Multi-force Orthodontic Archwire with Region-specific Cross-sections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing orthodontic archwires fail to provide optimal and consistent clinical forces across different regions of the dental arch, leading to uneven tooth movement and potential discomfort, as they are limited in their ability to simultaneously apply appropriate forces to all areas, with larger forces impacting smaller teeth and vice versa.
Innovation Solution
The development of a multi-force archwire made from a copper-nickel-titanium alloy with varying cross-sectional shapes and sizes, which maintains a substantially constant unloading force across regions through thermal processing, ensuring ideal forces for anterior, bicuspids, and posterior teeth, reducing differential between loading and unloading forces and enhancing patient comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single-force archwire is used to apply corrective forces to the dental arch, then the wire can be engaged in brackets to align teeth, but the wire cannot provide optimal clinical forces to all areas of the dental arch simultaneously, requiring multiple wire sequences
Solution Approach 1:
The archwire is divided into multiple regions (anterior, bicuspid, posterior) with each region having different force characteristics. The wire's cross-sectional dimensions vary along its length, with anterior regions having smaller dimensions for lighter forces and posterior regions having larger dimensions for stronger forces, allowing each region to provide locally optimized forces simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The archwire is segmented into distinct functional regions with different mechanical properties. Each segment is designed to engage specific tooth groups and provide appropriate force levels, eliminating the need to sequence multiple wires to treat different regions
2Productivity
If larger forces are applied to move larger teeth in the posterior region, then posterior teeth can be aligned effectively, but the forces may impact the health of smaller anterior teeth
Solution Approach 1:
The archwire features region-specific force characteristics where posterior regions are designed to deliver higher forces for efficient movement of larger teeth, while anterior regions deliver lower forces appropriate for smaller teeth, preventing harmful impacts to anterior tooth health
Solution Approach 2:
The wire is segmented into zones with different force magnitudes, allowing posterior segments to exert stronger forces for productive tooth movement while anterior segments exert gentler forces that protect smaller teeth from damage
3Productivity
If the archwire provides high forces for effective tooth movement, then malocclusion correction is accelerated, but patient discomfort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The archwire provides high forces in posterior regions where larger teeth require stronger movement, while maintaining lower forces in anterior regions where smaller teeth are more sensitive, thus accelerating correction without excessive patient discomfort
Solution Approach 2:
The archwire exhibits dynamic force characteristics with a plateau region in the force-deflection curve that maintains relatively constant force over a range of deflections, providing consistent corrective forces while limiting peak forces that cause 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
The multi-force archwire provides consistent and optimal tooth movement forces across the dental arch, reducing patient discomfort and maintaining forces within the optimal range for longer durations, allowing for efficient and uniform malocclusion correction regardless of wire size or cross-section, enabling orthodontists to choose the appropriate wire for specific cases.
Implementation Method 1
The development of a multi-force archwire made from a copper-nickel-titanium alloy with varying cross-sectional shapes and sizes, which maintains a substantially constant unloading force across regions through thermal processing
Implementation Method 2
The archwire material will generally be supplied in a round, square, or rectangular cross-section. A preformed archwire shape is selected for use based on the optimal dental arch shape for the patient being treated. When the preformed archwire is engaged in a patient with malocclusions in the dental arch, forces are applied to the orthodontic appliances to align and level the patient's teeth
Data Source
AI summary
An orthodontic archwire includes an anterior region, bicuspids regions and posterior regions. The archwire exhibits substantially constant unloading force in at least one of the anterior region, bicuspids regions and posterior regions, having a variation of unloading force of less than 15 gf during unloading from about 2 mm to about 0.6 mm deflection. A set of orthodontic archwires can have the property that the anterior region of a first archwire has substantially the same clinical working force as the anterior region of a second archwire, the bicuspids regions of the first archwire has substantially the same clinical working force as the bicuspids regions of the second archwire, and the posterior regions of the first archwire has substantially the same clinical working force as the posterior regions of the second archwire.