Align Technology, Inc.

Norman C Su

Jihua Cheng

Fuming Wu

Jun Sato

Yaser Shanjani

Ryan Kimura

Jeremy Riley

Roman A Roschin

Eric P Meyer

Stephan Albert Alexandre Dumothier

Tzishing Jesse Lim

Huameng Ivan Chu

Palak Mittal

John Y Morton

Bastien Pesenti

Chunhua Li

Yan Chen

Methods and systems for taking images of a patient's teeth for tracking a progress of an orthodontic procedure. The methods and systems include a mobile device holder with one or more adjustable stops for providing a compressive force on a mobile device placed therein; a cheek retractor coupled to the mobile device holder; and a user interface on the mobile device indicating whether the mobile device holder is in a correct position relative to the patient's teeth as the mobile device holder is moved while the cheek retractor engages a cheek of the patient to expose the patient's teeth, while taking one or more visual images of the exposed teeth using a camera of the mobile device.

Systems and methods for taking images of a patient's teeth with a mobile device

Series of apparatuses for expanding a patient's palate ('palatal expanders'), including rapid palatal expanders, wherein a left tooth engagement region and a right tooth engagement region are configured to add anti-tipping torque to at least one tooth. Left and right tooth engagement regions may include lingual surfaces with at least one lingual protrusion. Left and right tooth engagement regions may have buccally rotated cavities.

Palatal expanders for controlling crown tipping

A series of palatal expanders and methods of designing palatal expanders, including rapid palatal expanders, where outer occlusal surfaces of a palatal expander are shaped to conform to a geometry of corresponding teeth surfaces of the patient's lower jaw to provide occlusion between occlusal surfaces and the corresponding teeth surfaces.

Palatal expanders and methods of designing palatal expanders

Palatal expander apparatuses for expanding a patient's palate ('palatal expanders') and methods of using and making them. The palatal expanders may include tooth engagement regions connected by a palatal region that is configured to apply force between the tooth engagement regions. At least a portion of the palatal region may be configured to have a clearance from the patient's mid-palatal region when the palatal expander is worn by the patient. The clearance between the palatal region and the patient's palate may decrease from the patient's mid-palatal region laterally toward the tooth engagement regions.

Palatal expanders and methods of expanding a palate

Palatal expander apparatuses for expanding a patient's palate ('palatal expanders') and methods of making them. The apparatuses may include a pair of tooth engagement regions connected by a palatal region. A detachment region on at least one of the tooth engagement regions may be defined by one or more first vertical cut-out regions extending from a bottom of a buccal side toward an occlusal side of the tooth engagement region. The buccal side may be more flexible than the occlusal side so that the detachment region flexes when a removal force to release the palatal expander apparatus from the patient's palate is applied to the detachment region.

Palatal expanders and methods of forming the same

The present disclosure provides systems that utilize a cheek retractor and/or a mobile device holder. The cheek retractor includes a first and a second lip holder to hold a cheek away from a mouth of a user to expose teeth of the user. A mobile device holder can receive a mobile device to capture images of the patient's teeth. These systems may be useful for case assessment and/or dental treatments.

Cheek retractor and mobile device holder

The present disclosure provides methods, computing device readable medium, devices, and systems that utilize a cheek retractor and/or a mobile device holder for case assessment and/or dental treatments.

Systems for tracking progress of an orthodontic procedure

The present disclosure provides methods, computing device readable medium, devices, and systems that utilize a cheek retractor and/or a mobile device holder for case assessment and/or dental treatments. One cheek retractor includes a first and a second lip holder, both including imaging markers of a predetermined size to determine a scale of teeth of a user, where each imaging marker is located a predefined distance from the remaining imaging markers, and where the lip holder is to hold a cheek away from a mouth of a user to expose teeth of the user. A mobile device holder can include elements to receive a mobile device to capture images of the patient's teeth.

Methods for designing and fabrication of a series of apparatuses for expanding a patient's palate ('palatal expanders'). In particular, described herein are methods and apparatuses for forming palatal expanders, including rapid palatal expanders, as well as series of palatal expanders formed as described herein and apparatuses for designing and fabricating them.

Methods and apparatuses for customizing a rapid palatal expander

The present disclosure provides methods, devices, systems, and computer-implemented methods for forming and placing attachments for use with dental appliances, and more particularly to the design, manufacture, and use of three-dimensionally printed attachment templates for use with orthodontic devices. Dental attachment templates include a cavity with one or more openings for injecting and bonding attachment material directly on a patient's tooth, which allow accurate placement of the attachments while providing the dental practitioner flexibility during the attachment forming process. Digital dental attachment template model techniques can be used to accurately place the cavity and opening.

Devices, systems, and computer-implemented methods for dental attachment templates

Palatal expander apparatuses for expanding a patient's palate ('palatal expanders') and methods of using and making them. These palatal expanders may be configured to have a variable surface smoothness on one side (e.g., the lingual-facing surface) compared to the opposite side (e.g., the palatal-facing surface). These palatal expanders may be configured to have a varying thickness in the palatal region. These palatal expanders may be adapted for ease in removal by the patient or caregiver (e.g., including a hinged region and/or detachment region, and/or including a thinner buccal side then occlusal side, etc.).

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, CA, United States of America

Norman C Su