An orthodontic bracket and a method of making an orthodontic bracket

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016199154-A1
Application number	US-201414911705-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 13, 2014
Priority date	Aug 14, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of making a customized orthodontic bracket ( 20 ) which comprises a bracket base for attaching the bracket ( 20 ) at a patient's tooth ( 200 ), a bracket body with a bracket head, and an archwire slot. According to the method a three-dimensional tooth model representing the shape of at least part of a patient's tooth ( 200 ) is provided. A bracket receiving area is determined on the tooth model, and the bracket base is provided with a tooth-facing surface that is shaped according to the shape of the bracket receiving area. Further an outline of the bracket head is determined on the tooth model, and the bracket head is provided with a bracket head surface ( 26 a, 26 a ′) that is shaped according to the shape within the bracket head outline. Thus a bracket ( 20 ) is provided which has an outer tongue-facing or cheek-facing surface of a shape corresponding to the natural shape of the tooth the bracket is attached to. The disclosure helps minimizing any discomfort during an orthodontic treatment with the brackets.

First claim

1 . A method of making a customized orthodontic bracket which comprises a bracket base for attaching the bracket at a patient's tooth, a bracket body and an archwire slot, the bracket body extending from the bracket base in a dimension of a bracket height and forming a bracket head adjacent a free end of the bracket body, the bracket head forming a ligating portion which, with respect to another bracket body portion, forms a projection in a dimension of a bracket width, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a three-dimensional tooth model representing the shape of at least part of a patient's tooth; determining a bracket receiving area on the tooth model; providing the bracket base with a tooth-facing surface that is shaped according to the three-dimensional shape of the bracket receiving area; determining an outline of the bracket head on the tooth model; and providing the bracket head with a bracket head surface that is shaped according to the three-dimensional shape within the bracket head outline.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the tooth-facing surface and the bracket head surface face away from each other.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ligating portion forms at least one tie wing and optionally at least one hook.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing the bracket head in dimensions of the bracket width with an outer shape that corresponds to the bracket head outline.

5 . The method of claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
determining a preliminary bracket head outline in a virtual plane; and projecting the preliminary bracket head outline on the tooth model, and thereby determining the bracket head outline.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the bracket head outline on the tooth model is located and sized to overlap with the bracket receiving surface.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the overlap between the area defined by the bracket head outline relative to the bracket receiving surface is at a ratio of at least 50%.

8 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of creating an offset of an area on the tooth model which is defined by the bracket head outline.

9 . The method of claim 1 comprising the steps of:
determining the position and orientation of the patient's tooth at an initial position and a desired position as a part of a treatment plan;
determining an archwire shape and position relative to several teeth of the same patient in the desired position of the tooth; and
providing the archwire slot of the bracket in appropriate position and orientation of the archwire shape and position.

10 . The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
providing the shape of the bracket in the form of computer processable data; and
using the bracket data to manufacture the bracket by an automated manufacturing process.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the manufacturing process comprises wax printing, powder printing, Stereo Lithography or Selective Laser Melting.

12 . A customized orthodontic bracket, obtainable by the method of claim 1 .

13 . A customized orthodontic bracket, comprising:
a bracket base for attaching the bracket at a patient's tooth, a bracket body and an archwire slot for receiving an archwire therein, the bracket body extending from the bracket base in a dimension of a bracket height and forming a bracket head adjacent a free end of the bracket body, the bracket head forming a ligating portion which, with respect to another bracket body portion, forms a projection in a dimension of a bracket width; the bracket further comprising: at the bracket base a tooth-facing surface that is shaped according to a bracket receiving area having a three-dimensional shape in accordance with a three-dimensional shape of a patient's tooth; and at the head portion a bracket head surface that is shaped according to an area defined by a bracket head outline and having a three-dimensional shape in accordance with a three-dimensional shape of the same patient's tooth.

14 . The customized orthodontic bracket of claim 13 , made of a material selected from at least one of gold, titanium alloy, and stainless steel.

15 . (canceled)

16 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of providing the bracket head in dimensions of the bracket width with an outer shape that corresponds to the bracket head outline.

17 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of creating an offset of an area on the tooth model which is defined by the bracket head outline.

18 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of creating an offset of an area on the tooth model which is defined by the bracket head outline.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Schlimper Ralf
• Paehl Ralf M

Classifications

• A61C7/002 Primary

  Orthodontic computer assisted systems · CPC title

• A61C7/145

  Lingual brackets · CPC title

• A61C7/16 Primary

  specially adapted to be cemented to teeth · CPC title