Digital Dental Splint Production Without Centric Registration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing dental splints are time-consuming, costly, and often ineffective for patients with craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD), particularly due to the need for a centric registration that many patients with CMD cannot perform, leading to inaccurate results and increased dentist and dental technician workload.
Innovation Solution
The method involves direct intraoral scanning of dental surfaces using a scanner, registering jaw positions and motion sequences automatically, and producing dental splints with predefined lateral, dorsal, and vertical offsets to achieve optimal occlusion, using coordinate-controlled abrasive processing or 3D printing, with patient feedback for improved accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional methods using alginate impressions and plaster models are used, then dental splints can be produced, but the production time and costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses optical scanning to create digital copies of dental surfaces, replacing the traditional physical copying process involving impressions and plaster models. The intraoral scanner captures precise 3D data of the dental arches and jaw relationships, which are then used to generate the splint design directly in digital form, eliminating multiple intermediate physical reproduction steps
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical impression-taking process with optical scanning technology. Instead of using alginate material and manual pouring of plaster models, the system uses optical sensors to capture dental surface geometry, and replaces manual model manipulation with computer-controlled coordinate measurement and automated splint design
2Ease of operation
If centric registration is performed manually by patients, then jaw position data can be obtained, but the accuracy decreases when patients have CMD or joint pains
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic capture of jaw relationship data during natural patient movements. The scanner tracks the relative positions of upper and lower dental arches as the patient opens and closes their mouth, eliminating the need for the patient to manually achieve and maintain a specific centric position. The patient simply performs natural movements while the system automatically records the data
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses real-time optical feedback to track jaw position changes during movement. The scanner continuously monitors the relative positions of dental surfaces and uses this feedback to automatically determine jaw relationship parameters, replacing the manual feedback loop where patients attempt to achieve centric registration through proprioception and visual inspection
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple intermediate steps including plaster models are used, then dental splints can be produced, but the complexity of the device and process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate measurement and documentation steps into a single integrated optical scanning process. The system simultaneously captures dental surface geometry, jaw relationship data, and occlusion information in one scanning session, eliminating the need for separate impression-taking, model-pouring, and measurement steps that were previously required
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the unnecessary intermediate physical modeling steps from the traditional workflow. By using direct optical scanning, the system removes the alginate impression material, plaster models, and manual measurement tools from the process, keeping only the essential data capture and digital design functions
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 approach reduces production time and costs, enhances accuracy by avoiding intermediate plaster models, and ensures dental splints maintain advantageous jaw relations, reducing discomfort and improving therapeutic efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
direct intraoral scanning of dental surfaces using a scanner
Implementation Method 2
coordinate-controlled abrasive processing unit (in particular milling unit) for carving out the shape configurations
Implementation Method 3
3D printing methods, also referred to as additive manufacturing
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a dental splint, in particular for the treatment of craniomandibular dysfunction or for the correction of tooth misalignment, comprising a flat body made of plastics, composite and/or elastomer and having a lower face that is provided with a shape configuration according to at least portions of the dental surface profile of a patient's lower jaw, and further having an upper face that is provided with a shape configuration according to at least portions of the dental surface profile of the patient's upper jaw, the shape configuration being laterally and/or frontally-dorsally and/or vertically offset by a defined amount on the upper face relative to a position relation of optimum occlusion with respect to the shape configuration on the lower face.