Align Technology, Inc.

Douglas Brandt

Rick M Matty

David R Mason

Methods of forming wire attachment appliances. Methods may include forming a shell having multiple cavities and an attachment material reservoir within a first cavity of the multiple cavities. The attachment material reservoir may be positioned such that, when the wire attachment appliance is positioned on a dental arch, an attachment material provided within the attachment material reservoir is arranged to contact a surface of a particular tooth for attaching a wire to the particular tooth. Forming the wire attachment appliance may further include forming at least two wire attachment members on an interior surface of at least two second cavities of the multiple cavities. The at least two wire attachment members may be shaped to hold the wire in position with respect to the particular tooth.

Methods of forming wire attachment dental appliances

Methods of attaching a wire to a dentition. The methods may include placing a shell on the dentition, where first cavity of the shell includes an attachment material reservoir for receiving an attachment material, and second cavity of the shell includes a wire attachment member having a slot for receiving the wire. The methods may also include placing the wire through the attachment material reservoir and through the slot of the wire attachment member to hold the wire in position with respect to a tooth within the first cavity. The methods may further include placing the attachment material within the attachment material reservoir to bond the attachment material and the wire to the tooth. Once the shell and the wire attachment member are removed from the dentition, the wire remains attached to the tooth via the attachment material.

Methods of dental wire attachment

Methods and systems for predicting a future dental or orthodontic condition(s) are provided. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method for calculating a future position of an intraoral object of a patient's intraoral cavity is provided. The method can include receiving first and second digital data representative of an actual state of the intraoral cavity at first and second time points. The method can include processing data including the first and second digital data so as to determine a velocity of an intraoral object of the intraoral cavity over the first and second time points. A future position of the intraoral object at a future time point can be determined based on the velocity.

Method for tracking, predicting, and proactively correcting malocclusion and related issues

Methods and devices utilizing a dental appliance for dental retainer wire attachment are disclosed. One such wire attachment appliance includes a shell having one or more cavities formed therein and shaped to receive one or more teeth, at least two wire attachment members provided on the shell, and at least one attachment material reservoir provided on the shell, wherein the attachment material is provided to attach a wire to a tooth adjacent to a particular reservoir of the at least one attachment material reservoir.

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San Pablo, Costa Rica

Douglas Brandt