Custom Dental Expander Fixation via 3D Printed Bracket
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dental devices, particularly those using fixation rings and orthodontic brackets, face challenges in effectively adapting to individual patient needs, requiring multiple visits for design and fitting, and causing discomfort during preparation, with a higher risk of detachment under masticatory forces.
Innovation Solution
A method involving 3D printing of dental devices with bracket members and active members, where 3D models are generated using optical scanners or CT scans, allowing for precise reproduction of tooth surfaces, and the use of shape-memory materials for tailored actions, reducing the need for multiple visits and enhancing fixation reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional fixation rings with elastic deformability are used to clip onto teeth, then the rings can be easily installed, but they have a high risk of detachment under masticatory forces
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the fixation ring by replacing elastic deformable material with rigid or semi-rigid material that has been customized to match the exact geometry of the patient's tooth. This eliminates the need for elastic deformation during installation while maintaining secure fixation under masticatory forces, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of installation and fixation reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a precise digital copy of the patient's tooth surface using optical scanning or CT imaging, then uses this copy to manufacture a custom-fit fixation ring through 3D printing. This copying approach allows the ring to fit the tooth perfectly without requiring elastic deformation, thereby achieving both easy installation and high fixation reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional adhesive bonding methods are used for bracket members, then the brackets can be fixed to teeth, but multiple visits are required for design and fitting
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary digital planning and manufacturing of customized bracket members before the patient's first visit. The dental professional scans the patient's teeth, generates 3D models, designs the bracket members with precise positioning, and manufactures them using 3D printing technology in advance. This preliminary action eliminates the need for multiple visits for design and fitting adjustments, reducing treatment time while maintaining fixation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the manufacturing parameters from traditional adhesive bonding processes to additive manufacturing (3D printing). This allows for precise customization of bracket members to fit the patient's specific dental anatomy, eliminating the need for repeated adjustments and multiple visits, thereby reducing time loss while maintaining effective fixation.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional manufacturing methods are used for dental devices, then standard designs can be produced, but the devices are not well adapted to individual patient needs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the manufacturing approach from producing standard fixed designs to additive manufacturing with variable parameters. The 3D printing process allows each bracket member and fixation ring to be customized with specific geometric parameters based on the patient's unique dental anatomy, achieving both ease of manufacture and high adaptability to individual patient needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality by customizing each bracket member and fixation ring to match the specific local characteristics of the patient's teeth. The digital scanning and 3D modeling processes capture the unique geometry of each tooth, and the 3D printing process reproduces this local specificity, ensuring optimal adaptation to individual patient needs while maintaining manufacturability through standardized digital workflows.
4Manufacturing precision
If bracket members are prepared and adjusted in the patient's mouth, then fitting can be achieved, but the patient experiences pain and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary digital planning and manufacturing of bracket members with precise positioning before the patient's visit. The bracket members are pre-adjusted and pre-positioned in the 3D digital model to ensure perfect fit, eliminating the need for painful in-mouth adjustments. This preliminary action achieves fitting precision while avoiding patient pain and discomfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a precise digital copy of the patient's dental anatomy and uses this copy to manufacture bracket members that fit perfectly on the first attempt. This copying approach eliminates the need for iterative adjustments in the patient's mouth, thereby achieving manufacturing precision without causing patient pain or discomfort.
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
This method enables rapid, customized, and pain-free manufacturing of dental devices that provide targeted actions, reducing treatment duration and minimizing detachment risks, while allowing for easy adjustment of active members without altering bracket positions.
Implementation Method 1
the use of shape-memory materials for tailored actions
Data Source
AI summary
Method for manufacturing a dental expander having a first attachment member intended to be fixed to a first fixation tooth of a patient and an active member rigidly connected to the first attachment member. The method includes: a) generating a three-dimensional digital model of a dental arch having the fixation tooth or “arch model”; b) using the arch model as a basis for generating: a three-dimensional digital model of the first attachment member, wherein the model of the first attachment member that has an inner surface that substantially reproduces a part of the surface of the first fixation tooth, and/or a three-dimensional digital model of the active member; and c) using the model of the first attachment member as a basis for manufacturing the first attachment member and/or using the model of the active member as a basis for generating the active member.