TOOTH MOVEMENT CONTROL BASED ON SURFACE ENGAGEMENT

A method includes receiving a digital model of a dentition comprising at least one tooth comprising a plurality of tooth faces, determining a factor of engagement for each of the plurality of tooth faces, determining an addressable area of the at least one tooth based on the factors of engagement of the plurality of tooth faces, identifying an area of engagement of the at least one tooth where the area of engagement comprises at least a portion of the addressable area and where the portion comprises at least one tooth face accessible by a dental appliance to apply a force to the at least one tooth to effectuate the movement, and outputting a controllability score for the at least one tooth based on the area of engagement.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of dental treatment planning, and more specifically, to systems and methods for determining controllability of a tooth movement.

BACKGROUND

Dental appliances, such as retainers, braces, and aligners, can be used to adjust positions and orientations of a patient's teeth. The dental appliances are typically designed to move the teeth according to a treatment plan. However, the dental appliances are susceptible to various factors that cause the dental appliance to move the teeth to positions that were not specified in the treatment plan. Additionally, accurate location of the teeth is required for predictable movement, which is conventionally addressed by bonding brackets or tooth attachments, both of which require multiple inconvenient in-person visits. The brackets and tooth attachments are often viewed as not aesthetically pleasing and removal of the brackets and tooth attachments may result in visible and/or permanent damage to the enamel of the teeth. Current clear aligner technology is much less accurate (e.g., less than 50% accurate) than the traditional brackets and tooth attachments, which is why brackets and tooth attachments are sometimes recommended for treatment.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, this disclosure is directed to a method. The method includes receiving, by one or more processors, a digital model of a dentition where the digital model comprises at least one tooth comprising a plurality of tooth faces. The method further includes determining, by the one or more processors, a factor of engagement for each of the plurality of tooth faces based on a degree of normality of each tooth face with respect to a direction of a movement for the at least one tooth. The method further includes determining, by the one or more processors, an addressable area of the at least one tooth based on the factors of engagement of the plurality of tooth faces. The addressable area comprises at least one of the plurality of tooth faces. The factor of engagement for each tooth face in the at least one of the plurality of tooth faces satisfies a threshold. The method further includes identifying, by the one or more processors, an area of engagement of the at least one tooth. The area of engagement comprises at least a portion of the addressable area. The portion comprises at least one tooth face accessible by a dental appliance to apply a force to the at least one tooth to effectuate the movement. The method further includes outputting, by the one or more processors, a controllability score for the at least one tooth based on the area of engagement.

In another embodiment, this disclosure is directed to a method. The method includes identifying, by one or more processors, an area of engagement of at least one tooth represented in a digital model of a dentition for applying a first force to move the at least one tooth according to a first movement as part of a treatment plan or a second force to move the at least one tooth according to a second movement as part of the treatment plan. The treatment plan is configured to move the at least one tooth from an initial position to a final position. The area of engagement comprises a portion of the at least one tooth that is capable of engaging with a dental aligner. The dental aligner is to be manufactured to apply the first force or the second force to the at least one tooth via the area of engagement to move the at least one tooth. The method further includes determining, by the one or more processors, a first controllability score for the first movement and a second controllability score for the second movement based on the area of engagement. The first force is associated with the first movement and the second force is associated with the second movement. The method further includes selecting, by the one or more processors, the first movement for the treatment plan based on the first controllability score and the second controllability score.

In another embodiment, this disclosure is directed to a system. The system includes one or more processors and a memory coupled with the one or more processors where the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to identify an area of engagement of at least one tooth represented in a digital model of a dentition for applying a first force to move the at least one tooth according to a first movement as part of a treatment plan or a second force to move the at least one tooth according to a second movement as part of the treatment plan. The treatment plan is configured to move the at least one tooth from an initial position to a final position. The area of engagement comprises a portion of the at least one tooth that is capable of engaging with a dental aligner to be manufactured to apply the first force or the second force to the at least one tooth via the area of engagement to move the at least one tooth. The memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine a first controllability score for the first movement and a second controllability score for the second movement based on the area of engagement. The first force is associated with the first movement and the second force is associated with the second movement. The memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to select the first movement for the treatment plan based on the first controllability score and the second controllability score.

Various other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure will become apparent based on the drawings and detailed description of the following disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring generally to the figures, described herein are systems and methods for determining a controllability of a tooth movement for purposes of planning orthodontic treatment. For example, a digital model of a dentition may include at least one tooth. The tooth can have a tooth mesh that defines a plurality of tooth faces. Based on a desired movement of the tooth, a factor of engagement can be determined for each tooth face. The factor of engagement can identify an ability of the tooth face to receive a force that would facilitate the desired movement. For example, when pushing a tooth in a lingual direction, a tooth face on the front of the tooth will have a higher factor of engagement than a tooth face on a side or a back of the tooth. After determining which tooth faces can receive a force, an addressable area is determined. The addressable area can include the tooth faces that are accessible to be contacted by a dental appliance (e.g., not covered by the gingiva or blocked by an adjacent tooth). Then, based on a geometry of the dental appliance, an area of engagement may be determined. The area of engagement may identify a portion of the addressable area that the dental appliance actually contacts. With the area of engagement, a controllability score for the tooth being moved can be calculated. The controllability score can identify the ability of the dental appliance to control the movement of the tooth. The controllability score can be based, at least partially, on the area of engagement (e.g., the larger the area of engagement, the greater the controllability score). The controllability score can be compared to a threshold score to determine if the tooth is controllable enough to actually perform the orthodontic treatment. Various controllability scores can be obtained for various movements to identify the movements with the highest controllability, and to establish the treatment plans with the best controllability. The controllability may be correlated with a predictability of the dental appliance to complete the treatment successfully.

The technical solutions of the systems and methods disclosed herein improve the technical field of orthodontic treatment by improving control and predictability of repositioning teeth via a dental appliance. Control and predictability may be based on type and level of engagement between the dental appliance and the teeth being moved. The type and level of engagement may be based on tooth geometry, appliance geometry, appliance material, intended direction of tooth movement, among others. Improving the control and predictability does not require addition of other attachments or features, but instead focuses on the surface engagement between the tooth and the dental appliance. The technical solutions disclosed herein optimize a surface of a dental appliance rather than add attachments or other features to assist in the repositioning of the teeth. For example, the systems and methods disclosed here prioritize sequencing of tooth movements based on available areas of control. For example, a mesio-distal movement may be prioritized before a labio-lingual alignment due to a higher area of control of the mesio-distal movement before labio-lingual alignment. Similarly, if a movement is desired but there is not enough engagement between the tooth and the dental appliance, a first movement may be performed in order to increase the engagement between the tooth and the dental appliance for the other movement. The technical solutions disclosed herein may also facilitate prediction of uncontrolled tipping of teeth based on the available areas of control to which forces can be applied. For example, if the only available areas of the tooth are near a top of the occlusal surface and there aren't any corresponding areas on the other side of the tooth to create a moment, there could be uncontrolled tipping of the tooth, which may be undesirable.

Additional benefits of the technical solutions disclosed herein include, but are not limited to, precisely characterizing treatment difficulty and assessing efficacy of different aligner designs. The solutions disclosed herein improve control of teeth during a repositioning based solely on the shape of the inner surface of a dental appliance. The solution does not rely on additional attachments or other features to increase the controllability of a tooth. By scoring the movements, the solution can improve or optimize an orthodontic treatment plan based on the most controllable and most predictable movements. By identifying the controllability of a tooth movement, and therefore determining a predictability of the tooth movement, a treatment plan can be generated with more confidence that the tooth/teeth will be moved to the desired positions. The geometry of a dental aligner can be designed based on this analysis to ensure proper contact with the desired areas of the teeth to facilitate the desired movement and reduce unwanted movement.

Referring toFIG.1, a tooth control computing system100for determining a controllability of a patient's tooth when undergoing a treatment plan is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. The tooth control computing system100is shown to include a processing engine101. Processing engine101may include a memory102and a processor104. The memory102(e.g., memory, memory unit, storage device) may include one or more devices (e.g., RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, flash memory, hard disk storage, or any other medium) for storing data and/or computer code for completing or facilitating the various processes, layers, and circuits described in the present disclosure. The memory102may be or include transitory memory or non-transitory memory, and may include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structure for supporting the various activities and information structures described in the present disclosure. According to an illustrative embodiment, the memory102is communicably connected with the processor104and includes computer code for executing (e.g., by the processor104) the processes described herein.

The processor104may be a general purpose single-chip or multi-chip processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor104may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some embodiments, particular processes and methods may be performed by circuitry that is specific to a given function.

The tooth control computing system100may include various modules or be comprised of a system of processing engines. The processing engine101may be configured to implement the instructions and/or commands described herein with respect to the processing engines. The processing engines may be or include any device(s), component(s), circuit(s), or other combination of hardware components designed or implemented to receive inputs for and/or automatically generate outputs based on an initial digital representation of an intraoral device. As shown inFIG.1, in some embodiments, the tooth control computing system100may include a digital model processing engine106, a tooth movement processing engine108, a tooth face processing engine110, a controllability scoring engine112, and an output processing engine114. While these engines106-114are shown inFIG.1, it is noted that the tooth control computing system100may include any number of processing engines, including additional engines which may be incorporated into, supplement, or replace one or more of the engines shown inFIG.1.

Referring now toFIG.1,FIG.2A, andFIG.2B, tooth control computing system100may be configured to receive a digital model120(e.g., a 3D digital model). The digital model120may be of a dentition or a dental appliance, among others. For example, the digital model processing engine106may receive the digital model120. For example, the digital model processing engine106may receive a 3D scan of a patient's dentition. In some embodiments, the digital model processing engine106may be configured to generate a digital model of a dentition. For example, the digital model processing engine106may receive 2D images of a patient's dentition and be configured to take data from the 2D image and generate a 3D digital model. The digital model120of a dentition may include at least one tooth202. The tooth202may be representative of a patient's tooth. The digital model120may include a plurality of teeth202. For example, the digital model120may include the patient's whole dentition and include all of the patient's teeth. In some embodiments, the digital model120of the dentition may include a subset of all of the patient's teeth (e.g., the bottom teeth of the dentition). The digital model120may also include a gingiva203.

The tooth202of the digital model120may have a tooth mesh204. The digital model processing engine106may be configured to generate the tooth mesh204. The tooth mesh204can have a plurality of vertices, edges, and faces to define a geometry of the tooth202. For example, the tooth mesh204can be a tessellated tooth mesh defining a plurality of tooth faces206. The plurality of tooth faces206may be small, easy-to-analyze pieces of the 3D tooth202. The tooth faces206can all have the same shape (e.g., a plurality of triangles) or the tooth faces206can have different shapes. The tooth faces206can all have the same size or can be different sizes. The size and shape of the tooth faces206can be based on a geometry of the tooth202. The digital model processing engine106may be configured to analyze each of the tooth faces206separately. Each tooth face206may comprise data associated with that portion of the tooth202. For example, a first tooth face206may have a first orientation and a second tooth face206may have a second orientation. The first tooth face206may have a smooth surface and the second tooth face may have a rough surface. The digital model processing engine106may identify characteristics or properties of each tooth face206. The identified characteristics may be applied to the systems and methods disclosed herein for further analysis and computations. For example, as described in more detail below, the tooth control computing system100may be able to apply an orientation of a tooth face206to facilitate a determination of a controllability of the corresponding tooth202.

Referring now toFIGS.1and3, the tooth control computing system100may be configured to determine a movement of at least one tooth202. For example, the tooth movement processing engine108may be configured to determine a movement302of at least one tooth202. The movement302can be based on a treatment plan. For example, a treatment plan may include at least one step to move a patient tooth from a first position304to a second position306. The second position306may be a final position or an intermediate position. The treatment plan can have any number steps. Each step may have a corresponding appliance to move the teeth toward the second position306. Each step may have a corresponding movement302. Based on the treatment plan, the tooth movement processing engine108may determine the movement302of the tooth202. The movement302may be for a single step of the treatment plan or for an entire treatment plan with a plurality of steps. For example, the movement302may be a movement from a first position304to a second position306, wherein the second position306can be an intermediate position or a final position.

The movement302may have at least one rotational movement (or vector)308and at least one translational movement (or vector)310. For example, to reach the second position306, the treatment plan may have the tooth202rotating about an axis of the tooth202. For example, the first position304of the tooth202may be turned or tilted with respect to the second position306. To reach the second position306, the treatment plan may have the tooth202sliding along a plane. For example, the tooth202may have to translate in a mesial or distal direction or in a lingual or buccal direction. The movement302of the tooth202can be defined in six degrees of freedom.

Based on the movement302, the tooth movement processing engine108may be configured to determine a force312capable of causing the movement302. For example, the force312may cause the tooth202to move from the first position304to the second position306. The force312may have a magnitude and a direction. The force312may include only a pushing force. The force312may also include any variation or combination of forces. The direction of the force312may be based on the direction of the movement302. For example, if the movement302includes moving the tooth202in a distal direction, the force312can have a distal direction. The magnitude may be based on the size of the movement302. For example, a force312may be greater for a movement302with a greater translational movement310than for a movement302with a smaller translational movement310. The tooth movement processing engine108may be configured to determine a plurality of forces312for a single movement302. For example, to rotate a tooth202, a first force312may be applied in a first direction at a first edge of the tooth202and a second force312may be applied in a second direction at an opposing second edge of the tooth202to generate a moment about an axis of the tooth202.

Referring now toFIGS.1,4,5A-5C, and6, the tooth control computing system100may be configured to calculate a factor of engagement (also referred to as an engagement factor). For example, the tooth face processing engine110may be configured to calculate a factor of engagement. The factor of engagement may be for an individual tooth face206. For example, the factor of engagement may identify an ability for a tooth face206to receive a force configured to move the tooth202from a first position304to a second position306. A greater factor of engagement may indicate better control and predictability of a movement302. The factor of engagement may consider, for example, pushing forces, pulling forces, or a combination thereof. The factor of engagement may be based, at least partially, on the degree of normality (e.g., angle) of the tooth face206with respect to a direction of the movement302. For example, a first tooth face206may be normal (perpendicular) to, or substantially (plus or minus 10%) normal to the direction of the movement302. The first tooth face206may have a high factor of engagement. A second tooth face206may be less normal (e.g., at a 45 degree angle) to the direction of the movement302. The second tooth face206may have a lower factor of engagement than the first tooth face206. A third tooth face206may be parallel to, or substantially parallel to the direction of movement302. The third tooth face206may have a low or negligible factor of engagement lower than the first and second tooth faces206. The tooth face processing engine110may be configured to calculate a factor of engagement for a plurality of tooth faces206. The tooth face processing engine110may be configured to determine a tooth factor of engagement based on the factors of engagement for the plurality of tooth faces206. For example, the tooth face processing engine110may be configured to combine (e.g., sum, average) the factors of engagement for the plurality of tooth faces206to calculate the tooth factor of engagement. The tooth factor of engagement may identify an ability of the tooth202to receive a force312configured to cause the movement302of the tooth202.

To calculate the factor of engagement for a tooth face206, the tooth face processing engine110may be configured to calculate a face normalized unit vector402for the tooth face206. The face normalized unit vector402may be based on the angle of the tooth face206. For example, the face normalized unit vector402may be normal to the tooth face206. The tooth face processing engine110may also be configured to calculate a movement normalized unit vector404for the movement302at the tooth face206. The movement normalized unit vector404may be based on the direction of the movement302. For example, the movement normalized unit vector404may be parallel with the direction of the movement302. The tooth face processing engine110may be configured to determine a relative angle406between the face normalized unit vector402and the movement normalized unit vector404of the tooth face206. For example, the tooth face processing engine110may measure the angle or determine a magnitude of a cross product of the normalized unit vectors402,404.

The tooth face processing engine110may be configured to calculate a factor of engagement for each of the plurality of tooth faces206of a tooth202. For example, the tooth face processing engine110may be configured to calculate a face normalized unit vector402for each of the plurality of tooth faces206. The tooth face processing engine110may be configured to calculate a movement normalized unit vector404for the movement at each of the plurality of tooth faces such that each tooth face206has a face normalized unit vector402and a corresponding movement normalized unit vector404. The tooth face processing engine110may be configured to determine a relative angle between the face normalized unit vectors402of the plurality of tooth faces206and the corresponding movement normalized unit vectors404.

The angle406between the face normalized unit vector402and the movement normalized unit vector404of the tooth face206may determine the factor of engagement for the tooth face206. For example, a tooth face206with an angle406of 180 degrees between the face normalized unit vector402and the movement normalized unit vector404(e.g., tooth face A) may indicate the tooth face206is oriented normal to movement302and is facing in a direction opposite to the movement302. The force312to cause the movement302may directly contact a surface of the tooth face206. This direct contact may correlate with a high factor of engagement. A tooth face206with an angle406of 135 degrees between the face normalized unit vector402and the movement normalized unit vector404(e.g., tooth face B) may indicate the tooth face206is less normal to the movement302than tooth face A. However, the tooth face206may still be partially normal to the movement302and therefore the force312may still be able to contact the tooth face206. This angled contact may correlate with a lesser factor of engagement than a tooth face206with direct contact. A tooth face206with an angle406of 90 degrees between the face normalized unit vector402and the movement normalized unit vector404(e.g., tooth face C) may mean the tooth face206is less normal to the movement302than tooth face A and tooth face B. The angle406of 90 degrees may indicate the tooth face206is oriented parallel with the movement302. If ignoring friction, a force312may not contact a tooth face206that is parallel with the direction of the force312. However, if considering friction, a parallel force312may have some contact with the tooth face206. The parallel orientation may correlate with a small or negligible factor of engagement for the tooth face206. A tooth face206with an angle406of 0 degrees between the face normalized unit vector402and the movement normalized unit vector404(e.g., tooth face D) may indicate the tooth face206is oriented normal to movement302and is directed in the same direction as the movement302. When the force312comprises only a pushing force, a normal surface directed in the same direction as the force312may have a factor of engagement of zero. While the above examples may focus on pushing forces312, other forces (e.g., pulling forces) may be considered when determining the factor of engagement for a tooth face206.

The factor of engagement can be based on any value range. For example, the range of a factor of engagement may be between 0 and 1. A factor of engagement of 1 may indicate a normal orientation of the tooth face206with respect to the movement302such that a force312may be directly applied to the tooth face206. A factor of engagement of 0 may indicate a parallel orientation of the tooth face206with respect to the movement32such that the force312may not be applied to the tooth face206. A factor of engagement of 0 can also be applied to any tooth face206that faces in the same direction as the movement302.

InFIGS.5A-5C, example visualizations of factors of engagement for a plurality of tooth faces206of a tooth202are shown, according to exemplary embodiments. A tooth202may have one or more addressable tooth faces502. An addressable tooth face502may be configured to receive a force that facilitates the desired movement302. The tooth202may also have one or more unaddressable tooth faces504. An unaddressable tooth face504may be configured such that it cannot receive a force to facilitate the desired movement302. The non-white surfaces inFIGS.5A-5Cmay be addressable tooth faces502that have a degree of normality with respect to the direction of the movement302. For example, the non-white surfaces may be capable of receiving a pushing force to generate the desired movement302of the tooth202. The degree of darkness of the surface of the tooth202may correspond with a degree to which the tooth face206is normal to the desired translation. For example, the darker the surface, the more normal the tooth face206may be. The more normal the tooth face206, the easier it is to apply a force to the tooth face206to generate the intended movement302. A more normal tooth face206may reduce the possibility of slipping and reduce the generation of force components in unintended directions. The lighter the surface, the less normal the tooth face206may be to the direction of the movement302. Some of the tooth faces206may be unaddressable tooth faces504. For example, a dental appliance (e.g., an aligner) may not be able to contact the tooth face206or the tooth face206may be oriented at an angle that prevents force application on the tooth face206. An unaddressable tooth face504may be shown as white in the visualizations. An unaddressable tooth face504may not factor into a controllability of the tooth202, as described in more detail below.

FIG.5Ashows an example visualization of the factors of engagement for a tooth202(e.g., an incisor) when the determined movement302of the tooth202is to translate in a lingual direction. The darker surfaces of the tooth202may include the tooth faces206with an orientation more normal to the direction of the movement302than the lighter surfaces of the tooth202. For example, the tooth faces206disposed on a front of the tooth may be darker than the tooth faces206disposed at or proximate to the side edges of the tooth202since the tooth faces206of the tooth202may angle further away from a normal orientation as the faces206get closer to the side edge of the tooth202. The side of the tooth202adjacent to a neighboring tooth202may be white because the tooth faces206on the side of the tooth202may have a low or no degree of normality with respect to the lingual direction of the movement302. The side of the tooth202may also be white because a dental appliance may not be configured to contact the side of the tooth202. The darker surfaces may have a greater factor of engagement than the lighter surfaces.

FIG.5Bshows an example visualization of the factors of engagement for the tooth202when the determined movement302of the tooth202is to translate in a distal direction. Instead of the darker surfaces being on the face of the first tooth202, like for the lingual direction, the darker surfaces are on a side of the tooth and on a curved portion of the tooth202with tooth faces206with a degree of normality with respect to the distal direction of the movement302. The face of the tooth202may be white because the tooth faces206on the face are mostly parallel with the direction of movement302. Portions of the side of the tooth202may be white because an adjacent tooth202may prevent a force from being applied to certain tooth faces206on the side of the tooth202.

FIG.5Cshows an example visualization of the factors of engagement for the tooth202when the determined movement302of the tooth202is to rotate in a clockwise-direction. To create the rotation, a force can be applied to a right side of the face of the tooth202and to a left side of the back of the tooth202. The right side of the face of the tooth202may have darker tooth faces206than the left side of the face of the tooth202since a force on the left side of the face of the tooth202would counteract the clockwise rotation. The left side of the back of the tooth202may have darker tooth faces206than the right side of the back of the tooth202since a force on the right side of the back of the tooth202may counteract the clockwise rotation. Furthermore, tooth faces206closer to the sides of the tooth202may be darker than the tooth faces206closer to the center of the tooth202since a force near the side of the tooth202would generate a greater torque for the clockwise rotation.

FIG.6shows an example visualization of the factors of engagement for a plurality of teeth202. The tooth face processing engine110may be configured to calculate the factor of engagement of each tooth face206of each tooth202. For example, a first tooth may have a first movement302and a first geometry. The tooth face processing engine110may identify which tooth faces206of the first tooth202are best oriented (e.g., most normal to the direction of the first movement302) to receive a first force312to generate the first movement302. A second tooth202may have a second movement302and a second geometry. The tooth face processing engine110may identify which tooth faces206of the second tooth202are best oriented to receive a second force312to generate the second movement302. The teeth202inFIG.6illustrate factors of engagement for rotational movements302. For example, to rotate a tooth202a force312can be applied away from a center of rotation of the tooth202(e.g., center of tooth geometry). Applying a force further away from the center of rotation may create a larger moment force312. This may be demonstrated by the gradient of darkness going from light to dark about the middle of the teeth202when the axis of the center of rotation is the center of the tooth geometry. The tooth faces206disposed farthest away from the middle of the tooth202may have the highest factor of engagement and be shown as the darkest tooth faces206.

Referring now toFIGS.1,7, and8A-8B, the tooth control computing system100may be configured to determine an addressable area of at least one tooth202. For example, the tooth face processing engine110may be configured to determine an addressable area. The tooth face processing engine110may be configured to determine an addressable area for a plurality of teeth202. The addressable area may include an area of the tooth202that can receive a force to aid in achieving the determined movement302. The addressable area may be based, at least in part, on the factors of engagement of the plurality of tooth faces206of the tooth202. For example, the addressable area may include a subset of the plurality of tooth faces, wherein the subset comprises tooth faces206that have a factor of engagement that satisfies a threshold. For example, the threshold may be a factor of engagement greater than zero such that the addressable area may include any tooth face206that can receive any amount of force312. For example, the tooth faces206with any degree of normality with respect to the movement302and face a direction opposite the direction of the movement302may meet the threshold and the tooth faces206that are parallel with or face in the same direction as the movement302may not meet the threshold. The threshold may also be greater than zero. For example, the factors of engagement may range between 0 and 10. The threshold may indicate that only tooth faces206with factors of engagement at or above a 3 may be included in the addressable area. For example, a factor of engagement of 3 or above may be obtained by a tooth face206with an angle406of at least 120 degrees. Therefore, only tooth faces206with an angle406of at least 120 (which correlates to a factor of engagement of 3 or greater) is included in the addressable area. Limiting the addressable area to tooth faces206with larger factors of engagement may increase the controllability and predictability of the tooth movement302.

As shown inFIG.7, the addressable area may be a total addressable area702. The total addressable area702may be the maximum area of the tooth202that can receive a force312to effectuate the movement302. The total addressable area702may include a subset of the plurality of tooth faces206of the tooth202, wherein the subset includes all of the tooth faces206of the tooth202that satisfy the engagement factor threshold. For example, the tooth202can have a crown704and a root706. Both the crown704and the root706can have a plurality of tooth faces206. The tooth faces206of both the crown704and the root706that satisfy the engagement factor threshold may be a part of the total addressable area702.

As shown inFIGS.8A and8B, the addressable area may be an actual addressable area802. The actual addressable area802may be the area of the tooth202that can receive a force312despite the presence of an obstruction804. The obstruction804can be any object that can block a tooth face206from receiving a force312. For example, the obstruction804may be the gingiva203. The gingiva203may conceal at least a portion of a root706of a tooth202and prevent a force from being applied to the portion of the root706. The obstruction804may also be another tooth202. For example, if a force is to be applied to a side of a first tooth202, a second tooth202adjacent to the first tooth202may block at least a portion of the side of the first tooth202and prevent a force from being applied to the portion of the side of the first tooth202. The actual addressable area802may include a subset of the tooth faces206that are a part of the total addressable area702. For example, a tooth202may include a plurality of tooth faces206. The total addressable area702may comprise a first subset of the plurality of tooth faces206. The first subset may comprise tooth faces that have a factor of engagement that satisfies a threshold. An obstruction804may prevent at least one of the tooth faces206of the first subset from being able to receive a force312. For example, a gingiva203may prevent tooth faces206of the root706from receiving a force312. An adjacent tooth202may prevent a portion of the tooth faces206of a side of the tooth202from receiving a force312. The actual addressable area802may include a second subset of the plurality of tooth faces206. The second subset can include the tooth faces of the first subset less the tooth faces206that are prevented from receiving a force due to the obstruction804. In other words, the second subset may include the tooth faces of the first subset that can receive the force312despite the presence of the obstruction804.

Referring now toFIGS.1,9A, and9B, the tooth control computing system100may be configured to identify an area of engagement902(or engagement area) of a tooth202. For example, the tooth face processing engine110may be configured to identify an area of engagement902of a tooth202. The tooth face processing engine110may be configured to identify an area of engagement for a plurality of teeth202. The area of engagement902can define an area of the tooth202that may receive a force312from a dental appliance904(e.g., a dental aligner). For example, where a dental appliance904can apply a force on the tooth202to effectuate the determined movement302can define the area of engagement902. The area of engagement902may include at least a portion of the actual addressable area802. The portion can include tooth faces206accessible by the dental appliance904such that the dental appliance904can apply a force312to the tooth faces206. The area of engagement902can be based on a geometry of the tooth202, a geometry of the dental appliance904, a material of the dental appliance904, among others, and any combination thereof. For example, as shown inFIGS.9A and9B, different geometries of an appliance904can change the area of engagement902. For example, the appliance904can have at least one indent906. The indent906can be configured to extend into the interproximal space between two adjacent teeth202. The appliance904inFIG.9Ahas a shallower indent906than the appliance904inFIG.9B. The shallower indent906may contact less of the tooth202and have a smaller area of engagement902. The deeper indent906may contact more of the tooth202and have a larger area of engagement902.

The tooth control computing system100may be configured to receive appliance data corresponding to the dental appliance904. For example, the tooth control computing system100may receive a digital model120of the dental appliance904or dimensions of the dental appliance904. The tooth face processing engine110may be configured to apply the appliance data to the digital model120of the dentition to determine where the dental appliance904may contact a tooth202. For example, the tooth control computing system100may receive a digital model120of the dental appliance904. The tooth control computing system100may simulate an interaction between the digital model120of the dental appliance904and the digital model120of the dentition to determine where the dental appliance904applies a force on the tooth202. The tooth control computing system100may be configured to identify the portion(s) of the actual addressable area802where the dental appliance904contacts the tooth202as the engagement area902.

Referring back toFIG.1, the tooth control computing system100may be configured to calculate a controllability score for at least one tooth202. For example, the controllability scoring engine112may be configured to calculate the tooth controllability score. The controllability score may quantify an ability of a dental appliance904to control a movement of a tooth202. The controllability scoring engine112may be configured to calculate a controllability score for a plurality of teeth202. The controllability score may be based, at least partially, on the area of engagement. For example, the controllability scoring engine112may calculate the controllability score by determining how much force can be applied to each tooth face206, including a force vector (also referred to as an available force vector) and a moment vector (also referred to as an available moment vector), and summing up all the force vectors and all the moment vectors. A larger area of engagement comprising more tooth faces206may include more vectors to add to get a higher controllability score. The controllability score may also be based, at least partially, on the individual factors of engagement of the tooth faces206. For example, a tooth face206that is normal to the movement302may have a greater force vector and moment vector than a tooth face206that is not normal to the movement302. The controllability scoring engine112may be configured to combine (e.g., sum, average) the controllability scores for a plurality of teeth202to calculate a dentition controllability score. The dentition controllability score may quantify an ability of a dental appliance904to control the entire dentition, or at least the plurality of teeth of the dentition that are being moved. The dentition controllability score may be based, at least partially, on the area of engagement for each of the plurality of teeth202. The dentition controllability score may be the same as or similar to a step controllability score described in more detail below.

The controllability scoring engine112may calculate the force and moment vectors of a tooth face206by using the following equation:

Ma=[Mt×(Pf−Crot)]·NN: Normal unit vector of faceFt: Target force unit vectorCrot: XYZ position of center of rotationPf: XYZ position of center of faceMt: Target moment unit vector of rotation

The controllability scoring engine112may calculate an available force vector for each of the plurality of tooth faces206of the area of engagement902. The controllability scoring engine112may calculate an available moment vector for each of the plurality of tooth faces206of the area of engagement902. The controllability scoring engine112may calculate the controllability score by summing the available force vectors of all of the tooth faces206that are included in the area of engagement902and summing the available moment vectors of all the tooth faces206that are included in the area of engagement902.

The controllability scoring engine112may also be configured to determine a controllability score for a single step of a treatment plan or of an entire treatment plan. For example, for a step of a treatment plan, the controllability scoring engine112may be configured to calculate a plurality of tooth controllability scores, one for each tooth that is being moved during that step. The controllability scoring engine112may combine (e.g., sum, average) the plurality of tooth controllability scores to generate a step controllability score. The step controllability score may be a dentition controllability score. For a treatment plan controllability score, the controllability scoring engine112may generate a plurality of step controllability scores, one for each step of the treatment plan. The controllability scoring engine112may combine the plurality of step controllability scores to generate the treatment plan controllability score.

Still referring toFIG.1, the tooth control computing system100may be configured to generate an output118. For example, the output processing engine114may be configured to generate the output118. The output118may be configured to improve a treatment plan. For example, the tooth control computing system100may be configured to increase or improve the area of engagement902of a tooth202. For example, the output processing engine114may be configured to adjust or generate an inner geometry of a dental appliance904to increase or optimize the area of engagement902. For example, the tooth control computing system100may be configured to receive a model dental appliance904. The output processing engine114may be configured to adjust an area of engagement902between the digital model120of the dental appliance904and the digital model120of the dentition by modifying a geometry of the digital model120of the dental appliance904. For example, the output processing engine114may identify at least one tooth face206that is included in the actual addressable area802but is not a part of the engagement area902. The output processing engine114may be configured to generate a new geometry for the dental appliance904. For example, the output processing engine114may be configured to modify the geometry of the digital model120of the dental appliance904. The modification can be based on the size and orientation of the teeth202(e.g., amount of space between teeth202). The modification can also be based on the material of the dental appliance904. For example, the thickness of the material may determine how deep or how sharp the indent906can be.

The controllability scoring engine112may be configured to calculate a new controllability score based on the modified geometry of the dental appliance904. The new controllability score may be greater than the previous controllability score. The output processing engine114may also be configured to determine force and/or moment application sites for each tooth202to increase or optimize the effectiveness of the force and/or moment applied to the tooth202. For example, the output processing engine114may determine that applying a first force312at a first tooth face206is more effective than applying the first force312at a second tooth face206. The new geometry of the dental appliance904or the application sites determined by the output processing engine114may be applied to the digital model120via the digital model processing engine106to determine an updated controllability score based on the new geometry.

In some embodiments, the output processing engine114may be configured to improve a treatment plan by selecting movements that improve a step controllability score and selecting a plurality of steps that improve a treatment plan controllability score. For example, the output processing engine114may prioritize sequencing of tooth movements302based, at least partially, on an area of engagement902. For example, the output processing engine114may prioritize moving a tooth202in a mesial/distal direction before moving the tooth202in a buccal/lingual direction because there is a greater area of engagement902for the mesial/distal movement302before the tooth202is aligned with an adjacent tooth due to the buccal/lingual movement.

In some embodiments, the output processing engine114may be configured to determine whether a movement is possible. For example, the output processing engine114may be configured to compare a tooth controllability score of a tooth202that is based on a movement302with a predetermined threshold. The threshold may indicate whether a tooth movement302is possible. The output processing engine114may determine the movement302is possible when the controllability score is above the predetermined threshold. The output processing engine114may determine the movement302is not possible when the controllability score is below the predetermined threshold.

In some embodiments, the output processing engine114may be configured to calculate a predictability score. The predictability score may be based, at least partially, on the controllability score. The predictability score may indicate the likelihood that a tooth202or a plurality of teeth202move as predicted. For example, movement302may be a predicted movement for a tooth202. The controllability scoring engine112may be configured to determine a tooth controllability score of the tooth202. The more controllable the tooth202, the more predictable the movement302may be. For example, the better control a dental appliance904has on the tooth202, the more likely it may be that the dental appliance904moves the tooth202to a desired position. With the predictability score, the output processing engine114may be configured to precisely characterize treatment difficulty and assess efficacy of different appliance designs.

Referring now toFIG.10, a method1000of determining tooth control is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. Method1000may include receiving a digital model (step1002), determining a tooth movement (step1004), calculating a factor of engagement (step1006), determining an addressable area (step1008), identifying an area of engagement (step1010), and comparing the area of engagement with an engagement area threshold (step1012). If the area of engagement is below an engagement area threshold, method1000may include adjusting the area of engagement (step1014). If the area of engagement is at or above the engagement area threshold, the method1000may include calculating a controllability score (step1016).

At step1002, one or more processors may receive a digital model120. The digital model120may be of a dentition. For example, the digital model processing engine106may receive the digital model120. The digital model120may include at least one tooth202. The tooth202may have a tooth mesh204defining a plurality of tooth faces206or the digital model processing engine106may generate a tooth mesh204for the tooth202. The digital model120may include a plurality of teeth202. The plurality of teeth202may have a tooth mesh204defining a plurality of tooth faces206or the digital model processing engine106may generate a tooth mesh204for the plurality of teeth202. The digital model processing engine106may receive the digital model120with the tooth202in an initial (or first) position304.

At step1004, one or more processors may determine a movement302of a tooth202. For example, the tooth movement processing engine108may determine a movement302of at least one tooth202. The movement302may be a path the tooth202follows to move from the first position304to a second position306. For example, the movement302may cause the tooth202to be in better alignment with surrounding teeth202. The movement302may include a rotational vector308and a translational vector310. The movement302may be based on a treatment plan. The treatment plan may be a predetermined treatment plan, or the tooth movement processing engine108may establish the treatment plan. For example, the tooth movement processing engine108may identify a tooth202that is not aligned with other teeth202of the dentition and identify a movement302to make the tooth202more aligned with the others. Determining the movement302may include calculating a force312to cause the movement302. The force312may include only a pushing force. The force312may include a magnitude and a direction. The tooth movement processing engine108may calculate a plurality of forces312to cause the movement302. The forces312calculated may be based on the movement302and the shape of the tooth202.

At step1006, one or more processors may calculate a factor of engagement. For example, the tooth face processing engine110may calculate a factor of engagement. The tooth face processing engine110may calculate a factor of engagement for a plurality of tooth faces206of a tooth202. The factor of engagement may identify an ability for a tooth face206to receive a force configured to move the tooth202from a first position304to a second position306. The factor of engagement may be based, at least partially, on the degree of normality (e.g., angle) of the tooth face206with respect to the direction of the movement302. To calculate the factor of engagement of a tooth face206, the tooth face processing engine110may calculate a face normalized unit vector402and a corresponding movement normalized unit vector404for the tooth face206. The face normalized unit vector402may be based on an orientation of the tooth face206. The movement normalized unit vector404may be based on the direction of the movement302. The tooth face processing engine110may determine an angle406between the face normalized unit vector402and the movement normalized unit vector404. The factor of engagement may be based, at least partially, on the angle406.

At step1008, one or more processors may determine an addressable area. For example, tooth face processing engine110may determine an addressable area. The addressable area may be a total addressable area702. Determining the total addressable area702may include establishing a threshold factor of engagement. The threshold factor of engagement may indicate whether a tooth face206can be a part of the total addressable area. The total addressable area702may include any tooth face206that has a factor of engagement that satisfies the threshold factor of engagement. For example, the tooth202may include a plurality of tooth faces206. The tooth face processing engine110may identify a first subset of the plurality of tooth faces that have a factor of engagement that satisfies the threshold factor of engagement. The total addressable area may include the first subset of the plurality of tooth faces206.

Step1008may also include determining an actual addressable area802. Determining the actual addressable area802may include detecting or identifying an obstruction804that prevents at least one of the tooth faces206of the first subset from being able to receive a force312. For example, the tooth face processing engine110may identify an adjacent tooth202that prevents at least one tooth face206on a side of the tooth202that is a part of the total addressable area702from receiving a force312(e.g., a dental appliance cannot contact the tooth face206). Determining the actual addressable area802may include identifying a second subset of the plurality of tooth faces206of the tooth202that includes the tooth faces206of the first subset that can receive a force312despite the presence of the obstruction804.

At step1010, one or more processors may identify an area of engagement of at least one tooth. For example, the tooth face processing engine110may identify an area of engagement902of at least one tooth202. The area of engagement902may include at least a portion of the actual addressable area802. For example, the area of engagement902may include the portion of the actual addressable area802that includes tooth faces206that are accessible by a dental appliance904to apply a force312. Identifying the area of engagement902may include comparing a shape of a dental appliance904with the geometry of the tooth202and identifying which parts of the tooth202that are a part of the actual addressable area802can contact the dental appliance904. Comparing the dental appliance904with the geometry of the tooth202may include simulating an interaction between a digital model120of the dentition and a digital model120of the dental appliance904.

At step1012, one or more processors may compare the area of engagement902to an engagement area threshold. The engagement area threshold may indicate whether the area of engagement902can be or should be increased. For example, the engagement area threshold may be a maximum amount of the actual addressable area802that a dental appliance904can contact if reshaped (e.g., maximize area of engagement by modifying geometry of the appliance904). The engagement area threshold may be a percentage of the actual addressable area (e.g., the area of engagement is at least 50% of the actual addressable area). The tooth face processing engine110may determine whether the area of engagement902is above or below the engagement area threshold.

When the area of engagement is below the engagement area threshold, at step1014, the output processing engine114may adjust the area of engagement by modifying the geometry of the dental appliance904. For example, the tooth face processing engine110may determine that a dental appliance904with an initial geometry creates a first area of engagement902. The output processing engine114may determine that the first are of engagement is less than the engagement area threshold (e.g., that the first area of engagement902is less than 50% of the actual addressable area802). The output processing engine114may modify the initial geometry of the dental appliance904to create a second geometry. The output processing engine114may consider the material of the dental appliance904and any obstructions804surrounding the tooth, among other factors, when creating the second geometry. The tooth face processing engine110may determine the dental appliance904with the second geometry creates a second area of engagement902. The second area of engagement902may be larger than the first area of engagement902(e.g., 75% of the actual addressable area). The second area of engagement902may still be smaller than the actual addressable area802. Identifying the area of engagement and adjusting the area of engagement may be an iterative process. If it is not possible to create an area of engagement902that satisfies the engagement area threshold, method1000may return back to step1004and determine a different movement302for the tooth202.

When the area of engagement is at or above the engagement area threshold, at step1016, one or more processors may calculate a controllability score at step1016. For example, the controllability scoring engine112may calculate a controllability score. The controllability score can be a tooth controllability score for at least one tooth202, a dentition or step controllability score for a plurality of teeth202, or a treatment plan controllability score. The controllability score may be based, at least partially, on the area of engagement of a tooth202. The tooth controllability score may quantify an ability of a dental appliance904to control a movement of a single tooth202. The dentition or step controllability score may quantify an ability of a dental appliance904to control a plurality of teeth202of a dentition during a single step of a treatment plan (e.g., application of a single dental appliance904to the dentition). The treatment plan controllability score may quantify an ability of a treatment plan (e.g., more than one step) to control movements of at least one tooth202. The controllability scoring engine112may output the calculated controllability score.

Calculating a tooth controllability score may include calculating an available force vector for each of the plurality of tooth faces206of a tooth202within an area of engagement902, calculating an available moment vector for each of the plurality of tooth faces206within the area of engagement902, and summing the available force vectors and summing the available moment vectors. The available force vectors and available moment vectors can indicate an amount of force or moment a tooth face206can receive to assist in moving the tooth202from a first position304to a second position306. The more force or moment the tooth faces206of the area of engagement902can receive, the more control the dental appliance904may have on the tooth202. Calculating a step (or dentition) controllability score may include combining (e.g., summing, averaging) tooth controllability scores for the teeth202of the dentition that are being moved in the step. Therefore, the step/dentition controllability score may be based, at least partially, on the area of engagement for each of the plurality of teeth202being moved. The controllability scoring engine112may calculate a step controllability score for each step of a treatment plan. For example, calculating a step controllability score may include performing steps1004-1016for each tooth202that is being moved in the step. Calculating the treatment plan controllability score may include combining (e.g., summing, averaging) the step controllability scores for each step of the treatment plan. The treatment plan controllability score may indicate an overall potential effectiveness of the treatment plan.

At step1018, one or more processors may compare the calculated controllability score with a controllability threshold. For example, the output processing engine114may compare the calculated controllability score with the controllability threshold. The controllability threshold may determine whether the tooth movement, the step, or the treatment plan is possible. For example, the output processing engine114may compare a tooth controllability score with a tooth controllability threshold. The output processing engine114may determine the movement302of the tooth202is possible when the tooth controllability score is at or above the tooth controllability threshold. The output processing engine114may determine the movement302of the tooth202is not possible when the tooth controllability score is below the tooth controllability threshold. The output processing engine114may generate an output based on whether the movement302is possible.

Steps1016and1018may also include calculating a predictability score and comparing the predictability score with a predictability threshold. The predictability score may indicate how likely it is that the tooth202/teeth202will be moved according to the determined movement302. The predictability score may be correlated with the controllability score. For example, a greater controllability score may increase the predictability score. The predictability score may provide a mechanism to precisely characterize treatment difficulty and assess efficacy of different appliance designs. Similar to the controllability score, the predictability score may be compared to a predictability threshold. The comparison may indicate whether the movement is proper or improper.

When the controllability score is below the controllability threshold (or the predictability score is below the predictability threshold), the output processing engine114may cause method1000to either return to step1004and determine a new movement for the tooth202, return to step1012and adjust the area of engagement (if not already optimized), or proceed to step1020and designate the movement as improper. A designation as improper may indicate that the dental appliance904would not have enough control of the tooth to effectuate the movement302and move the tooth to the desired position. The output processing engine114may designate the movement as improper after attempting to adjust the area of engagement and trying different movements and no iteration has led to a proper movement.

When the controllability score is at or above the controllability threshold, at step1022, the output processing engine114may verify the movement302. Verifying the movement may include verifying a preexisting treatment plan, generating a new treatment plan with the verified movement302, approving a predetermined dental appliance geometry, generating a new dental appliance geometry to effectuate the verified movement302, among others.

For example, if the movement302is not possible, the output processing engine114may modify a geometry of a dental appliance to increase the area of engagement to increase the tooth controllability score. The output processing engine114may also generate a new treatment plan such that a first movement of a tooth202may create a greater actual addressable area802for a second movement of the tooth202.

Method1000, including at least some of the steps, may be repeated any number of times. For example, method1000may be used for a plurality of movements302for at least one tooth in order to generate a treatment plan. For example, at step1004, one or more processors may determine a plurality of movements302for at least one tooth202. The plurality of movements302may be based on a treatment plan, wherein each of the plurality of movements302corresponds with a step of the treatment plan. At step1016, the one or more processors may calculate a treatment plan controllability score based on the plurality of movements302of at least one tooth202. For example, the one or more processors may calculate a step controllability score for each step of the treatment plan based on the corresponding movement302and then combine (e.g., sum, average) the step controllability scores to generate the treatment plan controllability score. At step1018, the one or more processors may determine whether the treatment plan controllability score is above or below a threshold. If below the threshold, the one or more processors may adjust a movement or geometry of a dental appliance904or designate the treatment plan as improper. If at or above the threshold, the one or more processors may verify the treatment plan.

Referring now toFIG.11, a method1100of generating a treatment plan is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. Generating a treatment plan may include, for example, selecting a treatment plan from predetermined treatment plans or generating a treatment plan step by step. Method1100may include calculating a first controllability score (step1102), calculating a second controllability score (step1104), comparing the first and second controllability scores (step1106), and generating a treatment plan (step1108).

At step1102, one or more processors may calculate a first controllability score. For example, the controllability scoring engine112may calculate the first controllability score. Calculating the first controllability score may include at least some of the steps of method1000. The first controllability score may be a first treatment plan controllability score. For example, a tooth movement processing engine108may determine a first step one movement302of at least one tooth202. The first step one movement302may be based on a first treatment plan. For example, the first step one movement302may be the movement302of the tooth202during step one of the first treatment plan. The tooth movement processing engine108may also determine a first step two movement302of the at least one tooth202. The first step two movement302may also be based on the first treatment plan. For example, the first step two movement302may be the movement302of the tooth202during step two of the first treatment plan. The controllability scoring engine112may calculate a first controllability score of the first treatment plan based on the first step one movement and the first step two movement.

At step1104, the same steps may be performed for a second treatment plan. For example, one or more processors may calculate a second controllability score. For example, the controllability scoring engine112may calculate the second controllability score. Calculating the second controllability score may include some of the steps of method1000. The second controllability score may be a second treatment plan controllability score. For example, a tooth movement processing engine108may determine a second step one movement302of at least one tooth202. The second step one movement302may be based on the second treatment plan. The tooth movement processing engine108may also determine a second step two movement302of the at least one tooth202. The second step two movement302may also be based on the second treatment plan. The controllability scoring engine112may calculate a second controllability score of the second treatment plan based on the second step one movement and the second step two movement.

At step1106, one or more processors may compare the first controllability score with the second controllability score. For example, the first controllability score of the first treatment plan may be different than the second controllability score of the second treatment plan due to the first step one movement302and the first step two movement302being different from the second step one movement and the second step two movement302. A higher treatment plan controllability score may indicate a better control of the teeth202that are being moved during the treatment plan, which may indicate a more predictable result.

At step1108, one or more processors may generate a treatment plan based on the comparison of the first and second controllability scores. Generating a treatment plan may include selecting one of the preexisting treatment plans. For example, the output processing engine114may select at least one of the first and second treatment plans based on the comparison of the first and second treatment plan controllability scores. For example, the output processing engine114may select the treatment plan that has the higher controllability score.

Referring back to the beginning of method1100, to generate a treatment plan step by step, at step1102one or more processors may calculate a first controllability score that is a first step one controllability score. The first step one controllability score may be for a single tooth202or for a plurality of teeth202. For example, the tooth control computing system100may receive a digital model120of a dentition, wherein the digital model120includes a plurality of teeth202. A tooth movement processing engine108may determine a movement302for each of the plurality of teeth202. The controllability scoring engine112may calculate a first step one controllability score based on the movements for each of the plurality of teeth202(e.g., calculate a tooth controllability score for each of the plurality of teeth202and combine the plurality of tooth controllability scores).

At step1104, the same steps may be performed to an alternative movement302for the plurality of teeth202. The controllability scoring engine12may calculate a second step one controllability score based on the alternative movements for the plurality of teeth202. All of the teeth202can have an alternative movement302, or just a subset of the plurality of teeth202may have an alternative movement302. The controllability scoring engine112may calculate a second step one controllability score based on the alternative movements for the plurality of teeth202.

At step1106, one or more processors may compare the first step one controllability score with the second step one controllability score. At step1108, one or more processors may generate a treatment plan based on the comparison of the first and second step one controllability scores. For example, the output processing engine114may select the movements or the alternative movements to create the first step of a treatment plan based on the comparison of the controllability scores. Method1100may be repeated any number of times to generate any number of steps for a treatment plan. For example, when step one is decided to include the alternative movements302, the tooth control computing system100may determine a step two movement and a step two alternative movement, and calculate a first step two controllability score and a second step two controllability score to compare to determine a step two of the treatment plan.

It should be noted that terms such as “exemplary,” “example,” and similar terms, as used herein to describe various embodiments, are intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, or illustrations of possible embodiments, and such terms are not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples.

As used herein, terms such as “engine” or “circuit” may include hardware and machine-readable media storing instructions thereon for configuring the hardware to execute the functions described herein. The engine or circuit may be embodied as one or more circuitry components including, but not limited to, processing circuitry, network interfaces, peripheral devices, input devices, output devices, sensors, etc. In some embodiments, the engine or circuit may take the form of one or more analog circuits, electronic circuits (e.g., integrated circuits (IC), discrete circuits, system on a chip (SOCs) circuits, etc.), telecommunication circuits, hybrid circuits, and any other type of circuit. In this regard, the engine or circuit may include any type of component for accomplishing or facilitating achievement of the operations described herein. For example, an engine or circuit as described herein may include one or more transistors, logic gates (e.g., NAND, AND, NOR, OR, XOR, NOT, XNOR, etc.), resistors, multiplexers, registers, capacitors, inductors, diodes, wiring, and so on).

An engine or circuit may be embodied as one or more processing circuits comprising one or more processors communicatively coupled to one or more memory or memory devices. In this regard, the one or more processors may execute instructions stored in the memory or may execute instructions otherwise accessible to the one or more processors. The one or more processors may be constructed in a manner sufficient to perform at least the operations described herein. In some embodiments, the one or more processors may be shared by multiple engines or circuits (e.g., engine A and engine B, or circuit A and circuit B, may comprise or otherwise share the same processor which, in some example embodiments, may execute instructions stored, or otherwise accessed, via different areas of memory).

Alternatively or additionally, the one or more processors may be structured to perform or otherwise execute certain operations independent of one or more co-processors. In other example embodiments, two or more processors may be coupled via a bus to enable independent, parallel, pipelined, or multi-threaded instruction execution. Each processor may be provided as one or more suitable processors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or other suitable electronic data processing components structured to execute instructions provided by memory. The one or more processors may take the form of a single core processor, multi-core processor (e.g., a dual core processor, triple core processor, quad core processor, etc.), microprocessor, etc. In some embodiments, the one or more processors may be external to the apparatus, for example the one or more processors may be a remote processor (e.g., a cloud based processor). Alternatively or additionally, the one or more processors may be internal and/or local to the apparatus. In this regard, a given engine or circuit or components thereof may be disposed locally (e.g., as part of a local server, a local computing system, etc.) or remotely (e.g., as part of a remote server such as a cloud based server). To that end, engines or circuits as described herein may include components that are distributed across one or more locations.

Although the drawings may show and the description may describe a specific order and composition of method steps, the order of such steps may differ from what is depicted and described. For example, two or more steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Also, some method steps that are performed as discrete steps may be combined, steps being performed as a combined step may be separated into discrete steps, the sequence of certain processes may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete processes may be altered or varied. The order or sequence of any element or apparatus may be varied or substituted according to alternative embodiments. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims. Such variation may depend, for example, on the software and hardware systems chosen and on designer choice. All such variations are within the scope of the disclosure. Likewise, software implementations of the described methods could be accomplished with standard programming techniques with rule-based logic and other logic to accomplish the various connection steps, processing steps, comparison steps, and decision steps.