Orthodontic Appliance Biasing Structure for Fewer Adjustments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing orthodontic appliances, such as braces and aligners, face challenges in effectively moving teeth to optimal positions due to time-consuming adjustments, patient discomfort, aesthetic issues, and compliance problems, while lingual braces suffer from sensitivity to archwire adjustments and tongue irritation.
Innovation Solution
An orthodontic appliance featuring rigid segments, arms, and bracket connectors that are configured to extend along adjacent teeth, with a biasing region providing rotational and longitudinal forces, and a securing mechanism that inhibits rotation and translation, allowing for efficient tooth movement without frequent adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional braces are used to move teeth, then orthodontic treatment can be effective, but the treatment requires frequent manual adjustments which are time-consuming and cause patient discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The appliance incorporates pre-configured arms with bracket connectors that are prepared in advance to engage with brackets on adjacent teeth. This preliminary configuration eliminates the need for time-consuming manual adjustments during patient visits, as the appliance is ready to be installed and begin treatment immediately.
Solution Approach 2:
The appliance design allows the arms to automatically engage with brackets and provide orthodontic forces without requiring continuous manual intervention. The self-ligating brackets and pre-positioned connectors enable the system to maintain and adjust forces autonomously, reducing the frequency of office visits and adjustment procedures.
2Reliability
If traditional braces are used to move teeth, then orthodontic treatment can be effective, but the braces cause patient discomfort for several days following each appointment
Solution Approach 1:
The arms and bracket connectors are pre-configured before patient installation, allowing for precise force distribution to be established in advance. This preliminary setup ensures that when the appliance is installed, the forces are already optimized to move teeth effectively while minimizing excessive forces that would cause discomfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The appliance incorporates adjustable arms that can modify force parameters (magnitude, direction, distribution) without requiring full replacement or manual bending. This allows fine-tuning of orthodontic forces to achieve effective tooth movement while maintaining comfortable force levels that minimize patient discomfort between adjustments.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If aligners are used instead of braces, then patient comfort and aesthetics are improved, but certain tooth repositioning steps such as extrusion, translation, and rotations become difficult or impossible to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The appliance divides the orthodontic system into separate functional components: aligner elements for patient comfort and aesthetics, and rigid arms with bracket connectors for versatile tooth movement. This segmentation allows each component to excel at its specific function while working together to achieve comprehensive treatment outcomes including extrusion, translation, and rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The appliance combines materials and structures with different properties - the aligner portion provides comfort and aesthetics with flexible polymeric material, while the arms and bracket connectors provide structural rigidity and mechanical advantage for complex tooth movements. This composite approach integrates the benefits of both aligners and braces into a single system.
4Ease of manufacture
If lingual braces are used to achieve invisible treatment, then aesthetics are improved, but the appliance becomes more sensitive to archwire adjustments and causes tongue irritation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing brackets and archwires on the visible buccal surface or using removable aligners, the appliance positions the bracket connectors on the lingual surface where they are hidden from view. The arms extend from these lingual connectors to engage with teeth, providing invisible treatment while the rigid arm structure reduces sensitivity to adjustments compared to traditional archwire systems.
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 appliance provides effective tooth movement with reduced patient discomfort, improved aesthetics, and enhanced compliance by minimizing the need for manual adjustments and reducing irritation, while maintaining orthodontic efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing region configured to provide rotational and longitudinal forces
Implementation Method 2
a securing mechanism that inhibits rotation and translation
Data Source
AI summary
The present technology comprises methods of manufacturing an orthodontic appliance. For example, a method can include forming an orthodontic appliance in an intermediate configuration by a casting process. The method can further include securing the appliance to a shape forming fixture such that the appliance assumes a desired configuration. The shape forming fixture can comprise a gingiva portion including a surface having a shape corresponding at least in part to a gingiva of a patient and a securing portion carried by the gingiva portion and configured to releasably secure to a portion of the appliance. The method can further include setting a shape of the appliance while the appliance is secured to the shape forming fixture.