Ortho-Restorative Aligner Planning With Gradual Restorative Features
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration of restorative dental treatments complicates orthodontic treatment planning by affecting the final target dentition and treatment path, and can cause discomfort if implemented too quickly, necessitating a gradual shift in orthodontic treatment to account for restorative features.
Innovation Solution
The development of ortho-restorative treatment plans that incorporate restorative features into the orthodontic treatment process, using a series of dental appliances (aligners) to incrementally adjust to the orthodontic treatment plan to accommodate restorative dental treatments, including the gradual introduction of restorative features such as fillings, veneers, and bite adjustments, to ensure a more reliable outcome and improved patient comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional orthodontic treatment planning is performed manually by dentists, then treatment decisions are made based on professional expertise, but the process is time-consuming and lacks objective quantification of treatment progress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual assessment and subjective judgment with automated optical scanning and image processing systems. Digital scanners capture tooth positions, and computer algorithms automatically analyze changes, substituting the mechanical/manual process with an automated digital system that provides objective measurements without requiring extensive dentist time for manual assessment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates digital copies of the dental arch through optical scanning. These digital models serve as replicable references that can be analyzed multiple times without additional scanning, allowing for precise measurement of treatment progress by comparing digital copies at different time points rather than requiring repeated manual measurements
2Ease of operation
If fixed appliances are used for orthodontic treatment, then tooth movement can be controlled, but patient comfort is reduced and oral hygiene is more difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs clear aligners that can be dynamically adjusted through a series of progressively changing appliances. Each aligner in the sequence is optimized for specific tooth movements, allowing the treatment to adapt to changing requirements while maintaining patient comfort. The system transitions from static fixed appliances to a dynamic sequence of removable aligners
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses thin, flexible clear aligner shells that cover the teeth. These flexible appliances provide gentle force for tooth movement while allowing the patient to remove them for eating and oral hygiene, unlike rigid fixed appliances. The flexibility of the thin film material enables both comfort and controlled tooth movement
3Reliability
If a large number of digital images are captured during orthodontic treatment, then comprehensive treatment progress can be documented, but data management and analysis become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple digital images and data points into a unified digital model of the dental arch. Rather than managing separate image files, the system integrates scans, treatment progress data, and analysis results into a single comprehensive digital representation that can be viewed and analyzed holistically, reducing data management complexity while maintaining completeness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal digital platform that serves multiple functions: capturing treatment progress, analyzing tooth movement, predicting final outcomes, and communicating with patients. This multi-functional system eliminates the need for separate tools for each task, simplifying data management while providing comprehensive documentation and analysis capabilities
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C(3)
Figure 1D(1)~1D(3)
Figure 1F~1E(3)
AI summary
Methods and apparatuses for generating ortho-restorative treatment plans and orthodontic aligners. The ortho-restorative treatment plan may include prescribed movements of one or more teeth to correct mal-positioned teeth while accounting for planned restorative treatments on a patient's dentition. The methods may include forming a virtual target dentition model having a target restorative feature, and one or more virtual intermediate dentition models having one or more intermediate restorative features having a different shape and/or size as the target restorative feature. The methods may be used generate a series of aligners in accordance with the ortho-restorative treatment plan.