Dental Retainer Wire Attachment Shell for Precise Bonding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dental retainer attachment methods are imprecise and require specialized knowledge and materials, leading to potential misalignment and instability of teeth post-treatment, as they rely on manual adjustment and bonding by professionals.
Innovation Solution
A wire attachment appliance with a shell having cavities and attachment members, utilizing virtual and physical models to design and position the wire attachment components accurately, and employing attachment materials like adhesives or resins for secure fixation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual bonding methods are used to attach wire to teeth, then the process can be performed with simple equipment, but the positioning precision and alignment accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The wire attachment appliance is pre-fabricated with cavities and attachment members positioned in precise locations before the dental procedure. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for complex manual adjustment during the procedure, achieving high positioning precision while keeping the actual attachment process simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire attachment appliance serves as an intermediary device that simplifies the attachment process. Instead of directly bonding wire to teeth with complex positioning tools, the appliance acts as a mediator that pre-positions the wire and facilitates simple attachment to the teeth, improving precision without requiring complex equipment.
2Reliability
If specialized knowledge and materials are required for wire attachment, then the attachment strength and reliability improve, but the ease of operation and accessibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The wire attachment appliance is designed to be self-positioning and self-attaching. The appliance itself contains all necessary components (cavities, attachment members) that enable it to attach the wire to teeth without requiring specialized knowledge or materials from the operator, making the process easier while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the wire, attachment members, and positioning structures into a single integrated appliance. This combination eliminates the need for separate specialized materials and techniques for each component, simplifying the operation while ensuring reliable attachment through the integrated design.
3Adaptability or versatility
If custom-shaped retainers are fabricated just prior to attachment, then the fit to individual teeth improves, but the time required for fabrication and adjustment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wire attachment appliance is pre-fabricated with cavities and attachment members positioned according to the patient's specific tooth configuration, obtained through virtual and physical models. This preliminary customization eliminates the need for time-consuming shaping and adjustment just prior to attachment, reducing fabrication time while maintaining custom fit.
Solution Approach 2:
The appliance is created as a copy or replica of the patient's specific tooth arrangement using virtual and physical models. This copying approach allows the appliance to be customized in advance to fit the patient's teeth perfectly, eliminating the need for time-consuming on-site adjustments while maintaining high adaptability.
4Reliability
If imprecise positioning and poor adjustment occur during manual attachment, then the ease of procedure increases, but the long-term retention and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The precise positioning of the wire and attachment members is performed in advance during appliance fabrication using virtual and physical models. This preliminary precision work eliminates the need for complex positioning systems during the actual attachment procedure, ensuring long-term retention through accurate initial positioning without adding operational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices utilizing a dental appliance for dental retainer wire attachment are disclosed. One such wire attachment appliance includes a shell having one or more cavities formed therein and shaped to receive one or more teeth, at least two wire attachment members provided on the shell, and at least one attachment material reservoir provided on the shell, wherein the attachment material is provided to attach a wire to a tooth adjacent to a particular reservoir of the at least one attachment material reservoir.