Patent ID: 11883256
Assignee: ALIGN TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 17:
18. A method of forming an interproximal reduction guide, the method comprising:
receiving a digital model of a patient's dental arch;
generating a digital representation of an interproximal reduction guide from the digital model of the patient's dental arch, wherein the interproximal reduction guide comprises a body forming an inner channel comprising a plurality of chambers configured to conform to an outer surface of the patient's teeth, wherein the body further comprises a guide slot extending in a plane through the body from an occlusal surface and at least partially into a buccal surface and a lingual surface, between two of the plurality of chambers, wherein the guide slot is configured to receive an interproximal reduction tool and guide a movement of the interproximal reduction tool when inserted into the guide slot; and
fabricating the interproximal reduction guide using the digital representation of the interproximal reduction guide.