Tooth path treatment plan

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed to prepare a malocclusion treatment plan by selecting a tooth treatment pattern from a library of predetermined tooth treatment patterns; and generating the malocclusion treatment plan implementing the selected tooth treatment pattern.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for preparing digital models of a patient's teeth as part of a malocclusion treatment plan, said method comprising: 
 selecting a treatment type; calculating tooth movement paths based on the treatment type; and    generating computer models of successive tooth arrangements for the malocclusion treatment plan.    
     
     
         2 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein selecting a treatment type comprises selecting a tooth treatment pattern from a library of predetermined tooth treatment patterns.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treatment pattern is selected from one or more clinical treatment prescriptions.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the clinical treatment prescription includes at least one of the following: space closure, reproximation, dental expansion, flaring, proclination, distalization, and lower incisor extraction.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining a tooth path comprises finding a collision free shortest path between an initial position and a final position for one or more teeth.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein calculating tooth movement paths comprises specifying a series of treatment stages for one or more teeth.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising dividing the path(s) for one or more teeth into the series of stages while keeping the movement of teeth in each stage below a predetermined range.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating an appliance for a treatment stage.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the appliance is either a removable appliance or a fixed appliance.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating a three-dimensional model for the teeth for a treatment stage.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising generating dental diagnostic information from the three-dimensional model.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising generating interproximal reduction information from the 3D model.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising generating tooth size discrepancy information from the 3D model.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising generating Bolton information from the 3D model.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the library of treatment patterns comprises at least one or more of the following: all equal movement pattern, A-shaped movement pattern, V-shaped movement pattern, M-shaped movement pattern, W-shaped movement pattern, symmetric staircase pattern, asymmetric staircase pattern, and equal equal movement pattern.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the selected pattern comprises an all equal movement pattern, further comprising subdividing paths while satisfying one or more constraints.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the constraint comprises minimizing tooth oscillation and tooth movement distance.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the selected pattern comprises an equal equal pattern, further comprising: 
 dividing the teeth into a prestage movement group and a post stage movement group; and    applying the all equal movement to the prestage movement group and subsequently applying the all equal movement to the prestage movement group.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the selected pattern is an A-shaped movement pattern, further comprising sequentially moving each tooth from an incisor tooth toward a molar tooth.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the selected pattern is a V-shaped movement pattern, further comprising sequentially moving each tooth from a molar tooth toward an incisor tooth.