Treatment of teeth by aligners

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019286291-A1
Application number	US-201916429925-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 3, 2019
Priority date	Apr 29, 2005
Publication date	Sep 19, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for treating a subject's teeth. A target configuration for the subject's teeth is determined. Receiving features are produced on a dental base in response to the target configuration, the receiving features being configured to receive physical tooth models. The physical tooth models are assembled on the dental base to form a physical arch model. A dental aligner is produced using the physical arch model to move the subject's teeth to the target configuration. A method for making a multi-layer dental aligner includes placing a first layer of a first aligner-making material over one or more physical tooth models, conforming the first layer of the first aligner-making material to the surfaces of the one or more physical tooth models, placing a second layer of a second aligner-making material over the first layer of the first aligner-making material, and conforming the second layer of the second aligner-making material to the surfaces of the first layer of the first aligner-making material over the one or more physical tooth models to produce the multi-layer dental aligner. A method for making a non-uniform dental aligner includes non-uniformly heating the sheet of aligner-making material and holding the sheet of aligner-making material against one or more physical tooth models to produce the non-uniform dental aligner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A multilayer dental aligner comprising:
a first layer comprising a biocompatible polymer material; and a second layer comprising a biocompatible polymer material,
wherein the first layer has a different hardness than the second layer, and wherein:
the biocompatible material of the softer of the first layer and the second layer comprises a polyfluorocarbon, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyoxymethylene, polycarbonate, polyester, polyurethane, elastomeric polymer, or a co-polymer thereof; and
the biocompatible material of the harder of the first layer and the second layer comprises a polyfluorocarbon, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyoxymethylene, polycarbonate, polyester, polyphenylene oxide, polyurethane, or a co-polymer thereof.

2 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 1 , wherein the first layer has a higher hardness than the second layer.

3 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 1 , wherein the biocompatible material of the softer of the first layer and the second layer comprises an elastomeric polymer.

4 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 1 , wherein the biocompatible material of the softer of the first layer and the second layer comprises a polyurethane.

5 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 1 , wherein the biocompatible material of the harder of the first layer and the second layer comprises a polyester or co-polymer thereof.

6 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 1 , wherein the biocompatible material of the harder of the first layer and the second layer comprises a co-polymer of polyester.

7 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 1 , wherein the biocompatible polymer material of the first layer, the second layer, or a combination thereof comprises a thermoplastic polymer.

8 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 1 , wherein the dental aligner comprises more than two layers.

9 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 1 , wherein one region of the multilayer dental aligner differs from another region of the multilayer dental aligner in a plurality of: color, texture, flexural strength, tensile modulus, flexural modulus, thermal conductivity, heat capacity, compression modulus, and toughness.

10 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 1 , wherein the biocompatible material of the first layer, the second layer, or a combination thereof comprises a polymer blend.

11 . A multilayer dental aligner comprising:
a first layer comprising a polyester or a co-polymer thereof; and a second layer comprising an elastomeric polymer,
wherein the first layer has a different hardness than the second layer.

12 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 11 , wherein the first layer has a higher hardness than the second layer.

13 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 11 , wherein the first layer comprises an outer layer and the second layer comprises an inner layer.

14 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 13 , wherein the outer layer has a higher hardness than the inner layer.

15 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 14 , wherein the first layer comprises a co-polymer of polyester.

16 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 15 , wherein the second layer comprises a polyurethane.

17 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 11 , wherein the first layer, the second layer, or a combination thereof comprise a thermoplastic polymer.

18 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 11 , wherein the dental aligner comprises more than two layers.

19 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 11 , wherein one region of the multilayer dental aligner differs from another region of the multilayer dental aligner in a plurality of: color, texture, flexural strength, tensile modulus, flexural modulus, thermal conductivity, heat capacity, compression modulus, and toughness.

20 . The multilayer dental aligner of claim 11 , wherein the first layer, the second layer, or a combination thereof comprises a polymer blend.

Assignees

• Align Technology Inc

Inventors

• Wen Huafeng

Classifications

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• A61C7/002

  Orthodontic computer assisted systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0484 Primary

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• A61C7/00 Primary

  Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth, e.g. by straightening, evening, regulating, separating, or by correcting malocclusions · CPC title

• A61C9/002

  Means or methods for correctly replacing a dental model, e.g. dowel pins; Dowel pin positioning means or methods · CPC title