US-20260124023-A1 - ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCES

Abstract

The techniques described herein relate to additively manufactured orthodontic appliances. An example custom metal orthodontic bracket includes a body, a plurality of tie-wings, and a base. The base includes a base surface that is contoured to a shape of a tooth of a patient to which the custom metal orthodontic bracket is to be bonded, and a plurality of retentive structures, wherein at least one of a portion of the base is not polished or only partially polished, or a portion of at least one of the plurality of retentive structures is not polished or only partially polished. An example method for manufacturing a custom orthodontic bracket includes measuring dentition data of a patient, constructing a three-dimensional (3D) model of at least one tooth of the patient, designing a 3D model of the bracket, preparing feedstock, building the bracket, removing the feedstock, hardening the bracket, and polishing the bracket.

Inventors

• Oisín Duggan
• Peter Polesnak
• Daniel Cheng
• Thomas Muscolo
• Dylan Winchell
• MARTIN JAY
• Michael Andrecyk
• Richard Liebert

Assignees

• LIGHTFORCE ORTHODONTICS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20251104

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A custom metal orthodontic bracket comprising: a body; a plurality of tie-wings; and a base comprising: a base surface that is contoured to a shape of a tooth of a patient to which the custom metal orthodontic bracket is to be bonded; and a plurality of retentive structures, wherein at least one of: a portion of the base is not polished or only partially polished, or a portion of at least one of the plurality of retentive structures is not polished or only partially polished.
2. 2 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the bracket is produced by an additive manufacturing device using a three-dimensional (3D) model of a bracket generated using a 3D model of one or more teeth of a patient.
3. 3 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 2 , wherein the additive manufacturing device uses a polymer composite comprising metal particulates, wherein 90% of the metal particulates in the polymer composite are smaller than or equal to 1 micron to 30 microns.
4. 4 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 3 , wherein the metal particulates comprise at least one of stainless steel, platinum, gold, silver, tantalum, titanium, steel, or cobalt.
5. 5 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a plurality of bars, wherein the plurality of bars are disposed on the base surface.
6. 6 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 5 , wherein at least one bar of the plurality of bars does not have a retentive structure pad.
7. 7 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of retentive structures are disposed on a first bar of the plurality of bars, wherein the plurality of retentive structures comprise a larger cross-sectional area than that of the first bar.
8. 8 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 7 , wherein a retentive structure of the plurality of retentive structures comprises a first rectangular cross-sectional area, and the first bar comprises a second rectangular cross-sectional area that is less than the first rectangular cross-sectional area.
9. 9 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 5 , wherein a pair of neighboring bars comprises a first retentive structure pad and a second retentive structure pad that are staggered from each other, such that the first retentive structure pad of a first bar of the pair is offset from the second retentive structure pad of a second bar, and configured to facilitate flow of adhesive under overhangs of the retentive structure pads.
10. 10 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 5 , wherein each bar has a height, and the height is adjustable such that a top surface of retentive structure pads of the retentive structures is not a same distance from the tooth for each retentive structure pad.
11. 11 - 25 . (canceled)
12. 26 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein angular positioning of the tie-wings is adjustable with respect to a proximity of the tie-wing to gums of the patient and the tooth to which the bracket is to be bonded.
13. 27 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein a positioning of the body relative to the base can be shifted respect to a proximity of the tie-wings to gums of the patient and the tooth to which the bracket is to be bonded.
14. 28 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , further comprising a cavity within the base surface, thereby producing a wall at the base surface and ones of the plurality of retentive structures are within the cavity.
15. 29 - 32 . (canceled)
16. 33 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , further comprising a slot configured to receive an archwire.
17. 34 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 33 , wherein: a first 3D printed layer defines a first side of the slot; a second 3D printed layer defines a second side of the slot; and a set of middle layers between the first and second 3D printed layers define the base of the slot.
18. 35 - 46 . (canceled)
19. 47 . The custom metal orthodontic bracket of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of retentive structures have a positive draft angle greater than 0 degrees.
20. 48 - 50 . (canceled)

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/716,623, filed Nov. 5, 2024, the content of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. FIELD The techniques described herein relate generally to orthodontic appliances and, more particularly, to additively manufactured orthodontic appliances. BACKGROUND Orthodontic procedures involve orthodontic appliances such as braces, which apply static mechanical forces to the teeth to induce bone remodeling and facilitate alignment. Orthodontic treatment planning may utilize 3D models of a patient's teeth to create a treatment plan for the patient, which may, for instance, include determining where to place brackets for a set of braces. SUMMARY In accordance with the disclosed subject matter, additively manufactured orthodontic appliances are provided. Some embodiments relate to a custom metal orthodontic bracket comprising a body, a plurality of tie-wings, and a base. The base comprises a base surface that is contoured to a shape of a tooth of a patient to which the custom metal orthodontic bracket is to be bonded and a plurality of retentive structures. For at least one of the retentive structures of the plurality of retentive structures, a portion of the base is not polished or only partially polished, or a portion of at least one of the plurality of retentive structures is not polished or only partially polished. Some embodiments relate to a custom metal orthodontic tube comprising a base, a first tube comprising a first slot surrounded by a first plurality of walls for receiving a wire, and a second tube comprising a second slot surrounded by a second plurality of walls for receiving the wire. Some embodiments relate to a custom metal orthodontic bracket comprising a base comprising a base surface that follows a shape of a portion of tooth of a patient to which the customized metal orthodontic bracket is to be bonded; a face opposite the base, comprising a face surface that follows the shape of the tooth; and comprising a bottom surface and two side surfaces that provide an opening for receiving an archwire in an insertion direction, the insertion direction is angled with respect to the face surface and the base surface. Some embodiments relate to a method for additively manufacturing a custom orthodontic bracket, the method comprising measuring dentition data of a patient; constructing, using the dentition data, a three-dimensional (3D) model of at least one tooth of the patient; designing, using the 3D model of the at least one tooth of the patient, a 3D model of the bracket; preparing feedstock; building, using an additive manufacturing device and the feedstock, the bracket; removing the feedstock; hardening the bracket; and polishing the bracket. In some embodiments, the 3D model of the bracket comprises a body, a plurality of tie-wings, and a base. In some embodiments, a base surface that is contoured to a shape of a tooth of a patient to which the bracket is to be bonded and a plurality of retentive structures. In some embodiments, designing the 3D model of the bracket comprises at least one of configuring the base and/or tie-wings to have custom text; configuring a height and width of the base, the plurality of tie-wings, and/or the base; configuring a shape of an edge of the base; configuring a size and/or a spacing of the plurality of retentive structures; configuring an alignment of the plurality of tie-wings and/or the base with respect to a central axis of each respective component; configuring angular positioning of the plurality of tie-wings; or configuring a position of the body relative to the base. The foregoing summary is not intended to be limiting. Moreover, various aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented alone or in combination with other aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an orthodontic treatment platform environment for generating orthodontic treatment plans, in accordance with some embodiments of the technology described herein. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an example custom, additive manufacturing process to manufacture metal orthodontic components, in accordance with some embodiments of the technology described herein. FIG. 3A shows a rear perspective of a customized metal orthodontic bracket with retentive structures, in accordance with some embodiments of the technology described herein. FIG. 3B shows a cross-sectional side view of the customized metal orthodontic bracket of FIG. 3A, in accordance with some embodiments of the technology described herein. FIGS. 4A-4D show customized metal orthodontic brackets, in accordance with some embodiments of the technology described herein. FIG. 5A shows a customized metal orthodontic tube with a first and second tube, in accordance with some embodiments of the technology described herein. FIG. 5B shows a customized metal orthodontic tube with one tube, in