Custom Polymeric Aligner for Teeth and Hard Palate Repositioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional orthodontic treatments for repositioning teeth are time-consuming and require frequent visits to the orthodontist, as they involve attaching various appliances to the teeth, whereas alternative methods using clear polymeric aligners are limited in their ability to adjust both the teeth and the hard palate effectively.
Innovation Solution
The development of custom polymeric aligners, known as 'top' and 'bottom aligners,' which are designed using three-dimensional models of a patient's teeth and hard palate or mandibular bone, allowing for progressive adjustment of tooth and palate positions through a series of appliances, each applying corrective forces to achieve desired alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional braces and appliances are used for repositioning teeth, then teeth can be repositioned, but the treatment is time-consuming and requires frequent visits to the orthodontist
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment is divided into multiple stages using a series of sequential aligners (e.g., first aligner, second aligner, third aligner). Each aligner is designed to accomplish specific tooth movement objectives, allowing progressive repositioning over time without requiring frequent professional interventions.
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment plan and aligner sequence are designed and fabricated in advance through computer-aided design, based on digital models of the patient's teeth. This preliminary planning allows the entire treatment trajectory to be predetermined, reducing the need for frequent adjustments and visits during the actual treatment process.
2Productivity
If clear polymeric aligners are used for repositioning teeth, then treatment time is reduced, but the ability to adjust both teeth and hard palate effectively is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The aligner system is segmented into multiple functional components: a tooth-receiving cavity for positioning teeth and a separate palate segment for contacting and adjusting the hard palate. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together as an integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The aligner is designed as a multi-functional appliance that simultaneously performs multiple tasks: it positions teeth within the cavity while also contacting the hard palate through the palate segment to apply corrective forces. This multi-functionality enables the single appliance to address both tooth alignment and palate positioning needs.
3Manufacturing precision
If custom polymeric aligners with three-dimensional models are used, then precise repositioning of teeth and hard palate is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manual, trial-and-error process of traditional orthodontic appliance fabrication is replaced with computer-aided design and manufacturing. Digital three-dimensional models of the patient's teeth and palate are used to precisely define the geometry of the aligner, enabling accurate reproduction through computer-controlled manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
Digital three-dimensional models serve as precise copies of the patient's unique anatomical structures. These digital models are used to generate the custom aligner geometry, allowing for exact replication of the required tooth and palate contact surfaces without manual fabrication errors.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for repositioning teeth of a patient; which employ at least one appliance specific to the patient for placement in the patient's mouth during use. The appliance includes a polymeric shell having a cavity shaped to receive teeth of the upper jaw of the patient. The polymeric shell is integral to a polymeric segment shaped to cover the hard palate of the upper jaw of the patient. The shell is configured such that the appliance adjusts position of the teeth of the upper jaw of the patient during use. The segment is configured such that the appliance adjusts position of the hard palate of the upper jaw of the patient during use. One or more appliances can be configured to contact the teeth of the lower jaw and a mandibular bone portion disposed below the gingiva of the teeth of lower jaw and adjust position of the teeth and the mandibular bone portion of the lower jaw of the patient during use.