Orthodontic Attachment Placement Using Releaseable Aligner Supports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing orthodontic appliances often lack precise control over force application to teeth, are sensitive to manufacturing tolerances, and have inaccurate attachment placement, leading to less than ideal tooth movement accuracy and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Orthodontic appliances with heterogeneous properties, featuring a stiff outer shell and compliant inner structure, along with customizable attachment placement mechanisms, to improve force and torque distribution and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a stiff orthodontic appliance is used, then force generation capability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase and sensitivity to tolerances worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating regions of different stiffness within the appliance structure. Specifically, it uses varying thickness of the appliance shell (thinner in some regions, thicker in others) and incorporates holes or cutouts in specific areas to localize stiffness properties. This allows the appliance to generate sufficient force in critical areas while maintaining manufacturability and reducing sensitivity to tolerances in other regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material principles by combining materials with different mechanical properties. It uses a multi-layer structure where an inner layer (such as polyethylene terephthalate glycol) and an outer layer (such as polypropylene) are bonded together. This composite construction allows the appliance to achieve both the required force generation capability and reduced sensitivity to manufacturing tolerances by leveraging the complementary properties of different materials.
2Ease of manufacture
If homogeneous material properties are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but control over force application to different teeth worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by implementing local quality through spatially varying thickness and material composition. The appliance shell has different thicknesses in different regions, with thinner areas providing greater flexibility and thicker areas providing structural support and force generation. This allows customized force control for different teeth while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process using thermoplastic materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by varying the thickness parameter of the appliance shell across different locations. It also changes material parameters by using different materials or material combinations in different regions. These parameter variations enable precise control over force application to specific teeth while keeping the manufacturing process feasible through techniques like injection molding or thermoforming.
3Manufacturing precision
If attachment templates are used for placement, then attachment positioning is improved, but manufacturing complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the attachment placement function directly into the appliance structure. Instead of using separate attachment templates, the appliance shell itself incorporates features such as recesses, protrusions, or integrated attachment elements that guide and secure attachments during fabrication. This integration achieves accurate attachment positioning while eliminating the need for separate template manufacturing steps, thereby reducing overall manufacturing complexity.
4Ease of manufacture
If a single material is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but control over localized stiffness worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves localized stiffness control with a single material by varying the thickness of the appliance shell in different regions. Thinner regions provide greater flexibility and compliance, while thicker regions provide structural support and generate stronger forces. This geometric variation allows precise control over localized stiffness properties while maintaining the manufacturing simplicity of using a single thermoplastic material throughout the appliance.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of planning dental treatments are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes determining a plurality of stages for incremental repositioning of a patient's teeth. The method can include determining, for at least one stage, a shape of a corresponding dental appliance body, and generating instructions for direct fabrication of the dental appliance body. The dental appliance body can include a support formed in a tooth-receiving cavity, one or more coupling structures formed proximate to the support, and an attachment formed proximate to the one or more coupling structures. The dental appliance body can be configured to align the attachment to a predetermined location on a tooth. The one or more coupling structures can be configured to release the attachment with removal of the dental appliance body from the tooth.