41 results about "Orthodontic retainer" patented technology

The present invention relates to an orthodontic retainer to be fitted to an orthodontically treated dentition in order to fix the teeth in their orthodontic treatment state. In particular, the present invention relates to an orthodontic retainer that achieves, for example, improvement of strength of the retainer, improvement of wearing comfort and esthetics, reduction in cost, and improvement of a function as the retainer.

Dental retainer devices are provided. The dental retainer devices can be customized based on patient specific dental anatomy and dental treatment plans. Methods of making the dental retainer devices are also provided. The methods can included additive manufacturing. Methods are also provided for customization of a dental retainer device based on the patient specific anatomy. The methods for customization can include providing a dentist with different options for anterior teeth coverage, posterior teeth coverage, and palatal configurations for the dental retainer devices.

A dental composite comprising a reinforcing material in the form of glass flakes. The resulting filler material can be used in dental composites and dental restorations including but not limited to fillings, orthodontic retainers, bridges, space maintainers, tooth replacement appliances, dentures, crowns, posts, jackets, inlays, onlays, facings, veneers, facets, implants, abutments, cements, bonding agents and splints, to provide optimal handling properties, good wear resistance and high strength.

Blocks of material are prepared in a variety of shapes and sizes to be used in the fabrication of models for dental restorations. The material comprises a partially sintered ceramic material. The blocks are used to manufacture molds using CAD / CAM methods and equipment. The molds are useful in the manufacture of dental restorations using ceramics, metals, alloys, or powders thereof, and composite materials. The models milled from the blanks may be used to manufacture a variety of dental restorations including, but not limited to, crowns, bridges, space maintainers, tooth replacement appliances, orthodontic retainers, dentures, posts, jackets, inlays, onlays, facings, veneers, facets, implants, abutments, splints, partial crowns, teeth, cylinders, pins, and connectors.

A dental carrier comprises a thermoplastic carrier. The thermoplastic carrier has a pattern structure. After heating the thermoplastic carrier, the thermoplastic carrier is provided with a user to be impressed by teeth or alveolar ridge for forming teeth or alveolar ridge model of the user. Compared to the prior art, the dental carrier of the present invention can provide the dental medicament contained in the pattern structure to be precisely applied and hold onto the treatment area and the medicament can be evenly coated on the teeth, root, or periodontal tissue for the treatment of teeth. When the dental carrier is not used to carry medicament, the pattern structure can improve the mechanical strength and fitness of the dental carrier to be used as a biteplate, orthodontic retainer, periodontal dressing for treatment or protection or mouth guard in sports.

A dental retainer device for stabilization, so-called retention, of pairs of teeth or groups of teeth in a lower jaw and / or an upper jaws in orthodontic treatment. The retainer device is formed of a pair (2) of retainer elements, consisting of two preferably individual, but in the position of use cooperating, retainer elements (4, 6). Each of the retainer elements (4, 6) is formed in with a retainer approximal surface (16, 18), the retainer approximal surfaces (16, 18) being formed complementary relative to one another. In use, one or more pairs (2) of retainer elements is / are positioned and secured with its / their individual elements (4, 6) preferably on the inner face of a tooth (20, 22) each of a pair of adjacent teeth, so that in the position of use the retainer approximal surfaces (16, 18) bear on each other and support, possibly lock, each other. Thereby pairs of teeth or groups of teeth are stabilized while it is possible at the same time to carry out normal dental hygiene by means of a toothbrush, dental floss or toothpicks, which is otherwise difficult to carry out when known retainers are used.

The invention discloses a direct manufacturing method of a customized lingual orthodontic retainer by selective laser melting. The method comprises the following steps: measuring dentition data to obtain shape structure parameters of teeth, establishing a CAD model of teeth by reverse engineering, designing a CAD structure model for a single lingual retainer according to orthodontic requirement and teeth shape characteristics, guiding the model to a selective laser melting forming machine, and directly making a metal retainer body by a lamination manufacturing method; bending a wire of the retainer according to groove shape of the retainer, welding the wire with the groove by a laser welding method. The method for manufacturing the orthodontic retainer by direct selective laser melting forming can realize customized production according to individual requirements, the obtained retainer is matched with the teeth shape and has high precision without deformation, and suitable for long-term use, has thin thickness, short manufacturing cycle; and direct forming of the retainer saves procedures, time and cost, so the method has wide application scope.

A safe and effective antimicrobial composition for conveniently cleaning dental appliances like athletic mouth guards, night guards, orthodontic retainers and Invisalign-style braces, and teeth whitening trays of harmful germs, bacteria, molds, odors, and stains. Such composition comprises a plant-based anti-microbial extract like grapefruit seed extract in combination with a cleaning agent without the need for additional ascorbic acid or metal cation-based antibacterial agents. The cleaning composition can be delivered to the dental appliance as a rinse, wet wipe towelette, or spray for removing a wide variety of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and other microorganisms from the dental appliance.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing an orthodontic retainer with which there are no aesthetic concerns and smooth pronunciation during conversation is possible, and which is able to secure favorable fitting and can be worn for long periods. The retainer is configured so that, by being fitted so as to surround the entire dental arch (T) of the maxilla (A) or the mandible and by the inner surface being fitted, on the front and back surfaces of the entire dental arch (T), with a specified vertical width (H) that encompasses the cervical sections (T1, T2) of said teeth, a retaining force is applied on a portion of the crown (T3) of each tooth from the front and back surfaces.

The invention concerns a mounting device for a pair (2) of orthodontic retainer elements (4, 6) intended for attachment to a pair of adjacent teeth (20, 22) during passive orthodontic treatment. Each retainer element (4, 6) includes a dental attachment surface (12, 14), an approximal surface (16, 18) and an oral surface (8, 10). At least one portion of the approximal surface (16) of one retainer element (4) is formed complementary to at least one portion of the approximal surface (18) of the other retainer element (6). These approximal surface portions form adjacent contact surfaces that will stabilize each other when the pair (2) of retainer elements (4, 6) is attached to the pair of adjacent teeth (20, 22) in the dental arch, thus also stabilizing the adjacent teeth (20, 22). The mounting device comprises a jig (24; 48; 56) to which the pair (2) of retainer elements (4, 6) is releasably connected, wherein the pair (2) of retainer elements (4, 6) is maintained mechanically in a specific spatial relationship relative to each other. Said spatial relationship is defined as the spatial relationship required between the pair (2) of retainer elements (4, 6) when mounted on the pair of adjacent teeth (20, 22). The invention also concerns a method of maintaining a correct spatial relationship between a pair (2) of such retainer elements (4, 6), particularly in the process of attaching the retainer elements (4, 6) to said pair of adjacent teeth (20, 22).

A cast orthodontic retainer system for reducing discomfort and improving durability. The cast orthodontic retainer system generally includes a palatal portion for positioning against the palate of a patient's mouth and a retention portion for extending across an anterior portion of the patient's teeth. The palatal portion of the present invention is fabricated of a cast metallic material, thus allowing for the palatal portion to be substantially thinner than the palatal portions of retainers in the prior art. In a preferred embodiment, the palatal portion of the present invention will be fabricated of a combination of cobalt, chromium and molybdenum (generally marketed under the trademark VITALLIUM). The palatal portion of the orthodontic retainer is preferably cast from the metallic material utilizing the “lost wax” technique of casting.

Blocks of material are prepared in a variety of shapes and sizes to be used in the fabrication of models for dental restorations. The material comprises a partially sintered ceramic material. The blocks are used to manufacture molds using CAD / CAM methods and equipment. The molds are useful in the manufacture of dental restorations using ceramics, metals, alloys, or powders thereof, and composite materials. The models milled from the blanks may be used to manufacture a variety of dental restorations including, but not limited to, crowns, bridges, space maintainers, tooth replacement appliances, orthodontic retainers, dentures, posts, jackets, inlays, onlays, facings, veneers, facets, implants, abutments, splints, partial crowns, teeth, cylinders, pins, and connectors.

A cleaning apparatus and method for cleaning dental and / or medical implements, and in particular to a system for quickly and thoroughly cleaning dental and / or orthodontic retainers, dental / orthodontic aligners, dental appliances, dentures, bridges, and the like. The preferred embodiment of the present invention contemplates a cleaning system utilizing a vibrating sonic wave bath comprising a vibration means to oscillate a container having at least some fluid therein engaging the item to be cleaned, coupled with the utilization of a preferably flavored tablet containing a non-toxic cleaning material, the tablet preferably also formulated to effervesce upon contact with water, generating bubbles and foam. It has been found that the sonic bath substantially enhances the cleaning and flavoring ability of the effervescent cleaning tablet, while reducing the amount of time to clean the dental appliance. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a relatively cost effective, safe, easy to use and reliable system for cleaning and flavoring dental appliances and the like.

The invention discloses a partitioned dental membrane and a manufacturing method thereof. The surface of the partitioned dental membrane is provided with a direction indicator sign; according to the different stress-bearing points for stress which is born during the manufacture of a hidden correction device or an orthodontic retainer during usage of the partitioned dental membrane, the surface ofthe dental membrane is divided into four partitions according to different positions of a dental model on the surface of the dental membrane, namely a midline exterior incisor partition, a midline exterior molar partition, a midline interior incisor partition, and a midline interior molar partition; different membrane thickness is provided for each partition. The partitioned dental membrane can bemade into a product with different partitions' thickness kept uniform when applied to the manufacture of hidden correction devices or orthodontic retainers; the partitioned dental membrane enables corrective force to be expressed more evenly during correction with rarity of cracking.

The invention discloses a manufacturing method of an individualized tongue-side orthodontic retainer, comprising the following steps: taking a dental model; establishing a three-dimensional CAD model;drawing an arch wire flat surface and an arch wire, and designing a single retainer CAD structure model; guiding the single retainer CAD structure model into a fast wax pattern machine to obtain a retainer wax pattern; casting the retainer wax pattern, and obtaining the retainer after necessary surface processing; guiding a two-dimensional CAD model of the arch wire into a precise marking machineto obtain a pattern with the same shape and size with the arch wire; bending to obtain the arch wire according to the pattern, and welding the arch wire and the retainer together by a laser welding method; and then placing the retainer on the dental model to carry out integral vacuum film pressing to obtain a positioning pallet. The invention can realize the individualized production according toindividual demand; in addition, the prepared retainer is matched with a tooth shape, has high precision and lasting non-deformation, is suitable for being worn for a long time by patients and has thin thickness, good anchorage stability and convenient clinical operation. The manufacturing method is widely used for the production process of the orthodontic retainer.

A lidded plastic container has a plunger in the lid which pushes dental appliances down into a cleaning solution. The container includes vent holes in its lid to allow gas-evolving cleaning agents to vent without building up pressure inside the container and to drain the fluid from the container.

A standard orthodontic retainer is modified on its surface opposite the palate and facing the patient's tongue with a light, a small battery to provide power for the light means, and a frame beneath the light that allows a template to be removably slid into the frame. The template consists of a design such as a heart, a letter of the alphabet, a symbol, or other design that, when the light is activated, shines the pattern onto the top of the tongue of the user. The template can be made so that the design displayed on the user's tongue is of any desired color or color combination. Alternatively, the color of the displayed design may be created by the color of the light or by an additional template consisting of an optical filter providing the desired color.

A lidded plastic container has a plunger in the lid which pushes dental appliances down into a cleaning solution. The container includes vent holes in its lid to allow gas-evolving cleaning agents to vent without building up pressure inside the container and to drain the fluid from the container.

An orthodontic retainer is configured for application to a lingual surface of a patient's teeth. The retainer is custom designed to exactly match the shape of the lingual side of the patient's teeth and is formed from a plurality of tooth-adhering portions connected by elongated connection portions. The tooth-adhering portions each have a generally flat top edge and a generally curved bottom edge. The connection portions are located at a position below the top edge and above the bottom edge of the tooth-adhering portions. The retainer is formed as a single piece by milling, injection molding or 3D printing.

The invention concerns a mounting device for a pair of orthodontic retainer elements intended for attachment to a pair of adjacent teeth in a dental arch during passive orthodontic treatment. The retainer elements include approximal surfaces formed complementary to each other so as to form contact surfaces capable of stabilizing each other when the pair of retainer elements is attached to the pair of adjacent teeth, thereby also stabilizing the pair of teeth. The mounting device comprises a jig to which the pair of retainer elements is releasably connected and is maintained in a specific spatial relationship, which allows the approximal surfaces to form the stabilizing contact surfaces when mounted on the pair of teeth. The invention also concerns a method of maintaining a correct spatial relationship between the pair of retainer elements, especially when attaching them to the pair of teeth.

A cleaning apparatus and method for cleaning dental and / or medical implements, and in particular to a system for quickly and thoroughly cleaning dental and / or orthodontic retainers, dental / orthodontic aligners, dental appliances, dentures, bridges, and the like. The preferred embodiment of the present invention contemplates a cleaning system utilizing a vibrating sonic wave bath comprising a vibration means to oscillate a container having at least some fluid therein engaging the item to be cleaned, coupled with the utilization of a preferably flavored tablet containing a non-toxic cleaning material, the tablet preferably also formulated to effervesce upon contact with water, generating bubbles and foam. It has been found that the sonic bath substantially enhances the cleaning and flavoring ability of the effervescent cleaning tablet, while reducing the amount of time to clean the dental appliance. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a relatively cost effective, safe, easy to use and reliable system for cleaning and flavoring dental appliances and the like.

The invention relates to a three-dimensional orthodontic retainer (2) and to a method for producing such a retainer (2) in which the three-dimensional orthodontic retainer (2) is matched to the exactshape of the adjacent teeth (3) and is produced from a blank (1) in such a manner that the physical properties of the material of the remaining part of the blank (1) are unchanged in the retainer (2).The method for producing the three-dimensional orthodontic retainer (2) comprises the following method steps: creating a three-dimensional model of the structure of the patient's teeth (3); designinga customised, precisely fitting model of the retainer (2); producing the retainer (2) on the basis of the designed 3D model by computer-controlled deposition or application of material.

A lidded plastic container has a plunger in the lid which pushes clear trays (that usually float) down into a cleaning solution. The container may include vent holes in its lid to allow gas evolving cleaning agents to vent without building up pressure inside the container.

The invention discloses a base-free wrought wire orthodontic retainer which comprises a dental arch wire around the dental buccal and tongue sides of first to seventh teeth. An occlusion across steel wire is welded between the sixth tooth and the seventh tooth; an occlusion across steel wire is welded between the fifth tooth and the sixth tooth; an occlusion across steel wire is welded between the third tooth and the fourth tooth; and the dental arch wire is divided into a front dental section and a rear dental section. The rear dental section is divided into retention arms and allopathic arms which are specifically distributed in a manner that the buccal side of the seventh tooth is provided with the retention arms, and the tongue side of the seventh tooth is provided with the allopathic arm; both sides of the sixth tooth are provided with the retention arms; the buccal side of the fifth tooth is provided with the allopathic arm, and the tongue side of the fifth tooth is provided with the retention arm; the buccal side of the fourth tooth is provided with the retention arm, and the tongue side of the fourth tooth is provided with the allopathic arm; and dental arch wires of the lip and tongue sides of the first, second and third teeth are arranged in the front dental section. The base-free wrought wire orthodontic retainer is not provided with a base, is comfortable to wear and easy to clean, does not cause adverse effects on the temporomandibular joint and periodontium, and allows the upper and lower teeth to be naturally occluded when being worn, thus being favorable to clinical popularization and application.

A standard orthodontic retainer is modified on its surface opposite the palate and facing the patient's tongue with a light, a small battery to provide power for the light means, and a frame beneath the light that allows a template to be removably slid into the frame. The template consists of a design such as a heart, a letter of the alphabet, a symbol, or other design that, when the light is activated, shines the pattern onto the top of the tongue of the user. The template can be made so that the design displayed on the user's tongue is of any desired color or color combination. Alternatively, the color of the displayed design may be created by the color of the light or by an additional template consisting of an optical filter providing the desired color.