diagnostic information of the patient, particularly information on a 3D scan image of the dentition; preparing a mouthpiece 10 based on the dental diagnostic information; determining a fixing position of an anchor device 20, particularly a position on the jawbone, based on the dental diagnostic information; fixing the anchor device 20 to the determined position; engaging the fitting portion 11 of the mouthpiece 10 with the fitting portion 21 of the anchor device 20 and attaching the mouthpiece 10 to the patient's dentition; and retaining the attached mouthpiece 10 in the oral cavity for a predetermined period of time.

[0078] The orthodontic treatment method further includes the following steps: providing a plurality of step-up mouthpieces 10 (first to Gth) for moving the teeth stepwise from the current dentition to the target dentition based on the dental diagnostic information. １ , 10 ２ , …, 10 Ｇ Preparing a first step-up mouthpiece 10 １ and attaching the step-up mouthpiece 10 to the patient's dentition. １After holding the mouthpiece 10 in the oral cavity for a predetermined period of time, １ Remove the Next Step Up Mouthpiece 10 from the dentition. ２ The above-mentioned steps of wearing, holding and replacing the step-up mouthpiece are repeated until the final step-up mouthpiece 10 is replaced. Ｇ It may also include repeating until

[0079] The principle of orthodontic treatment by moving teeth using the mouthpiece 10 described above is as follows: When stress is applied to the teeth by the mouthpiece 10, stress is also applied to the periodontal ligament tissue, which retracts and fixes the tooth roots. At this time, alveolar bone grows in the area where the ligament is retracted, and osteoclasts absorb alveolar bone in the area where the periodontal ligament tissue is compressed. As a result, the teeth that have moved under stress can be fixed in a new alveolus by the periodontal ligament tissue with balanced tension. Other tissues can then gradually follow the moved teeth.

[0080] According to the orthodontic treatment method using the mouthpiece 10 described above, the anchor device 20 that fits into the mouthpiece 10 is firmly fixed to the bone tissue in the patient's mouth, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the retention position of, for example, a front tooth that requires correction, and maintaining a specified retention force. Therefore, the effect of orthodontic treatment that reliably moves the teeth toward the target position can be obtained.

[0081] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 orthodontic device 10 mouthpiece 11 fitted portion 12 main body sheet 13 dental impression, dental impression row 20 anchor device 21 fitting portion 22 fixing portion 23 anchor screw 31 dental arch shape model 32 dental arch setup model 33 dental arch form 101 dental diagnosis device 102 3D printer 103 vacuum forming device 110 orthodontic information processing system 111 dental arch model generator 112 orthodontic simulator 121 dental diagnosis device 122 3D printer 130 orthodontic information processing system 131 dental arch model generator 132 orthodontic simulator 133 mouthpiece model generator 210 anchor device (first embodiment) 211 fitting portion 212 screw 220 anchor device (second embodiment) 221 attachment fitting portion 222 screw 230 Anchor device (third embodiment) 231 fitting portion 232 screw 233 plate member 240 Anchor device (fourth embodiment) 241 fitting portion 242 screw 243 bridge-type attachment T tooth, dental arch

Claims

1. An orthodontic appliance comprising: a mouthpiece having a dental impression for correcting a patient's teeth; and an anchor device fixed to bone tissue in the patient's oral cavity, wherein the anchor device has a fitting portion, and the mouthpiece has a fitted portion that is detachably fitted into the fitting portion of the anchor device.

2. The orthodontic appliance according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion of the anchor device is convex and the engaged portion of the mouthpiece is concave.

3. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1, wherein the anchor device includes a screw, the fitting portion being formed on the head of the screw.

4. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1, wherein the anchor device includes a screw configured to receive an attachment that forms the fitting at its head.

5. The orthodontic appliance of claim 1, wherein the anchor device includes at least two screws and a plate member fixed via the at least two screws, the plate member having a certain thickness to form the fitting portion.

6. The orthodontic device according to claim 5, wherein the plate member has a shape that is long in the front-to-rear direction and has a tapered portion, a chamfered portion and / or a rounded edge portion at the front end of the plate member.

7. The orthodontic appliance according to claim 5, wherein the plate member has a shape elongated in the front-to-rear direction and has a vertical edge portion at the rear end of the plate member that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

8. The orthodontic appliance according to claim 1, wherein the anchor device comprises one or more screws and an attachment attached to the head of the screw, the fitting portions being formed on both ends of the attachment.

9. An orthodontic device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising a plurality of mouthpieces for gradually moving teeth toward a target position, the position of the tooth impression of each of the mouthpieces being determined based on the position of the fitting portion.

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