Orthodontic appliances systems methods and tools

Abstract

Improved orthodontic methods and apparatus are described that reduce the level of skill required for successful treatment, reduce the amount of orthodontist's time required for successful treatment, and have improved retention. Customized individual orthodontic treatment is possible utilizing brackets ( 92420 ), bands, and archwires ( 1200 ) specifically designed for each malocclusion. Computer software is used to organize hundreds of issues and appliance variations in an automated or semi-automated diagnosis and treatment system. Related tools include a bracket holder ( 500 ) having a handle ( 550 ), a pair of gripping members ( 520, 520 ′) and a gripping member position and orientation indicator ( 600 ) and a bracket vertical position indicator ( 700 ).

1 . A method of treatment comprising using an IP System to reposition or reorient at least one tooth of a patient.  
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  comprising using IP Diagnosis Software to specify an IP Appliance Set for the patient, using IP Ordering Software to order the specified IP Appliance Set, and using the specified and ordered IP Appliance Set to reposition or reorient at least one tooth of the patient.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising using an IP Band Fitting Kit in conjunction with the IP Diagnosis Software to specify the IP Appliance Set.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising using an IP Bracket Set to replace a bracket of the IP Appliance Set.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising using a GMPOI Holder to position a bracket of the IP Appliance Set an a tooth of the patient.  
   
   
       6 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a handle;    a pair of opposed gripping members, each member comprising a gripping surface, each gripping surface comprising a forward edge;    a GMPOI positioned between the handle and the forward edges.    
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the GMPOI extends above or below the gripping surfaces.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the GMPOI extends above or below the handle.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the GMPOI is positioned within 0.5 inches from the forward edges.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the gripping edges are coplanor, and the GMPOI is an elongated planar member the plane of which is perpendicular to the plane of the gripping edges  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the apparatus comprises a height gauge.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the height gauge comprises first and second parallel planar members separated by a fixed distance and extending outward from the apparatus with the first parallel planar member being substantially longer than the second parallel planar member, the shorter planar member comprising a wire loop.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the gripping edges are coplanor, and the GMPOI is an elongated planar member the plane of which is perpendicular to the plane of the gripping edges, and is parallel to or coplanar with the planar members of the height gauge.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the apparatus is one of a set of apparatus, each apparatus of the set comprising a height gauge that corresponds to a prescribed bracket height for a particular tooth of a particular patient.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the apparatus is one of a plurality of apparatus wherein each apparatus comprises a bracket gripped by the pair of opposed gripping members.  
   
   
       16 . A method of coupling an orthodontic bracket to a tooth comprising: 
 providing a bracket holder;    utilizing the bracket holder to place a bracket on a tooth;    inserting a portion of the bracket holder into the bracket; and    rotating the bracket holder so as to rotate the bracket.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the portion of the bracket holder inserted into the bracket is part of a height gauge.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the portion of the bracket holder inserted into the bracket is part of a GMPOI.  
   
   
       19 . A method of coupling an orthodontic bracket to a tooth comprising: 
 providing a bracket holder comprising a gripping member position and orientation indicator (GMPOI);    utilizing the bracket holder to grip a bracket and to place the bracket on a tooth; and    while viewing the position and orientation of the GMPOI relative to the tooth on which the bracket is being mounted, rotating and/or moving the bracket holder so as to set the orientation and position of the bracket.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising: 
 subsequently causing the bracket holder to release the bracket;    inserting a portion of the bracket holder into the bracket; and    rotating the bracket holder so as to rotate the bracket.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the portion of the bracket holder inserted into the bracket is part of a height gauge.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the portion of the bracket holder inserted into the bracket is part of the GMPOI.  
   
   
       23 . A method of coupling a plurality of orthodontic brackets to a plurality of teeth comprising: 
 providing a plurality of bracket holders, each holder having a grasping member adapted to receive and hold a bracket;    providing a plurality of brackets; and    prior to coupling any one of the brackets to a tooth, causing each bracket holder to receive and hold a bracket.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising, prior to coupling any one of the brackets to a tooth, arranging the bracket holders in an order at least partially dependent on the order in which the brackets are to be installed, or at least partially dependent on the relative positions of the teeth to which the brackets are to be coupled.  
   
   
       25 . A method of selecting an archwire for a patient comprising: 
 obtaining a representation of the patient's inner arch curve (PIAC);    selecting an archwire shape based at least partially on the PIAC representation; and    selecting an archwire to be used based on the selected archwire shape.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein selecting an archwire shape comprises providing a translucent or transparent sheet bearing a representation of an archwire, and attempting to superimpose the archwire representation on the PIAC representation.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25  wherein obtaining the PIAC representation comprises obtaining an image of the patient's teeth and arch, and selecting an archwire shape comprises viewing at least a portion of the image through the translucent or transparent sheet.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 25  wherein obtaining the PIAC representation comprises obtaining a study model of the patient's teeth and arch, and selecting an archwire shape comprises viewing at least a portion of the study model through the translucent or transparent sheet.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising selecting an initial archwire size based at least partially on the PIAC representation, and wherein selecting an archwire comprises selecting an archwire to be used based on the selected archwire shape and selected initial archwire size.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising selecting a final archwire size after considering something other than the PIAC representation, and wherein selecting an archwire comprises selecting an archwire to be used based on the selected archwire shape and selected final archwire size.  
   
   
       31 . An archwire selection aid comprising a translucent or transparent sheet bearing one or more representations of archwires.  
   
   
       32 . An automated system for selecting an archwire for a patient comprising: 
 a patient internal arch curve recorder adapted to obtain a representation of the patient's internal arch curve;    data on available archwires;    a mechanism adapted to compare an obtained representation of a patient's internal arch curve with the data on available archwires and to identify an archwire based on any such comparison.    
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 32  wherein the system further comprises data relating to the current position, orientation, shape and/or size of the patient's teeth.  
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 32  wherein the system further comprises an input mechanism adapted to accept a treatment diagnosis.  
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 34  wherein the mechanism adapted to compare an obtained representation of a patient's internal arch curve with data on available archwires is also adapted to utilize any input treatment diagnosis in identifying an archwire.  
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 32  wherein the system comprises a communications mechanism adapted to communicate to an archwire supplier that the identified archwire is to be provided to a user of the system.  
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 32  wherein the patient internal arch curve recorder comprises a means for obtaining an electronic representation of at least a portion of a study model or image.  
   
   
       38 . The method system of  claim 37  wherein the patient internal arch curve recorder comprises a digital camera or scanner.  
   
   
       39 . The method system of  claim 32  wherein the data on available archwires comprises data on archwires comprising one of at least three different shapes.  
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 39  wherein the data on available archwires comprises data on at least two archwires having the same shape wherein one of the archwires is adapted for use in a non-extraction treatment plan and another of the archwires is adapted for use in an extraction treatment plan.  
   
   
       41 . An automated system for selecting and ordering an archwire for a patient comprising: 
 means for selecting an archwire from a plurality of available archwires; and    means for ordering the selected archwire from an archwire supplier; wherein    the selection of an archwire is based, at least in part, on all of the following factors:    the patient's jawbone structure;    a dentists preferred treatment option; and    the sizes and shapes of available archwires.    
   
   
       42 . A method of orthodontic treatment comprising: 
 specifying an initial orthodontic treatment plan to be applied to a patient where the patient has teeth, each of the patient's teeth has a position and an orientation, and the treatment is designed to modify either or both the position and orientation of at least one of the patient's teeth;    identifying each tooth that will have an undesired orientation upon completion of the initial treatment plan;    modifying the initial treatment plan to change the orientations that the identified teeth will have upon completion of the treatment plan.    
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42  wherein identifying each tooth that will have an undesired orientation upon completion of the initial treatment is accomplished through the use of automated methods.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the automated methods utilize the initial treatment plan in addition to the current positions and orientations of the patient's teeth to identify each tooth that will have an undesired orientation upon completion of the initial treatment.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 44  wherein at least some of the identified teeth do not currently have undesired orientations.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 42  wherein identifying each tooth that will have an undesired orientation upon completion of the initial treatment plan involves identifying teeth that currently have undesired orientations.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 46  wherein identifying teeth that currently have undesired orientations comprises identifying each tooth that has a mesial or distal rotation.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 47  wherein identifying each tooth that has a mesial or distal rotation comprises first identifying a shaped archwire to be used in treatment, and then determining whether the mesial or distal surface of a particular tooth would be farthest from the archwire if the archwire were positioned adjacent to the patient's teeth.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 42  wherein modifying the initial treatment plan to change the orientations that the identified teeth will have upon completion of the treatment plan comprises changing the orientations of the identified teeth during initial treatment and maintaining the orientations of the identified teeth during subsequent treatment.  
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 49  wherein the length of the period during which the orientations of the identified teeth are maintained is at least X% of the length of the period during which the orientations were changed where X is one of 75, 50, 25, and 10.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 42  wherein modifying the initial treatment plane comprises identifying one or more MS1 brackets for use in treatment.  
   
   
       52 . An orthodontic bracket adapted to apply torque to a tooth when coupled to a shaped archwire, the bracket comprising a visual indicator that indicates the type of torque it is adapted to provide.  
   
   
       53 . The bracket of  claim 52  wherein the indicator indicates a set of teeth the bracket is adapted to be used on, and the set comprises teeth in one of the upper right, upper left, lower right, and lower left quadrants of a patients mouth.  
   
   
       54 . The bracket of  52  wherein the indicator comprises one or more colored dots painted on the bracket.  
   
   
       55 . The bracket of  54  wherein the bracket comprises tie wings and the dots are painted on the tie wings.  
   
   
       56 . The bracket of  52  wherein the indicator indicates that the bracket comprises one or more of the following: mesial rotation, distal rotation, lingual rotation, labial rotation, mesial angulation, and distal angulation.  
   
   
       57 . The bracket of  52  wherein the bracket is an MS1 bracket.  
   
   
       58 . A bracket comprising mesial or distal rotation, and at least one of the following: lingual rotation, labial rotation, mesial angulation, and distal angulation.  
   
   
       59 . A set of brackets comprising at least X MS1 brackets where X is 1, 5, 10, and 30.  
   
   
       60 . A method of orthodontic treatment comprising utilizing an orthodontic bracket on a tooth wherein the bracket is adapted to overcorrect the orientation of the tooth.  
   
   
       61 . The method of  60  wherein the bracket is adapted to provide 4 degrees of overcorrection.  
   
   
       62 . A bracket assembly comprising a bracket having an archwire receiving slot and slot modifying member inserted into the slot.  
   
   
       63 . The assembly of  claim 62  wherein the bracket is a ceramic bracket having a contoured base adapted to couple the bracket to a tooth.  
   
   
       64 . The assembly of  claim 63  wherein the base comprises one or more indentations adapted to decrease the amount of surface area in contact with a tooth when the base is coupled to a tooth.  
   
   
       65 . (canceled)  
   
   
       66 . (canceled)