3D Occlusion Contact Capture Under Variable Biting Forces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for identifying occlusal contacts and a patient's bite are less than ideal, as they interfere with natural bite mechanics and fail to account for tooth movement under biting forces.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for determining a patient's true bite and occlusal contacts by generating 3D digital models of the patient's teeth under biting forces, allowing for accurate alignment and analysis of tooth movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a sheet of material is placed between the patient's teeth during occlusion to mark occlusal contacts, then occlusal contacts can be identified, but the patient's true occlusal contacts are interfered with because the sheet sits between the teeth during evaluation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses digital scanning to create a virtual copy of the occlusal surfaces and their contact relationships, eliminating the need for physical marking materials that interfere with the bite. The intraoral scanner captures the position and contact points of teeth during occlusion, preserving the natural bite mechanics while obtaining accurate contact information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical marking system (sheets of material physically contacting teeth) with a digital sensing system. The intraoral scanner uses optical or electromagnetic fields to detect tooth positions and contact points without physical interference, substituting mechanical measurement with field-based detection.
2Measurement precision
If a bite plate is used to identify occlusal contacts, then contact points can be marked, but the patient's natural bite is interfered with
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a digital replica of the bite relationship through scanning, eliminating the need for physical bite plates. The scan data captures the spatial relationship between upper and lower teeth during occlusion, providing contact information without requiring the patient to adapt to a foreign object in their mouth.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical bite plate system with a digital scanning system that uses non-contact or minimal-contact sensing methods. The intraoral scanner captures occlusal relationships through optical fields rather than requiring physical interposition of a bite plate, thereby preserving natural bite mechanics.
3Loss of information
If digital scanning is used to align upper and lower arches, then occlusal contacts can be visualized, but the changing positions of teeth under bite forces are not accounted for
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates dynamic scanning that captures tooth positions during the application of bite forces. The system scans the teeth in their functional position under load, recording the actual contact points and force distribution. This dynamic approach accounts for tooth movement and position changes that occur during normal biting, providing accurate information about occlusal contacts under physiological conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining biting occlusion of a patient's teeth may include generating a first 3D digital model of the patient's lower arch in non-occlusion, generating a second 3D digital model of the patient's upper arch in non-occlusion and segmenting teeth in the first and second 3D digital models. The method may also include generating a plurality of third 3D digital models of the patient's upper and lower arches in biting occlusion under a plurality of biting forces. Each of the plural of third 3D digital models may be captured under a respective biting force. Prior to generating a treatment plan, the method may include aligning the segmented teeth of the first and second 3D digital models with positions of corresponding teeth of the third 3D digital model to generate a fourth 3D model of the patient's teeth in biting occlusion.