Systems and methods for improved engagement between aligners and teeth

Abstract

A system and method for repositioning teeth in a patient jaw includes an attachment bonded to a tooth. The attachment has at least one force receiving component for receiving a force. A polymeric shell repositioning appliance is positioned over at least some of the teeth in the patient jaw. The polymeric shell has at least one force transmitting component for engaging the force receiving component to form a locus of engagement. The locus of engagement transmits the force and moves but is maintained as the tooth is repositioned. In specific embodiments the locus of engagement is maintained over a substantial range of motion. The force transmitted at the locus of engagement increases in response to the tooth lagging an intended position. A space between the positioned appliance and the tooth permits the tooth to move into an intended position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing an orthodontic aligner, the method comprising:
 digitally bonding a virtual attachment to a virtual tooth on a digital model of teeth of a patient, wherein the virtual attachment represents a physical attachment bonded to a physical tooth of the patient;   producing a positive mold comprising a positive mold of the tooth with an attached positive attachment mold, wherein the positive attachment mold has a different surface geometry than the surface geometry of the virtual attachment; and   forming an orthodontic aligner by thermoforming a sheet of polymeric material over the positive mold with the positive modified attachment, the orthodontic aligner including a prominence associated with the different surface geometry and for application of a force to the physical attachment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the prominence increases a stretching of the orthodontic aligner when the orthodontic aligner is engaged with the teeth of the patient. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the positive attachment mold is produced with an enlarged portion as compared to the virtual attachment, and wherein the orthodontic aligner is produced with a channel associated with the enlarged portion of the positive attachment mold, the channel extending a range of motion of a locus of engagement between the orthodontic aligner and the physical attachment when the orthodontic aligner is engaged with the teeth of the patient. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the physical attachment comprises a force receiving component, wherein the different surface geometry of the positive attachment mold is associated with the force receiving component. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the virtual attachment comprises a force receiving component, wherein the different geometry of the positive mold is not over the portion of the virtual attachment associated with the force receiving component. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein producing the positive tooth mold and the positive attachment mold comprises rapid prototyping of the digital data set representative of the teeth of the patient with a digitally bonded virtual attachment mold with the different surface geometry. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 modifying the digitally bonded virtual attachment by reducing a surface geometry of a portion of the virtual attachment to generate a modified bonded virtual attachment, and wherein the different surface geometry of the positive mold corresponds to the reduced surface geometry of the portion of the modified virtual attachment.   
     
     
         8 . A method for producing an orthodontic aligner for application to teeth of a patient and configured for moving at least one tooth of the patient with an attachment bonded thereon, the method comprising:
 digitally bonding a virtual attachment to a virtual tooth on a digital model of teeth of a patient, wherein the virtual attachment represents the attachment;   producing a positive mold comprising a positive model of the tooth with the a positive attachment mold thereon, wherein the positive attachment mold includes an enlarged portion as compared to the geometry of the virtual attachment; and   forming an orthodontic aligner by thermoforming a sheet of polymeric material over the positive mold and the positive attachment mold to produce the orthodontic aligner with a channel associated with the enlarged portion of the positive attachment mold and a force applying component for application of a force on the physical attachment.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the channel extends a range of motion of a locus of engagement between the orthodontic aligner and the attachment when the orthodontic aligner is engaged with the teeth of the patient. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the attachment comprises a force receiving component; wherein the attachment mold comprises a different surface geometry as compared to the attachment; and wherein the orthodontic aligner is produced with a prominence associated with the different surface geometry of the positive attachment mold, the prominence forming the force applying component of the orthodontic aligner. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the different surface geometry comprises a notch in the virtual attachment. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the prominence forms the pressure point. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the prominence increases a stretching of the orthodontic aligner when the orthodontic aligner is engaged with the teeth of the patient. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 modifying the digitally bonded virtual attachment by enlarging a surface geometry of a portion of the virtual attachment to generate a modified bonded virtual attachment, and wherein the enlarged surface geometry of the positive mold corresponds to the reduced surface geometry of the portion of the modified virtual attachment.   
     
     
         15 . A method for producing an orthodontic aligner for application to teeth of a patient and configured for moving at least one tooth of the patient with an attachment bonded thereon, the method comprising:
 digitally bonding a virtual attachment to a virtual tooth representing the at least one tooth of the patient, wherein the virtual attachment represents the attachment bonded to the at least one tooth of the patient;   producing a positive mold of the tooth with an attached positive attachment mold with a different surface geometry as compared to the digitally bonded virtual attachment; and   thermoforming a sheet over the positive mold comprising a physical representation of the positive attachment mold bonded to a physical representation of the virtual tooth to produce the orthodontic aligner with a prominence associated with the different surface geometry.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein producing the different surface geometry includes producing a decreased surface relief. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the prominence increases a stretching of the orthodontic aligner when the orthodontic aligner is engaged with the teeth of the patient. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the tooth mold comprises an enlarged portion representing teeth of the patient; and wherein the orthodontic aligner is produced with a channel associated with the enlarged portion, the channel extending a range of motion of a locus of engagement between the orthodontic aligner and the teeth of the patient when the orthodontic aligner is engaged with the teeth of the patient. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the positive attachment mold is produced with an enlarged portion; and wherein the channel extends the range of motion of the locus of engagement between the orthodontic aligner and the attachment when the orthodontic aligner is engaged with the teeth of the patient. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 modifying the digitally bonded virtual attachment by reducing a surface geometry of a portion of the virtual attachment to generate a modified bonded virtual attachment, and wherein the reduced surface geometry of the positive mold corresponds to the reduced surface geometry of the portion of the modified virtual attachment.   
     
     
         21 . A method for producing an orthodontic aligner for application to teeth of a patient and configured for moving at least one tooth of the patient with an attachment bonded thereon, the method comprising:
 digitally bonding a virtual attachment to a virtual tooth representing the at least one tooth of the patient, wherein the virtual attachment represents the attachment bonded to the at least one tooth of the patient;   producing a positive mold comprising a positive tooth based on the virtual tooth and a positive attachment mold having a first portion with a first different geometry than the virtual attachment and a second portion with a second different geometry than the virtual attachment.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising thermoforming a sheet over the positive mold to produce the orthodontic aligner with a prominence forming a pressure point associated with the reduced surface geometry of the first portion and a channel associated with the enlarged second portion. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the prominence forms a force applying component of the orthodontic aligner and wherein the prominence increases a stretching of the orthodontic aligner when the orthodontic aligner is engaged with the teeth of the patient. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein enlarging the second portion of the digital data set representative of the teeth of the patient with the digitally bonded virtual attachment comprises enlarging a third portion of the digitally bonded virtual attachment, wherein the positive attachment mold is produced with an enlarged portion associated with the enlarged third portion of the digitally bonded virtual attachment; and wherein the channel extends the range of motion of the locus of engagement between the orthodontic aligner and the attachment when the orthodontic aligner is engaged with the teeth of the patient. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein producing the reduced surface geometry over the first portion of the digitally bonded virtual attachment comprises producing a decreased surface relief of the first portion, and wherein the positive attachment mold includes a decreased surface relief associated with the decreased surface relief over the first portion of the virtual attachment.