Method for determining orthodontic bracket placement

Abstract

A method for determining orthodontic bracket placement on a malocclused tooth to correct the malocclusion includes the steps of generating digital information which defines the shape and location of the malocclused tooth in the patient's jaw, from which digital information a mathematical model of the tooth and jaw is generated. The correct placement position of a bracket is then calculated from the digitized information. A standard bracket is thereafter modified, if desired, individually for the patient, in view of the patient's physical deviations from the statistical averages. The shape of a bracket positioning jig is calculated and formed. Another step is forming an archwire for the brackets. The method may be used on one or more teeth in the same dental arch, as well as for both dental arches with respect to malocclusion therebetween.

.[.I.]. .Iadd.We .Iaddend.claim: 
     
       1. A method .[.for determining.]. .Iadd.of forming an .Iaddend.orthodontic bracket .Iadd.for .Iaddend.placement on a malocclused tooth in a patient's jaw to correct the malocclusion comprising the steps of: .[.generating digital information defining.]. .Iadd.scanning .Iaddend.the shape and location of the malocclused tooth with respect to the patient's jaw .Iadd.and generating as a result thereof digital information defining physical characteristics of the individual patient; .Iaddend.   generating.Iadd., with the aid of a computer, .Iaddend.a mathematical model of the malocclused tooth as positioned in the jaw from the .[.digitized.]. .Iadd.digital .Iaddend.information;   calculating.Iadd., with the aid of the computer, with respect to the mathematical model and from the digital information, .Iaddend.the finish position in the jaw to which the malocclused tooth is to be moved .[.from the digitized information.]. .Iadd.that is based on the physical characteristics of the individual patient.Iaddend.; .[.and.].   calculating.Iadd., with the aid of the computer from the digital information, .Iaddend.the placement position of an orthodontic bracket on the malocclused tooth required in order to move the malocclused tooth to its finish position by a preselected orthodontic treatment.Iadd.; and   forming, with the aid of a computer, an orthodontic bracket that is based on physical characteristics of the patient, for placement on the malocclused tooth at the calculated placement position, so as to move the tooth to its calculated finish position, the forming step being in accordance with the results of the calculating steps. .Iaddend.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1, and including the step of selecting the orthodontic bracket to be utilized before calculating its placement position. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 2, .[.and including.]. .Iadd.wherein the forming step includes .Iaddend.the step of modifying the selected orthodontic bracket after calculating the placement position to improve its performance in moving the malocclused tooth to its finish position. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 2, .[.and including.]. wherein: the step of .Iadd.forming the bracket includes .Iaddend.modifying the selected bracket before calculating its placement position.Iadd.; and   wherein the method further comprises the step of calculating the placement position based on the modified form of the bracket. .Iaddend.   
     
     
       5. The method of claim 1 and including the step of selecting the orthodontic bracket to be utilized after calculating its placement position. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 5, .[.and including.]. .Iadd.wherein: .Iaddend. the .Iadd.forming .Iaddend.step .[.of.]. .Iadd.includes the step of .Iaddend.modifying the selected orthodontic bracket after calculating the placement position.Iadd., based on the calculated placement position and digital information, .Iaddend.to improve its performance in moving the malocclused tooth to the finish position.   
     
     
       7. The method of any of claims 1, 2, .[.5,.]. 3, 4, .Iadd.5 .Iaddend. or 6 and including the step of calculating the shape of a bracket positioning jig for the malocclused tooth .Iadd.that is based on physical characteristics of the individual patient and that is .Iaddend.required in order to place the respective tooth bracket in the previously calculated placement position. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 7, including the step of forming a bracket positioning jig to conform to the bracket positioning jig shape previously calculated .Iadd.and to physical characteristics of the individual patient.Iaddend.. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 8, and including the step of preforming at least one archwire for attachment to the selected bracket into such configuration with respect to said bracket as is to be utilized to cause the malocclused tooth to move toward its finish position when the bracket is fixed to the tooth in the placement position and the archwire attached thereto. 
     
     
       10. A method .[.for determining.]. .Iadd.of placing .Iaddend.orthodontic .[.bracket placement.]. .Iadd.brackets .Iaddend.on a dental arch to correct a malocclusion comprising the steps of: .[.generating digital information defining.]. .Iadd.scanning .Iaddend.the shape and location of the teeth with respect to the arch .Iadd.and generating as a result thereof digital information defining physical characteristics of the individual patient; .Iaddend.   generating.Iadd., with the aid of a computer, .Iaddend.a mathematical model of the teeth as positioned in the arch from the .[.digitized.]. .Iadd.digital .Iaddend.information;   calculating.[.the.]. .Iadd., with the aid of a computer and from the digital information, .Iaddend.finish .[.position.]. .Iadd.positions .Iaddend.in the arch .[.of the teeth from the digitized information.]. .Iadd.to which teeth are to be moved and which are based on the physical characteristics of the individual patient; .Iaddend.and   calculating.Iadd., with the aid of a computer, .Iaddend.the placement .[.position.]. .Iadd.positions .Iaddend.of orthodontic brackets on selected teeth in the arch required in order to move malocclused teeth to their finish positions by a preselected orthodontic treatment.Iadd.; and   placing brackets on the malocclused teeth at the calculated placement positions. .Iaddend.   
     
     
       11. The method of claim 10, and including the step of selecting at least one of the orthodontic brackets to be utilized before calculating its placement position. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 11, and including the step of modifying at least one of the selected orthodontic brackets after calculating its placement position to improve its performance in moving a malocclused tooth to its finish position. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 11, and including the step of modifying at least one of the selected brackets before calculating its placement position. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 10 and including the step of selecting at least one of the orthodontic brackets to be utilized after calculating its placement position. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 14, and including the step of modifying at least one of the selected orthodontic brackets after calculating the placement position to improve its performance in moving the malocclused tooth to the finish position. 
     
     
       16. The method of any of the claims 10, 11, .[.14,.]. 12, .Iadd.13, .Iaddend.14, or 15, and including the step of calculating the shape of a bracket positioning jig for use in placing the brackets in their previously calculated placement positions. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16, including the step of forming a bracket positioning jig to conform to the bracket positioning jig shape previously calculated .Iadd.and to physical characteristics of the individual patient. .Iaddend. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim 17, and including the step of preforming at least one archwire for attachment to the brackets into such configuration with respect to said brackets as is to be utilized to cause the teeth to move toward their finish positions when the brackets are fixed to the teeth in their placement positions and the archwire attached thereto. 
     
     
       19. A method for use in the orthodontic treatment to correct the malocclusion between teeth in a patient's dental arches comprising the steps of: .[.generating digital information defining.]. .Iadd.scanning .Iaddend.the shape and location of the teeth in each dental arch with respect to the other dental arch.Iadd.and generating as a result thereof digital information defining physical characteristics of the individual patient.Iaddend.; generating.Iadd., with the aid of a computer, .Iaddend.a mathematical model of the dental arches as positioned in the patient's head from the .[.digitized.]. .Iadd.digital .Iaddend.information;   calculating.[.the.]. .Iadd., with the aid of a computer and from the digital information, .Iaddend.finish .[.position.]. .Iadd.positions .Iaddend.in the dental arches .[.which is required.]. .Iadd.to which teeth are to be moved .Iaddend.to correct the malocclusion .[.from the digitized information.]. .Iadd.and which are based on the physical characteristics of the individual patient.Iaddend.; .[.and.].   calculating.Iadd., with the aid of a computer from the digital information, .Iaddend. the placement position of an orthodontic appliance on a least one of the arches required in order to correct the malocclusion by a preselected orthodontic treatment.Iadd.; and   forming, with the aid of a computer, an orthodontic appliance that is based on the physical characteristics of the patent for placement on at least one of the arches to correct the malocclusion by the preselected orthodontic treatment, the forming step being based on the digital information and calculated finish position.Iaddend.. .Iadd.   
     
     
       20.  A method of placing an orthodontic bracket on the teeth of a patient comprising the steps of: scanning shapes of the individual teeth of the patient and generating as a result thereof digital information defining physical characteristics of the individual patient;   generating, with the aid of a computer, a mathematical model of the teeth of the patient from the digital information;   calculating, from the digital information and with the aid of a computer, finish positions to which the teeth of the patient are to be moved and that are based on the physical characteristics of the individual patient;   calculating, with the aid of a computer and from the mathematical model, placement positions of orthodontic brackets on the teeth required in order to move the teeth to the calculated finish positions; and   placing brackets on the teeth at the calculated placement positions. .Iaddend. .Iadd.   
     
     
       21.  The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of: forming, with the aid of a computer, orthodontic brackets for placement at the calculated placement positions in order to move the teeth to the calculated finish positions, the forming step being with respect to the mathematical model and in accordance with the results of the tooth finish position and bracket placement position calculating steps. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. A method of facilitating orthodontic bracket placement on the teeth of a patient comprising the steps of:   scanning shapes of the individual teeth of the patient and generating as a result thereof digital information defining physical characteristics of the individual patient;   generating, with the aid of a computer, a mathematical model of the teeth of the patient from the digital information;   calculating, with the aid of a computer from the digital information, finish positions to which the teeth of the patient are to be moved and which are based on the physical characteristics of the individual patient;   determining, with the aid of a computer and from the mathematical model, placement positions on the teeth of orthodontic brackets to move the teeth to the calculated finish positions;   calculating, with the aid of a computer and from the mathematical model and determined placement positions, the shape of a bracket positioning jig for each bracket that is based on physical characteristics of the individual patient to place the bracket at the determined placement position; and   forming, from and in accordance with each jig shape calculation, a tooth positioning jig, that is based on physical characteristics of the individual patient and shaped, to locate the bracket at the placement position therefor which will result in required force vectors for treatment when the bracket is attached to the tooth at the placement position therefor to move the teeth to the calculated finish positions.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.23.  The method of claim 10 or claim 20 or claim 22 further comprising the step of: manufacturing, with the aid of a computer, orthodontic brackets for placement at the placement positions in order to move the teeth to the   
     
     
        calculated finish positions. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24.  A method of forming and placing orthodontic brackets, each with an archwire slot therein, on dental surfaces of teeth of a patient, the method comprising the steps of: scanning shapes of the individual teeth of the patient and generating as a result thereof digital information defining physical characteristics of the individual patient;   generating, with the aid of a computer, a mathematical model of the teth of the patient from the digital information;   calculating, with the aid of a computer from the digital information, finish positions to which the teeth of the patient are to be moved and which are based on physical characteristics of the individual patient;   determining, with the aid of a computer and from the mathematical model, placement positions of orthodontic brackets on the teeth required in order to orient the slots thereof with respect to the dental surface of the respective tooth, to move the teeth to the calculated finish positions;   forming brackets that are based on physical characteristics of the individual patient that are defined by the digital information for placement at the determined placement positions to move the teeth to the calculated finish positions; and   placing the formed brackets on the teeth at the determined placement   
     
     
        positions. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25.  The method of claim 20 or claim 22 or claim 24 wherein: the scanning step includes the step of generating digital information defining physical characteristics of the shapes of the jaw structure of the patient associated with the upper and lower arches; and   the mathematical model generating step includes the step of replicating upper and lower dental arches of the patient and associated jaw structure. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. The method of claim 20 or claim 22 or claim 24 further comprising the step of:   forming an archwire so as to cause the teeth to move to the calculated finish positions when an archwire is installed on the brackets and the brackets are located on the teeth at the placement positions. .Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.27.  The method of claim 24 wherein: the placement position determining step and the bracket forming step are such as to orient the archwire slots of the brackets in six degrees of freedom with respect to the teeth to incorporate the force vectors required to move the teeth to the calculated finish positions. .Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.28.  A method of forming orthodontic brackets for placement on the teeth of a patient, the method comprising the steps of: generating, from shapes of the individual teeth of the patient, digital information defining physical characteristics of the individual patient;   generating, with the aid of a computer, a mathematical model of the teeth of the patient from the digital information;   calculating, with the aid of a computer and from the digital information, finish positions to which the teeth of the patient are to be moved and which are based on the physical characteristics of the individual patient;   with respect to the mathematical model, determining placement positions of orthodontic brackets for placement on the individual teeth required in order to move the teeth to the calculated finish positions; and   forming, orthodontic brackets conforming to the physical characteristics of the individual patient for placement at the determined placement positions in order to move the teeth to the calculated finish positions, the forming step being in accordance with the results of the tooth finish position calculating step and the bracket placement position determining step.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.29.  The method of claim 21 or claim 28 wherein: each of the formed brackets has an archwire slot therein; and   the placement position determining step and the bracket forming step are such as to orient the archwire slot of each of the brackets with respect to the respective teeth to incorporate the force vectors required to move the teeth to the calculated finish positions. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. The method of claim 29 wherein:   the placement position determining step and the bracket forming step are such as to orient the archwire slots of the brackets in six degrees of freedom with respect to the teeth to incorporate the force vectors required to move the teeth to the calculated finish positions. .Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.31.  The method of claim 21 or claim 24 or claim 28 wherein: the bracket forming step includes the step of providing, to an orthodontic practitioner for correction of malocclusion of the patient therewith, the formed brackets customized in accordance with the digital information to conform to the physical characteristics of the patient; and   the placement position determining step and thebracket forming step are such as to position the formed brackets at the placement positions on the teeth to incorporate force vectors required to move the teeth to the   
     
     
        calculated finish positions. .Iaddend. .Iadd.32.  The method of claim 21 or claim 24 or claim 28 further comprising the steps of: forming an archwire with respect to the mathematical model; and   the bracket forming step including the step of forming the bracket into a configuration conforming to physical characteristics of the patient and such as to cause the teeth to move to the calculated finish positions when the archwire is installed on the formed brackets and the formed brackets are placed on the teeth at the determined placement positions. .Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.33.  A method for use in the orthodontic treatment to correct malocclusion between teeth in the dental arches of a patient comprising the steps of: generating, from shapes of the individual teeth of the patient, digital information defining physical characteristics of the individual patient;   generating, with the aid of a computer, a mathematical model of the teeth of the patient from the digital information;   calculating, with software programs and from the digital information, finish positions of the dental arches, that are based on the physical characteristics of the individual patient, to correct the malocclusion;   determining, with the aid of a computer, from the digital information and the calculated finish positions of the arches, the placement position of an orthodontic appliance to correct the malocclusion; and   forming, with the aid of a computer, an orthodontic appliance for placement at the determined placement position in order to move the teeth to the calculated finish positions, the forming step being in accordance with the results of the tooth finish position calculating step and the appliance placement position determining step. .Iaddend. .Iadd.34. The method of claim 33 wherein:   the finish position calculating step includes the step of calculating positions of the individual teeth of the patient in the dental arches in the calculated finish positions thereof and providing from the calculations a mathematical model of the calculated positions; and   the placement position determining step includes the step of determining placement position from the calculated finish positions and the   
     
     
        mathematical model. .Iaddend. .Iadd.35.  The method of claim 34 wherein: the finish position calculating step includes the step of calculating finish positions of individual teeth of the patient relative to adjacent   
     
     
        teeth. .Iaddend. .Iadd.36.  The method of claim 34 wherein: the finish position calculating step includes the step of calculating positions of individual teeth of the patient relative to opposing teeth.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.37.  A method for use in the orthodontic treatment of a patient to correct malocclusion of a patient's teeth on a dental arch of the patient comprising the steps of: generating, from shapes of the individual teeth of the patient, digital information defining physical characteristics of the individual patient;   generating, with the aid of a computer, a mathematical model of the dental arch of the patient from the digital information;   calculating, with software programs and from the digital information, a finish position of the dental arch, which is based on the physical characteristics of the individual patient, and which is required to correct the malocclusion;   determining, with the aid of a computer, from the digital information and the calculated finish position, the placement position of an orthodontic appliance required in order to correct the malocclusion; and   forming, with the aid of a computer, an orthodontic appliance conforming to the physical characteristics of the individual patient, for placement at the determined placement position in order to move the teeth to the calculated finish positions, the forming step being in accordance with the results of the tooth finish position calculating step and the appliance   
     
     
        placement position determining step. .Iaddend. .Iadd.38.  The method of claim 34 or claim 37 wherein: the digital information generating step includes the step of scanning shapes of supporting bony foundations of the individual teeth of the patient and generating as a result thereof the digital information defining physical characteristics of the individual patient; and   the finish position calculating step includes the step of calculating the finish positions relative to supporting bony foundations of the teeth from   
     
     
        the digital information. .Iaddend. .Iadd.39.  The method of claim 37 wherein: the finish position calculating step includes the step of calculating, with the aid of a computer, positions of the individual teeth of the patient in the dental arch in the calculated finish position thereof and providing from the calculations a mathematical model of the calculated finish positions of the arch and teeth therein; and   the placement position determining step includes the step of determining, with the aid of a computer, the placement position of the appliance from the calculated finish position and the mathematical model. .Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.0.  The method of claim 39 further wherein: the finish position calculating step includes the step of calculating finish positions of individual teeth of the patient relative to adjacent   
     
     
        teeth. .Iaddend. .Iadd.41.  The method of claim 39 further wherein: the finish position calculating step includes the step of calculating positions of individual teeth of the patient relative to opposing teeth.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.42.  The method of claim 39 further wherein: the finish position calculating step includes the step of calculating the finish position of the dental arch relative to supporting body foundations   
     
     
        of the teeth thereof. .Iaddend. .Iadd.43.  The method of claim 33 or claim 37 wherein: the digital information generating step includes the step of scanning the shapes of the patient's jaw and generating as a result thereof the digital information defining the physical characteristics of the individual patient;   the method further comprises the step of generating, with the aid of a computer from the digital information, a mathematical model of the individual teeth of the patient and of the patient's jaw; and   the finish position calculating step includes the step of calculating the finish position from the mathematical model of the patient's jaw.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.44.  The method of claim 33 or claim 37 wherein: the orthodontic appliance includes a plurality of orthodontic brackets, each for the connection at a placement position of a different tooth; and,   the method further comprising the step of forming an archwire so as to cause the teeth to move to the calculated finish positions when the archwire is installed on the brackets and the brackets are located on the   
     
     
        teeth at the determined placement position. .Iaddend. .Iadd.45.  The method of claim 28 or claim 33 or claim 37 wherein: the digital information generating step includes the step of generating digital information defining physical characteristics of the shapes of the jaw structure of the patient associated with the upper and lower arches; and   the mathematical model generating step includes the step of replicating upper and lower dental arches of the patient and associated jaw structure. .Iaddend.