Patent ID: 8758009

Claim:
A dental appliance comprising: a concave trough configured to transition from a first shape to a second shape when a deforming force is applied to the dental appliance, wherein the first shape conforms to a plurality of teeth when placed over the plurality of teeth and applies a first force on the plurality of teeth, wherein the concave trough comprises: a shape memory material configured to restore the concave trough from the second shape to an approximate first shape upon an application of an external stimulus, the approximate first shape configured to apply the first force on the plurality of teeth, wherein the shape memory material comprises: a first segment being an inner layer, wherein the first segment comprises: a first glass transition temperature; and a second segment coupled with the first segment, the second segment being an outer layer and enclosing the inner layer, wherein the second segment comprises: a second glass transition temperature, wherein the first glass transition temperature is less than the second glass transition temperature, wherein upon the application of the external stimulus which comprises heat to cause a temperature to be reached that is higher than or equal to the first glass transition temperature and below the second glass transition temperature, the second segment, being harder than the first segment, controls the first segment via forces to return the concave trough to the approximate first shape, such that as the first segment reaches the first glass transition temperature, the first segment undergoes a state change, molding to a shape of the second segment while the forces of the second segment return the concave trough to the approximate first shape.