Custom orthodontic brackets are provided for supporting an orthodontic archwire at custom positions and inclinations on the teeth of a patient. The preferred brackets each include a bracket base mountable on a tooth and a support extending therefrom for supporting an archwire, preferably in a slot of the custom inclination, depth and preferably curvature with respect to the mounting surface of the bracket base to the tooth. In the preferred embodiment, the brackets are formed by mounting blanks on an inclinable holder, positioning a cutter blade and inclining the holder to cut a custom slot in an archwire plane through the support on the bracket. The cutting tool and bracket holder are computer controlled and driven by signals produced from digitized data relating to the individual patient's anatomy, and preferably to tooth finish positions and bracket and archwire geometry calculated from digitized data taken from the patient's mouth or model thereof.
This application is a continuation-in-part of the following commonly owned and U.S. patent applications, each hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference:
Ser. No. 07/875,663, filed Apr. 29, 1992, now abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/467,162 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,419.
Ser. No. 07/775,589, filed Oct. 15, 1991, now abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 07/467,162 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,419; and
Ser. No. 07/467,162, filed Jan. 19, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,419.
This application is also related to commonly assigned U.S. patent applications of the same inventors filed on even date herewith and entitled:
CUSTOM ORTHODONTIC ARCHWIRE FORMING METHOD AND APPARATUS,
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING JIGS FOR CUSTOM PLACEMENT OF ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES ON TEETH, AND JIGS FORMED THEREWITH, and
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DESIGNING AND FORMING A CUSTOM ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE AND FOR THE STRAIGHTENING OF TEETH THEREWITH.
An apparatus for representing position and function of the jaw and bite of an individual. The apparatus includes a computer including a memory. Information input regarding an outer surface of an object representing at least one part of the jaw and bite into the computer memory. A display for displaying vertical sections representing turning angles of the object and derived from the input information as a function of first control signals generated by the computer. A construction producer producing a construction based upon the displayed vertical sections. The construction is effected by at least one macro instruction carried out by the computer. The macro instruction codes for mathematics and rules for creating the construction. A model producer for producing a model based upon the construction. An articulator receives the model and exposes and simulates function of the outer surface of the object representing the jaw and bite of the individual.
A method for representing position and function of the jaw and bite of an individual. Information regarding at least one part of the jaw and bite of the individual is input into the memory of a computer. Vertical sections derived from the input information are displayed on a display be initiating first controls of the computer. A construction representing the vertical sections is produced. A model of the construction is produced. The model is applied to an articulator, wherein the articulator exposes and simulates position and function of the jaw and bite of the individual.
An effective orthodontic treatment is determined by storing an original position model of a patient's teeth. The patient's teeth are then displayed according to the original position model, and appliances are selected according to a proposed orthodontic treatment. A final position model of the patient's teeth is also stored, and the selected appliances are displayed based upon the final position model. A finite element analysis is performed based on the proposed orthodontic treatment and on a movement of the patient's teeth from the final position to the original position in order to determine stresses, strains, forces, and/or moments on the appliances and on the patient's teeth and bone. If the stresses, strains, forces, and/or moments are not optimized, a new orthodontic treatment is proposed and the process is repeated.
The invention relates to a method for the computer-controlled production of dentures for restoring at least one tooth or jaw area, especially in terms of occlusal or incisal contact. The aim of the invention is to provide a simple means of producing dentures using CAD/CAM techniques, at the same time ensuring that the contact surfaces of the denture have the individual shape required so that absolutely no subsequent work is necessary. To this end, the inventive method comprises the following steps: forming an impression of the upper and lower jaw in order to produce casts of the same and co-ordinating them using an articulator; coordinating at least two points of reference on the upper jaw cast or the lower jaw cast or other selected points of reference with the axis of rotation of the articulator or with at least two points of reference allocated to the same, arranging the upper jaw cast and the lower jaw cast in a measuring device for determining the geometry of the tooth, jaw or jaw area being restored, the two points of reference being arranged in a predetermined position in relation to the system of co-ordinates of the measuring device in order to produce a virtual representation of the axis of rotation of the articulator or the at least two points of reference allocated to the same; digitising the upper and lower jaw casts; constructing the denture using CAD and manufacturing the denture using CAM.
Computer-implemented systems and methods implement a dental treatment plan by specifying tooth movement patterns using a two-dimensional array; and generating treatment paths to move the teeth in accordance with the specified pattern.
