Patent ID: 7037108
Filing Date: 2006-05-02
Classification: A61C,B33Y

Abstract:
1. An improved method for treating a patient with the use of appliances having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth, wherein the improvement comprises: producing at the outset of treatment a number of successive appliances which when worn successively by a patient move teeth and/or dental features through desired intermediate arrangements and to a final desired arrangement; determining that the patient's teeth and/or dental features have moved to an actual arrangement wherein at least one of the successive appliances produced at the outset of treatment is unable to move the teeth and/or dental features to its successive desired intermediate arrangement or the final desired arrangement; and producing at least one additional appliance at a later time having a configuration to move the teeth and/or dental features from the actual arrangement to a new intermediate arrangement wherein at least one of the successive appliances produced at the outset of treatment is able to move the teeth and/or dental features from the new intermediate arrangement to one of said desired intermediate or final desired arrangements.