Dental Appliance Eruption Tabs for Erupting Tooth Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Orthodontic treatments face challenges in repositioning misaligned teeth when some teeth have not fully erupted, leading to interferences and alignment issues due to the exclusion of these teeth in the initial treatment plan.

Innovation Solution

Dental appliances with adjustable tabs are designed to accommodate erupting teeth, providing support and force to guide them into proper alignment, using aligners with varying tab lengths and shapes to accommodate different stages of eruption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional dental aligners are used without eruption tabs, then fully erupted teeth can be aligned effectively, but erupting teeth cannot be accommodated and may supra-erupt causing interferences

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to erupting teethVSAvoidalignment control of erupting teeth

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The aligner is segmented into distinct regions: a body portion for fully erupted teeth and an eruption tab for erupting teeth. The eruption tab is a separate, extendable component that protrudes from the body portion to specifically engage with the erupting tooth, allowing the aligner to accommodate multiple tooth states simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The eruption tab is designed to be flexible and adaptable in length, allowing it to dynamically adjust to the eruption stage of the tooth. The tab can be trimmed or extended as needed, and its resilient material properties allow it to flex during insertion and wear, maintaining contact with the erupting tooth surface

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If aligners are designed to accommodate erupting teeth with tabs, then alignment control is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment control of erupting teethVSAvoidaligner structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The aligner maintains a simple, uniform structure for the body portion that engages fully erupted teeth, while only the local region corresponding to the erupting tooth is modified with an eruption tab. This localized modification minimizes overall complexity while providing the necessary functionality for erupting teeth

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The eruption tab serves multiple functions: it provides alignment control for the erupting tooth, prevents supra-eruption, and can be adjusted or trimmed as the tooth erupts. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components, keeping the overall device simple

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If successive aligners with progressive configurations are used, then tooth repositioning is achieved, but erupting teeth are excluded from the treatment plan causing interferences

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetooth repositioning efficiencyVSAvoidinclusion of erupting teeth in treatment

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The eruption tab is incorporated into the aligner design from the beginning of treatment, allowing erupting teeth to be included in the treatment plan from the outset. The tab is pre-positioned to engage the erupting tooth and prevent supra-eruption before it becomes a problem, rather than addressing it after interference occurs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The treatment plan dynamically adapts to the eruption process by using aligners with eruption tabs that evolve as teeth erupt. The tabs can be trimmed or adjusted in subsequent aligners as teeth move from an erupting to a fully erupted state, allowing the treatment plan to progress while continuously accommodating changing tooth positions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 effectively repositions erupting teeth, preventing supra-eruption and improving overall alignment by applying controlled forces through successive aligners with tailored tab configurations.

Implementation Method 1

Such appliances may utilize a thin shell of material having resilient properties, referred to as an 'aligner' that generally conforms to a patient's teeth but is slightly out of alignment with the initial tooth configuration. Placement of such an appliance over the teeth provides controlled forces in specific locations to gradually move the teeth into a new configuration.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS12440311B2Dental appliance systems with eruption tabs

Publication Date: 2025.10.14 ALIGN TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

Dental appliance systems with appliances having eruption tabs. The dental appliance systems may include at least a first shell and a second shell each shaped to receive teeth of respective first and second jaws of a patient. The first and second shells may include respective first and second eruption tabs that extend from respective first and second posterior tooth-receiving cavities of the shells. At least one of the first and second tabs may be configured to exert a force to manage eruption of the erupting posterior tooth. The first and second tabs may include contoured exterior shapes that provide mating engagement with each other so as to support the force exerted on the erupting posterior tooth.