Light-Curable Adhesive for Dental Aligner Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dental aligner appliances face challenges with bond strength and durability when attaching orthodontic components, and there is a need for non-transparent or customizable options to enhance patient compliance and aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
A dental appliance with a polymeric shell body using a light-curable acrylic adhesive that includes acrylate base material, unsaturated adhesion promoter, and photoinitiator, allowing for the attachment of auxiliary features such as colored layers or reinforcement members, which can be customized and bonded to the appliance for improved durability and aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If ClearLoc adhesive is used to attach orthodontic components to the appliance, then the appliance can be customized with auxiliary features, but the bond strength and durability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the adhesive composition by incorporating specific ratios of polyurethane oligomer (50-65%), (meth)acrylate (20-30%), and aliphatic amide (10-20%), along with photoinitiator and organic dye. This parameter change in chemical composition resolves the contradiction by achieving both adequate bond strength and durability while maintaining the ability to attach various auxiliary features like decorations and orthodontic components.
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive is formulated as a composite material combining multiple polymer types (polyurethane oligomer, (meth)acrylate) with complementary properties. The polyurethane provides flexibility and adhesion, while the (meth)acrylate enhances bond strength. This composite approach allows the adhesive to simultaneously achieve reliable bonding and versatility in attaching different auxiliary features to the appliance.
2Illumination intensity
If the appliance shell is made highly transparent, then aesthetics are improved, but it becomes difficult to detect that the appliance is being worn
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates organic dye in the adhesive formulation (0.01-1% by weight) that imparts color to the cured adhesive. This allows the auxiliary features attached to the appliance to have visible coloration, making the appliance detectable while maintaining the transparency of the shell itself. The colored adhesive creates visual contrast that solves the detectability issue without compromising the aesthetic transparency of the appliance shell.
3Adaptability or versatility
If decorative items are attached to the appliance, then patient compliance is enhanced, but the bond durability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the adhesive composition with specific parameter ranges: polyurethane oligomer (50-65%), (meth)acrylate (20-30%), and aliphatic amide (10-20%). This balanced composition provides both the flexibility needed for aesthetic customization and the bond durability required for long-term attachment of decorative items. The photoinitiator enables light-curing for immediate bond strength, while the composite polymer structure ensures durability over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical attachment methods with light-cured chemical bonding. The photoinitiator component enables the adhesive to cure upon light exposure, creating a strong chemical bond between the decorative items and the appliance. This substitution of mechanical bonding with photochemical bonding significantly improves bond durability while maintaining aesthetic customization capabilities.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a strong and durable bond for orthodontic components, allows for customizable designs to enhance patient compliance, and offers improved resistance to deformation, effectively addressing the limitations of existing adhesives like ClearLoc™.
Implementation Method 1
The light-curable acrylic adhesive comprises acrylate base material comprising polymerizable acrylic functionality and a photoinitiator
Data Source
AI summary
A dental appliance has an auxiliary feature bonded to a polymeric surface of a shell body with a compartment for receiving teeth. The auxiliary feature is bonded with a light-curable acrylic adhesive comprising acrylate base material and photoinitiator. Auxiliary features include colored layers and, decals, reinforcing features and auxiliary dental devices. A light-curable acrylic adhesive may include a thiol monomer and/or a pigment. A dental appliance may have a shell body with a bonding surface adapted for attachment of an auxiliary feature, such as prepared by a pretreatment to mar the surface of to impregnate the surface with a reactive adhesion promoter.