Abstract:
According to one embodiment, a method of forming an orthodontic appliance includes forming an arch configured to custom fit a plurality of teeth. The method may further include coupling a plurality of wire receptors to at least two of: a first surface of the arch corresponding to the lingual surfaces of the plurality of teeth; a second surface of the arch corresponding to the labial surfaces of the plurality of teeth; and a third surface of the arch corresponding to the occusal surfaces of the plurality of teeth. Selected portions of the composite arch may be separated. A first pair of the plurality of wire receptors may be coupled together using a first orthodontic wire. A second pair of the plurality of wire receptors may be coupled together using a second orthodontic wire.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. Nos. 61/175,258 and 61/176,732 filed May 4, 2009 and May 8, 2009, respectively. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This disclosure relates in general to dental appliances, and more particularly to a removable orthodontic appliance and method of forming the same. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Arch wires are frequently used in orthodontic systems to facilitate the application of correctional forces to teeth. Each force applied by the arch wire may push a tooth in a particular direction and a resulting stress is created within the periodontal ligament. The modification of the periodontal blood supply determines a biological response which leads to bone remodeling, where bone is created on one side by osteoblast cells and resorbed on the other side by osteoclasts. 
       OVERVIEW 
       [0004]    According to one embodiment, a method of forming an orthodontic appliance includes forming an arch configured to custom fit a plurality of teeth. The method may further include coupling a plurality of wire receptors to at least two of a first surface of the arch corresponding to the lingual surfaces of the plurality of teeth; a second surface of the arch corresponding to the labial surfaces of the plurality of teeth; and a third surface of the arch corresponding to the occusal surfaces of the plurality of teeth. Selected portions of the composite arch may be separated. A first pair of the plurality of wire receptors may be coupled together using a first orthodontic wire. A second pair of the plurality of wire receptors may be coupled together using a second orthodontic wire. 
         [0005]    Particular embodiments may provide one or more technical advantages. According to one embodiment, an orthodontic appliance is capable of applying correctional forces to teeth. Various embodiments may provide improved flexibility in orthodontic treatment options. In certain embodiments, a variety of moments that may be applied to a tooth using wire receptors placed proximate the most coronal part. For example, mesio-distal direction (tip) and/or labio-lingual direction (torque) can be applied to the crown of the tooth in a single moment. In certain instances the line of the force may pass far away from the center of resistance, thereby enabling a moment in multiple directions and rotation in any direction. In particular embodiments, an orthodontic appliance may be readily removed and then later reapplied as desired to facilitate day-to-day activities, such as, for example, oral hygiene procedures, eating, etc. Various embodiments may facilitate intra-oral and/or extra-oral adjustments of an arch wire of an orthodontic appliance. Particular orthodontic appliances may use multiple wires to facilitate the application of particular moments of force to teeth. For example, some embodiments using multiple wires may apply any number of moments to a tooth including, for example, labia-lingual torque, a vertical force moment, and locally optimized rotational control. 
         [0006]    Certain embodiments may provide all, some, or none of these advantages. Certain embodiments may provide one or more other advantages, one or more of which may be apparent to those skilled in the art from the figures, descriptions, and claims included herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0008]      FIGS. 1A ,  1 B, and  1 C illustrate a removable orthodontic appliance mounted to a plaster model according to one embodiment; 
           [0009]      FIG. 1D  illustrates a composite arch that may be used in the formation of a removable orthodontic appliance according to one embodiment; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates multiple perspective views a custom-made cap mounted to a bicuspid according to one embodiment; 
           [0011]      FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  3 C illustrate side views of a cap, mounted to a maxillary central incisor, with example wire receptors oriented according to various embodiments; 
           [0012]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate perspective views of a cap, mounted to a maxillary central incisor, with integrally formed wire receptors according to one embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate an anchor element according to one embodiment; 
           [0014]      FIGS. 6A through 6C  illustrate exploded views of removable orthodontic appliances seated within a delivery tray according to various embodiments; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  illustrates is an occlusal perspective of a variety of moments that may be applied to a tooth according to one embodiment; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  illustrates a force being applied in the coronal part; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a flowchart illustrating an example method of forming an orthodontic appliance according to one embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]      FIGS. 1A ,  1 B, and  1 C illustrate a lateral view, an upper view, and a zoomed view, respectively, of removable orthodontic appliance  100  mounted to a plaster model according to one embodiment. Embodiments of appliance  100  may be used, for example, to apply forces that correct or improve the location, bite, or alignment of a user&#39;s teeth. For example, appliance  100  may correct one or more of crowding, misalignment, etc. As described further below, the appliance  100  generally includes a system of caps or copings (e.g., element  200  of  FIG. 2 ) and wire receptors  102  interconnected by orthodontic wire  104 . Caps  200  are configured to mount to the occlusal surface of one or more respective teeth. The term “occlusal surface” as used herein generally refers to a tooth surface that is substantially parallel to the occlusal plane. For example, the incisal surface of incisor teeth may also be considered occlusal surfaces for purposes of this disclosure. In addition, the occlusal surface of a molar includes the chewing surface that is proximate a central vertical axis of the molar. In certain embodiments, portions of the appliance  100  may be formed from an arch  106 , as shown in  FIG. 1D . 
         [0019]      FIG. 1D  illustrates a composite arch  106  that may be used in the formation of appliance  100 . In certain embodiments, arch  106  may be formed from a mold of teeth or directly from the teeth, thereby providing a custom fit. Any suitable material may be used to form arch  106  including, for example, plastics, acrylics and/or composites. In certain embodiments, arch  106  may be separated into selected portions depending, for example, on the desired orthodontic treatment. For example, arch  106  may be separated into two to twelve caps  200 , each of which may be configured to mount to one or more respective teeth; however, any suitable number of caps  200  may be used. Each cap  200  may be coupled to one or more respective wire receptors  102 . 
         [0020]    Wire receptors  102  generally refer to any suitable device capable of coupling to orthodontic wire  104 . In certain embodiments, for example, wire receptors  102  may be open-faced, fully or partially enclosed, and/or self-ligating. Examples of self-ligating brackets are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,186,114 filed Mar. 30, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Wire receptors  102  may be formed from any suitable material including, for example, ceramic, cobalt, chromium, composite, gold, plastic, nickel, tungsten, stainless steel, titanium, magnesium, or any suitable combination of the preceding. In certain embodiments, appliance  100  is applied to the mouth of a user such that one or more wire receptors  102  may be disposed opposite the occlusal surface of a respective tooth and proximate a central vertical axis of the tooth; however, in some embodiments, wire receptors  102  may be disposed opposite any suitable surface depending on the desired treatment. 
         [0021]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 1A-1C , wire receptors  102  may be coupled together by orthodontic wire  104 . In certain embodiments, one or more wire receptors  102  may be adjustably coupled to orthodontic  104  such that wire  104  may be capable of moving or sliding relative to the coupled wire receptor(s)  102 . In particular embodiments, orthodontic wire  104  may be square, round, rectangular, or braided. Orthodontic wire  104  may be formed from any suitable material including, for example, nickel titanium (NiTi), stainless steel, beta titanium (e.g., titanium-molybdenum or TMA), and/or other suitable material. 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  illustrates multiple perspective views of a custom-made cap  200  mounted to a bicuspid according to one embodiment. In this example, cap  200  covers at least a portion of the occlusal surface of the bicuspid. Cap  200  may be formed by separating a portion of arch  106 . For example, arch  106  may be cut, cleaved, milled, broken, etc. to form multiple caps  200 , each of which may be configured to mount to one or more respective teeth. In some embodiments, portions of the composite arch may be selectively removed, thereby creating gaps between caps  200 . 
         [0023]      FIGS. 3A ,  3 B, and  3 C illustrate side views of a cap  200  positioned on a maxillary central incisor according to various embodiments. Wire receptors  310  and  320  of  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B , respectively, each have a rectangular slots or openings through which orthodontic wire  104  may be threaded. The illustrated embodiments of  FIGS. 3A and 3B  differ, however, in that wire receptor  310  of  FIG. 3A  is positioned proximate the lingual surface of the tooth and wire receptor  320  of  FIG. 3B  is positioned proximate the occlusal (or incisal) surface of the tooth. In alternative embodiments, multiple wire receptors may be positioned proximate various surfaces of the tooth, as illustrated in  FIG. 3C . 
         [0024]    In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 3C , three wire receptors  320 ,  330 , and  340  are each coupled to cap  200  and are each configured to receive a respective orthodontic wire  104 ; however, any suitable number of wire receptors may be coupled to cap  200  (e.g., two wire receptors, three wire receptors, four wire receptors, etc.). In this example, wire receptors  320 ,  330 , and  340  of  FIG. 3C  are positioned, respectively, proximate the occlusal (or incisal) surface of the tooth, the lingual surface of the tooth, and the labial surface of the tooth. 
         [0025]    Although wire receptors  310 - 340  are illustrated as having particular configurations capable of receiving and coupling to orthodontic wire  104 , each wire receptor  310 - 340  may have any of a variety of alternative shapes and/or configurations for receiving orthodontic wire  104 . For example, one or more wire receptors  310 - 340  may have circular-shaped or oval-shaped slots through which wire  104  may be threaded. As another example, some wire receptors  310 - 340  may have partially enclosed slots or openings configured to receive orthodontic wire  104 , as shown by wire receptors  330  and  340  of  FIG. 3C . Additionally, some or all of wire receptors  310 - 340  may be self-ligating brackets. In certain embodiments, appliance  100  may utilize multiple orthodontic wires  104 . For example, in certain embodiments, two or three orthodontic wires  104  may couple to or engage separate portions of a particular cap  200  or separate wire receptors associated with a particular cap  200 . Some appliances  100  that use multiple wires  104  may facilitate the application of particular moments of force to teeth. For example, the illustrated embodiments of FIGS.  3 C and  4 A- 4 B may each apply any number of moments to a tooth including, for example, labio-lingual torque, a vertical force moment, and optimized rotational control. 
         [0026]    In certain embodiments, removable orthodontic appliance  100  may include multiple orthodontic wires  104  of differing lengths. For example, appliance  100  may be configured such that, when applied to a user&#39;s teeth, a lingual orthodontic wire  104  may span the length of most of the user&#39;s arch and a labial wire  104  may span the length of a fewer number of teeth, such as, for example, the user&#39;s incisors. 
         [0027]      FIG. 4A  illustrates a side view of a cap  200 , mounted to a maxillary central incisor, with integrated wire receptors  410 ,  420 , and  430  according to one embodiment.  FIG. 4B  illustrates a lingual-perspective view of the cap  200  of  FIG. 4A . In a particular embodiment, integrated wire receptors  410 ,  420 , and  430  may each be integrally formed from the same material during the formation of arch  106  prior to the separation of caps  200 . In this example, integrated wire receptors  410 ,  420 , and  430  are formed so as to be positioned, respectively, proximate the occlusal (or incisal) surface of the tooth, the lingual surface of the tooth, and the labial surface of the tooth. 
         [0028]    Integrated wire receptors  410 ,  420 , and  430  may have any suitable dimensions to receive orthodontic wire  104 . According to one embodiment, for example, the rectangular slots of integrally formed integrated wire receptors  410  and  420  are approximately 16×30 mills and 28×16 mills, respectively; however any suitable dimensions for the slots may be issued including, for example, slots having dimensions within the range of approximately 5 to 50 mills. In certain embodiments, integrated wire receptors  410 ,  420 , and/or  430  may adjustably engage orthodontic wire  104  such that the wire  104  may be capable of moving or sliding relative to the integrated wire receptors  410 ,  420 , and/or  430 . In alternative embodiments, integrated wire receptors  410 ,  420 , and/or  430  may be coupled to orthodontic wire  104  such that the wire  104  may be locked into position relative to arch  106 , cap  200 , and/or integrated wire receptors  410 ,  420 , and/or  430 . For example, one or more sections of orthodontic wire  104  may be wholly or partially embedded within arch  106 , cap  200 , and/or integrated wire receptors  410 ,  420 , and/or  430 . As another example, orthodontic wire  104  may be bonded, crimped, or otherwise fixed to arch  106  and/or the caps  200  formed from arch  106 . 
         [0029]    In some embodiments, the contour of cap  200  and/or the stiffness of cap  200  may provide a retentive force that facilitates coupling cap  200  to a tooth. In particular embodiments, one or more retention or anchor elements may be bonded to one or more teeth to increase the retention of cap  200 , as illustrated with reference to  FIGS. 5A and 5B . 
         [0030]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate an anchor element  500  according to one embodiment. In this example, anchor element  500  may provide improved coupling of arch  106  or cap  200  to the tooth. As illustrated in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , for example, anchor element  500  may be bonded to a surface of the tooth and configured to engage a portion of cap  200 , thereby improving the coupling of cap  200  to the tooth. In various embodiments, anchor element  500  may be bonded to a lingual, labial, or buccal surface of a tooth. In some embodiments, cap  200  may include a hole or indentation configured to engage anchor element  500  when cap  200  is applied. 
         [0031]    In some embodiments, anchor element  500  may have a shape that facilitates installment of the cap. For example, anchor element  500  may have a trapezoidal (or keystone) shape to guide cap  200 . Alternatively, anchor element  500  may have a cylindrical shape, a partial spherical shape, or any of a variety of other shapes that facilitate coupling or installment of the cap. In particular embodiments, anchor element  500  may be the only element of appliance  100  that is bonded to the tooth. 
         [0032]      FIGS. 6A through 6C  illustrate exploded views of removable orthodontic appliances  100  seated within a delivery tray  600  according to various embodiments. As shown in  FIGS. 6A-6C , various systems of wire receptors  102  and orthodontic wire  104  may be used to couple together caps  200  to each other. In  FIGS. 6A and 6B , a single orthodontic wire  104  may be used that spans most of the dental arch and couples all of the caps  200  to each other. As shown in  FIG. 6C , multiple orthodontic wires  104  may be used in some instances to couple together particular caps  200  to each other. A myriad of variations may be used to provide improved flexibility in orthodontic treatment options. 
         [0033]    In certain embodiments, delivery tray  600  is configured to receive appliance  100  and facilitate the positioning of appliance  100  onto the teeth of a user. In this manner, the user may remove and apply appliance  100  as desired to facilitate day-to-day activities, such as, for example, oral hygiene procedures, eating, etc. Various embodiments may provide improved flexibility in orthodontic treatment options. For example, appliance  100  may facilitate the movement or rotation of caps  200  relative to the wire. 
         [0034]    In certain embodiments, delivery tray  600  may have a generic shape configured to fit the mouths of a variety of users. In alternative embodiments, however, delivery tray  600  may be an individualized tray configured to custom fit the mouth of a particular user. For example, delivery tray  600  may be formed of a thermoplastic material and custom molded to fit the particular user&#39;s teeth. In a particular embodiment, delivery tray  600  may be a “boil and bite style” mouth guard. 
         [0035]    In this embodiment, the user may place the mouth guard in hot water, thereby softening the mouth guard material. The user may then use their fingers, lips, tongue, and/or biting pressure to seat the guard over appliance  100  and the user&#39;s teeth, thereby forming a custom fit. When the mouth guard cools the shape and orientation of appliance  100  is substantially fixed. 
         [0036]      FIG. 7  illustrates an occlusal perspective of a variety of moments that may be applied to a tooth by appliance  100  according to certain embodiments. One advantage of the appliance  100  is that mesio-distal direction (tip) or labio-lingual direction (torque) can be applied to the crown of the tooth in a single moment. Because the line of the force passes far away from the center of resistance, a moment may be produced in multiple directions. Rotation may thus occur in any direction using wire receptors  102  placed proximate the most coronal part. Example rotation induced by forces being applied in the coronal part is illustrated metaphorically further in  FIG. 8 , which shows a screw moved by a screwdriver. 
         [0037]      FIG. 9  is a flowchart  900  illustrating an example method of forming an orthodontic appliance according to one embodiment. In step  902 , an arch  106  is formed. In certain embodiments, arch  106  may be formed from a mold of teeth or directly from the teeth, thereby providing a custom fit. Any suitable material may be used to form arch  106  including, for example, plastics, acrylics and/or composites. 
         [0038]    In step  904 , one or more wire receptors may be coupled to arch  106 . In alternative embodiments, wire receptors may be integrally formed from the same material during the formation of arch  106 , as discussed previously with reference to  FIGS. 4A and 4B . 
         [0039]    In step  906 , arch  106  may be separated into sections. In certain embodiments the separation of arch  106  into one or more sections may be substantially similar to the separation of arch  106  into caps  200 , as described previously with reference to  FIG. 1D . 
         [0040]    In step  908 , one or more orthodontic wires  104  may be coupled to arch  106 . In particular embodiments, one or more wires  104  may be coupled to arch  106  after arch  106  is separated into sections. Additionally or alternatively, one or more wires  104  may be coupled to arch  106  in step  908  after arch  106  is separated into one or more sections. 
         [0041]    Although the present disclosure has been described with several embodiments, a myriad of changes, variations, alterations, transformations, and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art, and it is intended that the present disclosure encompass such changes, variations, alterations, transformations, and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.