Arch Fixator for Precise, Unobstructed Implant Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for replacing a patient's natural teeth with full arches of prosthetic teeth require significant pre-planning, outsourcing to laboratories, and result in non-optimal or unsatisfactory implant and arch placements due to obscured views and costly, time-consuming temporary arches.
Innovation Solution
A dental appliance, such as the upper arch fixator, provides a stable mounting site and reference point for fiducial markers and surgical robots, allowing precise placement of implants and temporary prosthetic teeth directly in the dentist's office, using adjustable-angle multi-unit abutments and snap caps for improved fit and customization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If surgical guides are used to guide implant placement, then implant placement precision is improved, but the dentist's view of the patient's mouth is obscured and the ability to feel the bone is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical guide is divided into two separate components: a planning guide used preoperatively for digital planning, and a surgical reference system used intraoperatively that does not obstruct the dentist's view. This segmentation allows precision planning without compromising surgical visibility and tactile feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The obstructive physical surgical guide is removed from the surgical field. Instead, a minimal invasive reference system is used that provides necessary guidance without blocking the dentist's view or interfering with tactile bone assessment.
2Manufacturing precision
If temporary arches are made in a remote laboratory, then customization and fit are improved, but significant time and expense are added to the procedure
Solution Approach 1:
A digital intermediary system (digital imaging, 3D modeling software, and digital fabrication tools) is introduced to bridge the gap between dental planning and arch fabrication. This allows temporary arches to be designed and fabricated on-site or rapidly produced, eliminating the need for lengthy remote laboratory processes while maintaining high customization and fit quality.
Solution Approach 2:
Digital copies and 3D models of the patient's oral structures are created and used to fabricate temporary arches with high precision. These digital replicas enable accurate customization without requiring physical molds or extensive laboratory work, significantly reducing fabrication time.
3Reliability
If multiple patient visits and laboratory outsourcing are required, then thorough planning and correction opportunities are improved, but overall treatment time and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional mechanical workflow involving physical model shipping, multiple in-person visits, and iterative laboratory corrections is replaced with a digital workflow. Digital plans can be reviewed, adjusted, and approved remotely and quickly, eliminating the need for multiple patient visits and physical model exchanges while maintaining thorough planning and correction capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for providing a stable reference and mounting point within a patient's jaw is disclosed. In one embodiment, such an apparatus includes a dental appliance for affixing within a jaw of a patient. The dental appliance is sized and shaped to substantially reside within an arch created by an alveolar ridge of the jaw. The dental appliance provides a mounting site for one or more of a tracking mechanism of a surgical robot, fiducial markers used to image the jaw, and an arch of prosthetic teeth. The dental appliance may be designed for either the maxilla or mandible of the jaw and may be designed to make at least three points of contact with the jaw to provide stability thereto. In certain embodiments, the dental appliance is affixed to the patient's jaw with at least one screw such as a single palatal screw. A corresponding method is also disclosed.