Orthodontic systems with resilient appliances

Abstract

Systems for moving teeth of a patient's dental arch from a first tooth arrangement to a second tooth arrangement include a plurality of resilient appliances such as positioning trays or elongated arch members that are used in sequence. Each appliance of the systems includes a row of spaced apart couplings for connection to respective teeth of the dental arch. The appliances have certain geometric characteristics that match the geometric characteristics of other appliances of the system, and at least one appliance has a stiffness that is greater than the stiffness of at least one other appliance.

1 . A system for moving teeth of a patient's dental arch from a first tooth arrangement to a second tooth arrangement comprising a plurality of resilient trays each having a buccolabial wall section, an occlusal wall section and a lingual wall section, wherein each tray has a row of receptacles for receiving respective teeth of the dental arch of a dental patient, wherein each of the receptacles of each tray is arranged in a certain relative orientation with respect to the remaining receptacles of the same tray when the tray is relaxed, wherein the relative orientation of the receptacles is substantially the same for each of the trays, wherein at least one of the trays has a stiffness that is greater than the stiffness of at least one other tray, and wherein at least one of the buccolabial, occlusal and lingual wall sections of at least one tray is not in contact with a majority of the buccolabial, occlusal and lingual sides respectively of the teeth of the dental patient when received on the dental arch of the patient.  
   
   
       2 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 1  wherein the first tooth arrangement is a tooth arrangement at the beginning of treatment or at an intermediate stage of treatment.  
   
   
       3 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 1  wherein the second tooth arrangement is a tooth arrangement at an intermediate stage of treatment or at the conclusion of treatment.  
   
   
       4 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 1  wherein the stiffness of the trays is varied at least in part by changing the thickness of said at least one wall section.  
   
   
       5 . A system for moving teeth of a patient's dental arch from a first tooth arrangement to a second tooth arrangement comprising a plurality of resilient trays each having a buccolabial wall section, an occlusal wall section and a lingual wall section, wherein each tray has a row of receptacles for receiving respective teeth of a dental arch of a dental patient, wherein the row of receptacles of each tray extends substantially along an arch-shaped curve that is substantially the same for each of the trays when the trays are relaxed, wherein at least one tray has a stiffness that is greater than the stiffness of at least one other tray, and wherein at least one of the buccolabial, occlusal and lingual wall sections of at least one tray is not in contact with a majority of the buccolabial, occlusal and lingual sides respectively of the teeth of the dental patient when received on the dental arch of the patient.  
   
   
       6 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 5  wherein the first tooth arrangement is a tooth arrangement at the beginning of treatment or at an intermediate stage of treatment.  
   
   
       7 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 5  wherein the system comprises at least three trays, wherein the first tooth arrangement is a tooth arrangement at the beginning of treatment, and wherein the second tooth arrangement is a tooth arrangement at an intermediate stage of treatment or at the conclusion of treatment.  
   
   
       8 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 5  wherein the curve is an embrasure line.  
   
   
       9 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 5  wherein the system includes at least three trays each having a stiffness that is different from the stiffness of other trays of the system.  
   
   
       10 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 5  wherein the stiffness of the trays is varied at least in part by changing the thickness of said at least one wall section.  
   
   
       11 . A system for moving teeth of a patient's dental arch from an initial tooth arrangement at the beginning of treatment to a final tooth arrangement at the conclusion of treatment comprising a plurality of resilient trays including an initial tray for receiving the initial tooth arrangement and a final tray for receiving the final tooth arrangement, wherein each tray has a row of receptacles with a buccolabial wall section and a lingual wall section for receiving respective teeth of the dental arch, wherein the relative orientation between the receptacles of the initial tray is substantially the same as the relative orientation between the receptacles of the final tray when the initial tray and the final tray are relaxed, wherein at least one of the trays has a stiffness that is greater than the stiffness of at least one other tray, wherein at least some of the receptacles of the initial tray of the system include an additional space adjacent at least one of its buccolabial and lingual wall sections, and wherein the additional space lacks an orthodontic appliance when the initial tray is received on the dental arch.  
   
   
       12 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 11  wherein the row of receptacles of at least one tray includes sufficient receptacles to receive all of the teeth of the dental arch.  
   
   
       13 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 11  wherein the receptacles of at least one tray have the same geometry as the geometry of the corresponding receptacles of at least one other tray when the trays are relaxed.  
   
   
       14 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 11  wherein the stiffness of the trays is varied at least in part by changing the thickness of said at least one wall section.  
   
   
       15 . A system for moving teeth of a patient's dental arch from an initial tooth arrangement at the beginning of treatment to a final tooth arrangement at the conclusion of treatment comprising a plurality of resilient trays including an initial tray for receiving the initial tooth arrangement and a final tray for receiving the final tooth arrangement, wherein each tray has a row of receptacles with a buccolabial wall section and a lingual wall section for receiving respective teeth of a dental arch, wherein the row of receptacles of the initial tray and the row of receptacles of the final tray extend along substantially along the same arch-shaped curve when the initial and final trays are relaxed, wherein the final tray has a stiffness that is greater than the stiffness of the initial tray, and wherein at least some of the receptacles of the initial tray of the system include an additional space adjacent at least one of its buccolabial and lingual wall sections, and wherein the additional space lacks an orthodontic appliance when the initial tray is received on the dental arch.  
   
   
       16 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 15  wherein the receptacles of at least one tray have the same geometry as the geometry of the corresponding receptacles of at least one other tray when the trays are relaxed.  
   
   
       17 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 15  wherein the curve is an embrasure line.  
   
   
       18 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 15  wherein the system includes at least three trays each having a stiffness that is different from the stiffness of other trays of the system.  
   
   
       19 . A system for moving teeth according to  claim 15  wherein the stiffness of the trays is varied at least in part by changing the thickness of said at least one wall section.