Arrangements for intraoral scanning

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing a mid-course correction include receiving user compliance check information including at least one image of the user's teeth submitted by a user regarding an initial treatment plan where at least one of the images is taken by the user with a camera being external to the mouth of the user and having a dental appliance positioned at least partially within the mouth where the dental appliance holds open the user's upper and lower lips, conducting, using an intraoral scanner at an intraoral scanning site, an intraoral scan of a mouth of a user based on determining that one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan, generating a corrective treatment plan based on the intraoral scan, producing a plurality of aligners based on the corrective treatment plan, and providing the plurality of aligners to the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a treatment plan computing system from a user computing system, user compliance check information submitted by a user regarding an initial treatment plan, the initial treatment plan designed to reposition one or more teeth of the user using a first plurality of aligners, the user compliance check information including progress data submitted by the user, the progress data submitted by the user including at least one image of the user's teeth;   conducting, using an intraoral scanner at an intraoral scanning site, an intraoral scan of a mouth of the user based on determining that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan, the intraoral scan generating three-dimensional data of the mouth of the user, wherein determining that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan is based on the user compliance check information;   generating, by the treatment plan computing system, a corrective treatment plan for the user based on the three-dimensional data of the mouth of the user and based on determining that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan;   producing, at a fabrication site, a second plurality of aligners based on the corrective treatment plan, the second plurality of aligners specific to the user and being configured to reposition the one or more teeth of the user in accordance with the corrective treatment plan, wherein producing the second plurality of aligners comprises generating a plurality of molds of a dentition of the user based on at least a starting position and an ending position according to the corrective treatment plan, and thermoforming a material to each of the molds to produce the second plurality of aligners; and   providing the second plurality of aligners to the user;   wherein the at least one image of the user's teeth includes one or more photographs of the mouth of the user with a camera being external to the mouth of the user, at least one of the photographs having been taken with a dental appliance positioned at least partially within the mouth of the user, the dental appliance configured to hold open the user's upper and lower lips simultaneously to expose the user's teeth and permit visualization of the user's teeth.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initial treatment plan is based on initial three-dimensional data obtained from scanning dental impressions of the mouth of the user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initial treatment plan is based on initial three-dimensional data obtained from conducting an initial intraoral scan of the mouth of the user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing the corrective treatment plan to a dentist or an orthodontist for review and approval. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein producing the second plurality of aligners is responsive to receiving an approval of the corrective treatment plan from a dentist or orthodontist, and wherein providing the second plurality of aligners to the user includes sending the second plurality of aligners from the fabrication site directly to the user without first providing the second plurality of aligners to the dentist or orthodontist. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing, responsive to determining that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan, the user scheduling information regarding scheduling an appointment at the intraoral scanning site to undergo the intraoral scan. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one image of the user's teeth is captured by the user. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan is based on the user compliance check information submitted by the user during treatment. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the user compliance check information includes an indication submitted by the user during treatment that the user is unsatisfied with the initial treatment plan. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the user compliance check information includes an indication submitted by the user during treatment that at least one aligner of the first plurality of aligners does not fit or is uncomfortable. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising providing a message to the user requesting the user to submit the user compliance check information. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user compliance check information indicates the user's compliance with the initial treatment plan by having correctly followed the initial treatment plan. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the compliance check information includes at least one initial image of the user's teeth. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one initial image of the user's teeth is captured by someone other than the user. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one initial image of the user's teeth is saved to a user file, and wherein determining that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan is based on a comparison of the at least one image of the user's teeth and the at least one initial image of the user's teeth saved to the user file. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising flagging, by the treatment plan computing system, the user file for a mid-course correction based on determining that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan. 
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 a communications system configured to communicate with a user device associated with a user regarding an initial treatment plan designed to reposition one or more teeth of the user using a first plurality of aligners, the communication with the user device including progress data submitted by the user, the progress data submitted by the user including at least one image of the user's teeth;   an intraoral scanning site comprising an intraoral scanner configured to conduct an intraoral scan of a mouth of the user to generate three-dimensional data based on a determination that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan;   a treatment planning computing system configured to generate a corrective treatment plan for the user based on the three-dimensional data; and   a fabrication system comprising manufacturing equipment configured to produce a second plurality of aligners based on the corrective treatment plan by generating a plurality of molds of a dentition of the user based on at least a starting position and an ending position according to the corrective treatment plan, and thermoforming a material to each of the molds to produce the second plurality of aligners, the second plurality of aligners specific to the user and being configured to reposition the one or more teeth of the user in accordance with the corrective treatment plan;   wherein the at least one image of the user's teeth includes one or more photographs of the mouth of the user taken with a camera being external to the mouth of the user, at least one of the photographs having been taken with a dental appliance positioned at least partially within the mouth of the user, the dental appliance configured to hold open the user's upper and lower lips simultaneously to expose the user's teeth and permit visualization of the user's teeth.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the initial treatment plan is based on initial three-dimensional data obtained from at least one of scanning dental impressions of the mouth of the user or conducting an initial intraoral scan of the mouth of the user. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the communications system is configured to:
 determine, based on the progress data submitted by the user, whether the user correctly followed the initial treatment plan; and   provide a financial incentive to the user responsive to determining that the user correctly followed the initial treatment plan, wherein the financial incentive is a reduction in cost of the second plurality of aligners.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the determination that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan is based on a comparison of the at least one image of the user's teeth and at least one initial image of the user's teeth saved to a user file. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the communications system is configured to flag the user file for a mid-course correction based on determining that the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the at least one image of the user's teeth is captured by the user. 
     
     
         23 . A method comprising:
 conducting, using an intraoral scanner at an intraoral scanning site, an intraoral scan of a mouth of a user to generate three-dimensional data of the mouth of the user, the intraoral scan conducted based on progress data submitted by the user, the progress data submitted by the user including at least one image of the user's teeth;   generating, by a treatment plan computing system, a progress determination, wherein the progress determination is based on a comparison of an initial treatment plan and the at least one image of the user's teeth;   generating, by the treatment plan computing system, a corrective treatment plan for the user based on the three-dimensional data of the mouth of the user;   providing, by a computing system associated with a dentist or orthodontist, the corrective treatment plan to the dentist or the orthodontist for review;   receiving an approval of the corrective treatment plan by the dentist or the orthodontist;   producing, at a fabrication site, a second plurality of aligners based on the corrective treatment plan, the second plurality of aligners specific to the user and being configured to reposition the one or more teeth of the user in accordance with the corrective treatment plan, wherein producing the second plurality of aligners comprises generating a plurality of molds of a dentition of the user based on at least a starting position and an ending position according to the corrective treatment plan, and thermoforming a material to each of the molds to produce the second plurality of aligners; and   providing the second plurality of aligners to the user;   wherein the at least one image of the user's teeth includes one or more photographs of the mouth of the user taken with a dental appliance positioned at least partially within the mouth of the user, the dental appliance configured to hold open the user's upper and lower lips simultaneously to permit visualization of the user's teeth.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein at least one of the at least one image of the user's teeth is captured by the user. 
     
     
         25 . The method  claim 23 , wherein the progress determination is based on a comparison of an initial image of the user's teeth saved to a user file and at least one of the at least one image of the user's teeth or the initial treatment plan. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one initial image of the user's teeth is captured by someone other than the user.