Motion-Based Dental Splint for TMJ Disorder Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional articulator devices in dentistry poorly approximate the dynamic motion of the lower jaw and dentition, leading to inaccuracies in dental appliance design and treatment outcomes, especially when complex procedures are involved, resulting in suboptimal or failed treatments.
Innovation Solution
A motion-based dental splint system that captures precise jaw motion data using a patient assembly and imaging system, generating a thin-shell aligner with a contact surface tailored to the patient's dentition motion, allowing for accurate representation and treatment of conditions like temporomandibular joint disorders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional articulator devices are used to represent jaw motion, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the measurement precision and manufacturing precision of dental appliances deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical articulator devices with an optical motion capture system that uses cameras and digital modeling to track jaw motion. This substitution eliminates the need for physical articulator mechanisms while achieving superior measurement precision through optical tracking of fiducial markers attached to the patient's dentition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy of the patient's dentition and jaw motion through imaging and motion capture technology. Instead of using physical articulator copies, the system generates accurate digital models that can be used for treatment planning and appliance design, maintaining precision while reducing physical device complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional articulator devices are used for dental appliance design, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the manufacturing precision of dental restorations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical articulator-based appliance design with a digital workflow that uses motion capture data and computer-aided design software. This allows for precise customization of dental appliances based on actual patient motion data, improving manufacturing precision while the digital fabrication processes handle the complexity of production.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent captures and utilizes specific motion parameters such as jaw movement trajectories, contact point positions, and temporal characteristics of mandibular motion. These quantified parameters are integrated into the appliance design process, enabling precise control over restoration geometry and occlusion while streamlining the manufacturing through digital parameter specification.
3Reliability
If complex multiple dental appliances are applied simultaneously, then the treatment comprehensiveness is improved, but the measurement precision of jaw motion deteriorates due to compounded errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces error-prone mechanical articulator measurements with optical motion capture technology that can accurately track jaw motion even when multiple dental appliances are present. The system uses fiducial markers and digital image processing to maintain measurement precision independent of the number or complexity of appliances being treated.
Solution Approach 2:
The motion capture system provides real-time or near-real-time feedback on jaw motion accuracy and appliance performance. This allows for verification and adjustment of treatment outcomes, ensuring that even complex multi-appliance treatments maintain high measurement precision and reliability through continuous monitoring and validation.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses, components, devices, methods, and systems for generating motion-based dental splints are provided. An example dental splint includes a thin-shell aligner and a contact surface formed based on motion data. The motion data may include relative motion data based on movement of a patients upper dentition with respect to the patients lower dentition. The contact surface may include one or more ridges corresponding to the positions of a contact region on the opposing dentition as a jaw movement is performed. The dental splint may be used to treat temporomandibular joint disorder. An example method includes acquiring an impression of a patients dentition; acquiring jaw motion data for the patient; generating a thin-shell appliance for the patient based on the impression; generating a contact surface based on the motion data; and joining the contact surface with the thin-shell appliance.