Apparatus and method for executing orthodontic procedure

Abstract

Abstract The present invention is provided to render quality orthodontic treatment, with proper dispersion of the patient's teeth roots in the supporting medium. The present system involves procedure which establishes and records the location of the patient's individual tooth roots to the visual crowns of the associated teeth. This is accomplished by use of simulated root structures that are attachable to individual crown models of the patient's teeth and oriented in relation to the models such that the axes of the associated roots are made accessible. The individual simulated root structures may be attached to crown models taken from a direct impression from the patient's mouth. The individual crown models are aligned in a surveyor mechanism and attached with their long axes in coaxial alignment with the central axes of dop rods. The dop rods are then held on a grinding rack and moved toward a flat grinding surface which produces a plane flat surface on each crown model. The stimulated roots may then be attached via a mounting arrangement such that root fins of the simulated roots directly indicate the orientation of the actual tooth roots. The finished tooth model assemblies, including the crown models and attached simulated roots can then be repositioned in the original impression and poured to form a mal-occlusion model. This model, with simulated roots exposed, indicates the exact orientation of individual tooth roots surrounded by the adjacent gum tissue. The crown models can be separated from the model and re-assembled with new simulated roots to be positioned in a set-up articulator into an ideal arch form, representing the corrected positions of the teeth. The finished tooth models, while in their ideal "setup" can again be poured up to form an ideal set-up model. This model is used to indicate the orientation of the individual tooth roots as they may exist in the final corrected positions within the patient's mouth. The ideal set-up model can be used with a bracket slot orienting and placement instrument for appropriate selection and placement of arch wire brackets on the individual tooth models. Appropriate mechanisms are provided to indicate bracket thickness and backing curvature so the precision slots of the selected brackets will be precisely oriented on each crown model. Selected brackets can then be placed on the individual tooth models which are then moved from the ideal set-up and returned to the simulated root sections left in the original mal-occlusion cast model. The brackets are then positioned precisely as they should be in the patient's mouth.

Inventors

• 👤 Joseph J. Lavin

Bibliographic Details