The present disclosure relates generally to an appliance, a system, and a method used in orthodontic treatments, and in particular, to an orthodontic appliance, an orthodontic system for a plurality of teeth and a method of use with the orthodontic appliance.
Orthodontic appliances, such as orthodontic brackets, may be used in orthodontic treatments by dental practitioners for moving one or more teeth of a patient from a malposition to a desired position in a dentition of the patient. The orthodontic treatments may improve a facial appearance of the patient. In some cases, the orthodontic treatments may also improve function of the teeth by providing improved occlusion during mastication. However, in some cases, the orthodontic appliances may interfere with oral and dental hygiene of the patient. That is, the orthodontic appliances may cause oral and dental diseases, such as tooth decay, and white-spot lesioning on tooth surfaces that cannot be properly cleaned.
In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an orthodontic appliance. The orthodontic appliance includes a body. The body includes a first portion defining a slot for receiving an archwire. The body further includes a second portion extending from the first portion along a longitudinal axis. The second portion includes a bottom surface opposite to the first portion. The second portion further includes a lateral surface extending from the bottom surface towards the first portion along the longitudinal axis. The bottom surface and the lateral surface at least partially form an external surface of the body. The second portion defines a cavity at least partially surrounded by the bottom surface. The cavity at least partially extends along a length of the second portion from the bottom surface. The cavity includes a reservoir and at least one passage disposed in fluid communication with the reservoir. The at least one passage extends from the reservoir to the lateral surface.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides an orthodontic system for a plurality of teeth. The orthodontic system includes an archwire. The orthodontic system further includes a plurality of orthodontic appliances configured to be removably coupled to the archwire. Each orthodontic appliance from the plurality of orthodontic appliances includes a body. The body includes a first portion defining a slot for receiving the archwire. The body further includes a second portion extending from the first portion along a longitudinal axis. The second portion includes a bottom surface opposite to the first portion. The second portion further includes a lateral surface extending from the bottom surface towards the first portion along the longitudinal axis. The bottom surface and the lateral surface at least partially form an external surface of the body. The second portion defines a cavity at least partially surrounded by the bottom surface. The cavity at least partially extends along a length of the second portion from the bottom surface. The cavity includes a reservoir and at least one passage disposed in fluid communication with the reservoir. The at least one passage extends from the reservoir to the lateral surface. Each orthodontic appliance further includes a base. The base includes a first base surface configured to engage the bottom surface of the second portion of the body. The base further includes a second base surface opposite to the first base surface. The second base surface is configured to be attached to a corresponding tooth from the plurality of teeth.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method. The method includes providing an orthodontic appliance including a body. The body includes a first portion defining a slot. The body further includes a second portion extending from the first portion along a longitudinal axis. The second portion includes a bottom surface opposite to the first portion. The second portion further includes a lateral surface extending from the bottom surface towards the first portion along the longitudinal axis. The bottom surface and the lateral surface at least partially form an external surface of the body. The second portion defines a cavity at least partially surrounded by the bottom surface. The cavity extends at least partially along a length of the second portion from the bottom surface. The cavity includes a reservoir and at least one passage disposed in fluid communication with the reservoir. The at least one passage extends from the reservoir to the lateral surface. The method further includes depositing a dental composition within the reservoir of the cavity.
Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description in connection with the following figures. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Like numbers used in the figures refer to like components. However, it will be understood that the use of a number to refer to a component in a given figure is not intended to limit the component in another figure labeled with the same number.
In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying figures that form a part thereof and in which various embodiments are shown by way of illustration. It is to be understood that other embodiments are contemplated and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense.
The present disclosure relates to an orthodontic appliance, an orthodontic system, and a method. The orthodontic system, the orthodontic appliance, and the method may be used in orthodontic treatments for moving one or more teeth of a patient from a malposition to a desired position in a dentition of the patient.
The orthodontic appliance includes a body. The body includes a first portion defining a slot for receiving an archwire. The body further includes a second portion extending from the first portion along a longitudinal axis. The second portion includes a bottom surface opposite to the first portion. The second portion further includes a lateral surface extending from the bottom surface towards the first portion along the longitudinal axis. The bottom surface and the lateral surface at least partially form an external surface of the body. The second portion defines a cavity at least partially surrounded by the bottom surface. The cavity at least partially extends along a length of the second portion from the bottom surface. The cavity includes a reservoir and at least one passage disposed in fluid communication with the reservoir. The at least one passage extends from the reservoir to the lateral surface.
A patient undergoing an orthodontic treatment with conventional orthodontic appliances may experience oral and dental diseases, such as tooth decay, and white-spot lesioning on tooth surfaces that cannot be properly cleaned. Fluoride-releasing adhesives used with conventional orthodontic appliances may not be effective for fluoride delivery in an oral environment of the patient. In some cases, conventional methods may lead to excess fluoride release that can potentially cause fluoride toxicity.
The orthodontic appliance of the present disclosure may include a dental composition received within the reservoir of the orthodontic appliance. In some embodiments, a fluoride-releasing composition may be retained within the reservoir. The fluoride-releasing composition may diffuse into an oral environment of the patient from the reservoir via the at least one passage of the cavity. The orthodontic appliance of the present disclosure may provide safe, efficient, sustained and continuous release of fluoride from the fluoride-releasing composition into the oral environment during a course of the orthodontic treatment. Therefore, the orthodontic appliance may reduce or prevent white spot lesions on enamel of the teeth that are otherwise caused by re-mineralization on demineralized surfaces of the teeth. Moreover, the orthodontic appliance may prevent fluoride toxicity while providing a sustained release of fluoride.
Referring now to the Figures,
The orthodontic system 10 includes an archwire 70. The archwire 70 may be configured to apply forces on the plurality of teeth 50 to move one or more teeth 50 from a malposition to a desired position in a dentition of the patient. In some embodiments, the archwire 70 may include a nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloy. In some other embodiments, the archwire 70 may include any suitable material for applying forces on the plurality of teeth 50. For example, the archwire 70 may include a metal, a metal alloy, a composite, a non-metal alloy, and combinations thereof.
The orthodontic system 10 further includes a plurality of orthodontic appliances 100 configured to be removably coupled to the archwire 70. Each orthodontic appliance 100 from the plurality of orthodontic appliances 100 may be removably coupled to the archwire 70 by removably receiving the archwire 70 within a slot of each orthodontic appliance 100. Further, each orthodontic appliance 100 may be configured to be attached to a corresponding tooth 50 from the plurality of teeth 50. The corresponding tooth 50 may be interchangeably referred to as “the tooth 50”. In some embodiments, each orthodontic appliance 100 further includes a base 112. The base 112 may be configured to be attached to the corresponding tooth 50 from the plurality of teeth 50. Specifically, each orthodontic appliance 100 may be attached to the corresponding tooth 50 by attaching the base 122 of each orthodontic appliance 100 to the corresponding tooth 50.
In the illustrated embodiment of
In some embodiments, the orthodontic system 10 may be referred to as an orthodontic brace, or “braces”. However, in some other embodiments, the orthodontic system 10 may include aligners, retainers, mouthguards, and the like.
Referring to
As discussed above, in some embodiments, the orthodontic appliance 100 further includes the base 112. The base 112 includes a first base surface 112a and a second base surface 112b opposite to the first base surface 112a. The first base surface 112a is configured to engage the bottom surface 106 (best shown in
The orthodontic appliance 100 may be made of any suitable material as per desired application attributes. For example, the orthodontic appliance 100 may include metals (such as, stainless steel, titanium, and cobalt-chromium alloys), plastic materials (such as, fiber-reinforced polycarbonate), ceramic materials (such as, fine-grained polycrystalline alumina), polymeric materials, composite materials (such as, glass-fiber reinforced polymeric composites), and combinations thereof. Furthermore, various methods of making the orthodontic appliance 100 may be employed depending upon the materials selected for manufacturing the orthodontic appliance 100. For example, the orthodontic appliance 100 may be manufactured by processes, such as die pressing, slurry casting, injection molding, extrusion processes, rapid prototyping, and the like.
The cavity 114 includes a reservoir 116. As shown in
The cavity 114 further includes at least one passage 118 disposed in fluid communication with the reservoir 116. The at least one passage 118 extends from the reservoir 116 to the lateral surface 108. Therefore, the at least one passage 118 may fluidly communicate the reservoir 116 with the external surface 110 of the body 102, and hence an oral environment in which the orthodontic appliance 100 is disposed. In some embodiments, the at least one passage 118 may extend from the reservoir 116 to the lateral surface 108 substantially along the Z-axis. In some embodiments, the at least one passage 118 has a width 118W. The width 118W of the at least one passage 118 may be orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 1-1. In the illustrated embodiment of
In some embodiments, the at least one passage 118 is substantially U-shaped in a plane parallel to each of the longitudinal axis 1-1 and the width 118W of the at least one passage 118. In the illustrated embodiment of
As shown in
The dental composition 150 may be exposed to saliva of the patient via the at least one passage 118. Therefore, the dental composition 150 may diffuse (shown by arrows) into the oral environment of the patient from the reservoir 116 via the at least one passage 118 of the cavity 114. The orthodontic appliance 100 may provide safe, efficient, sustained and continuous release of elements from the dental composition 150 into the oral environment of the patient during a course of orthodontic treatments. The elements (for example, fluoride, calcium, strontium, phosphate) released into the oral environment may further deposit on surfaces of the teeth 50 (shown in
In some embodiments, the dental composition 150 is at least one of a fluoride-releasing composition, a calcium-releasing composition, a strontium-releasing composition, and a phosphate-releasing composition. The fluoride-releasing composition may diffuse into the oral environment via the at least one passage 118 of the cavity 114. Specifically, the fluoride-releasing composition may be exposed to saliva of the patient via the at least one passage 118. Therefore, fluoride may be released into the oral environment of the patient. Consequently, the orthodontic appliance 100 may reduce white spot lesions on enamel of the teeth 50 that are otherwise caused by re-mineralization on demineralized surfaces of the teeth 50. Examples of the dental composition 150 include, but are not limited to, glass ionomer cement and filling materials, resin modified glass ionomer cement and filling materials, dental sealants, aqueous coating materials, and solvent based polymeric coating materials, and the like. In some embodiments, the dental composition 150 may release fluoride, calcium, strontium, phosphate, buffer, and other elements to manage oral and dental diseases. In some embodiments, the dental composition 150 may be additionally coated on the body 102 of the orthodontic appliance 100. For example, at least a portion of the external surface 110 of the body 102 may be additionally coated with the dental composition 150.
Referring to
In some embodiments, the second portion 102b further includes a cavity surface 124 offset from the bottom surface 106. The cavity surface 124 may be offset from the bottom surface 106 substantially along the longitudinal axis 1-1. In some embodiments, the cavity 114 extends from the bottom surface 106 towards the cavity surface 124 along the longitudinal axis 1-1. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cavity surface 124 is substantially planar. For example, the cavity surface 124 is disposed along the X-Z plane.
In some embodiments, at least a portion of the cavity 114 is tapered from the bottom surface 106 to the cavity surface 124. In the illustrated embodiment of
In some embodiments, the at least one passage 118 includes a plurality of passages 118 spaced apart from each other. Each passage 118 from the plurality of passages 118 extends from the reservoir 116 to the lateral surface 108. In the illustrated embodiment of
The first passage 118-1 extends from the reservoir 116 to the lateral surface 108. Furthermore, the second passage 118-2 extends from the reservoir 116 to the lateral surface 108. In some embodiments, each of the first and second passages 118-1, 118-2 extends from the reservoir 116 to the lateral surface 108 substantially along the Z-axis. However, in some other embodiments, each of the first and second passages 118-1, 118-2 may extend from the reservoir 116 to the lateral surface 108 substantially along the X-axis.
In some other embodiments, each of the first and second passages 118-1, 118-2 may be inclined obliquely to each of the X-axis and Z-axis.
In the illustrated embodiment of
In the illustrated embodiment of
As shown in
In some embodiments, the reservoir 116 has an average width 116Wavg. The average width 116Wavg of the reservoir 116 may be orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 1-1. In the illustrated embodiment of
Referring to
In the illustrated embodiment of
Moreover, in the illustrated embodiment of
In some embodiments, the first passage 118-1 has a first length 118-1L, and the second passage 118-2 has a second length 118-2L. The second length 118-2L of the second passage 118-2 is greater than the first length 118-1L of the first passage 118-1. However, in some other embodiments, the first length 118-1L of the first passage 118-1 may be equal to or greater than the second length 118-2L of the second passage 118-2. The first and second lengths 118-1L, 118-2L may be normal to the longitudinal axis 1-1. In the illustrated embodiment of
Referring to
The second portion 202b defines a cavity 214 at least partially surrounded by the bottom surface 206. The cavity 214 at least partially extends along a length of the second portion 202b from the bottom surface 206. The cavity 214 may at least partially extend along the length of the second portion 202b from the bottom surface 206 substantially along the longitudinal axis 2-2. In the illustrated embodiment of
The cavity 214 includes a reservoir 216 and at least one passage 218 disposed in fluid communication with the reservoir 216. The at least one passage 218 extends from the reservoir 216 to the lateral surface 208. In some embodiments, the at least one passage 218 includes a plurality of passages 218 spaced apart from each other. Each passage 218 from the plurality of passages 218 extends from the reservoir 216 to the lateral surface 208. In the illustrated embodiment of
As shown in
In some embodiments, adjacent passages from the plurality of passages 218 are angularly spaced apart from each other by about 90 degrees. In the illustrated embodiment of
In the illustrated embodiment of
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, the first passage 218-1 and the third passage 218-3 may have substantially equal lengths. Therefore, in some embodiments, the first passages 218-1, 218-3 have a first length 218L1. Furthermore, at least one of the second passages 218-2, 218-4 has a second length 218L2. Specifically, the fourth passage 218-4 has the second length 218L2. The first and second lengths 218L1, 218L2 may be orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 2-2. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiments of
Furthermore, in some embodiments, a width of the four passages 218-1, 218-2, 218-3, 218-4 orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 2-2 may be substantially equal. Specifically, a width 218W1 of the first passages 218-1, 218-3 substantially along the Z-axis may be substantially equal to a width 218W2 of the second passages 218-2, 218-4 substantially along the X-axis.
In some embodiments, the orthodontic system 10 (shown in
Referring to
The second portion 302b defines a cavity 314 at least partially surrounded by the bottom surface 306. The cavity 314 at least partially extends along a length of the second portion 302b from the bottom surface 306. The cavity 314 may at least partially extend along the length of the second portion 302b from the bottom surface 306 along the longitudinal axis 3-3. In the illustrated embodiment of
In the illustrated embodiment of
The cavity 314 includes a reservoir 316. In the illustrated embodiment of
The cavity 314 further includes at least one passage 318 disposed in fluid communication with the reservoir 316. The at least one passage 318 extends from the reservoir 316 to a lateral surface 308. In the illustrated embodiment of
In the illustrated embodiment of
As shown in
Furthermore, in some embodiments, the at least one passage 318-2 includes a first passage portion 319-3 and a second passage portion 319-4. Specifically, the second passage 318-2 includes the first and second passage portions 319-3, 319-4. The first passage portion 319-3 is disposed between the reservoir 316 and the second passage portion 319-4. The first passage portion 319-3 includes a first width 319-3W orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 3-3. Further, the second passage portion 319-4 is adjacent to the first passage portion 319-3. The second passage portion 319-4 includes a second width 319-4W orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 3-3. In the illustrated embodiments of
In some embodiments, the first passage portions 319-1, 319-3 and the second passage portions 319-2, 319-4 are substantially planar. In some other embodiments, at least one of the first passage portions 319-1, 319-3 and the second passage portions 319-2, 319-4 may be curved. Further, the reservoir 316 includes a width 316W. In some embodiments, the width 316W of the reservoir 316 is greater than each of the first widths 319-1W, 319-3W and the second widths 319-2W. 319-4W of the first passage portions 319-1, 319-3 and the second passage portions 319-2, 319-4, respectively.
In some embodiments, a height 319-1H of the first passage portion 319-1 increases along a length 319-1L of the first passage portion 319-1. Further, a height 319-2H of the second passage portion 319-2 increases along a length 319-2L of the second passage portion 319-2. The lengths 319-1L, 319-2L of the first and second passage portions 319-1, 319-2, respectively, may be substantially along the Z-axis. Furthermore, the heights 319-1H, 319-2H of the first and second passage portions 319-1, 319-2, respectively, may be substantially along the Y-axis.
In some embodiments, a height 319-3H of the first passage portion 319-3 increases along a length 319-3L of the first passage portion 319-3. Further, a height 319-4H of the second passage portion 319-4 increases along a length 319-4L of the second passage portion 319-4. The lengths 319-3L, 319-4L of the first and second passage portions 319-3, 319-4, respectively, may be substantially along the Z-axis. Furthermore, the heights 319-3H, 319-4H of the first and second passage portions 319-3, 319-4, respectively, may be substantially along the Y-axis.
As shown in
Moreover, the first passage portion 319-3 has a first rate of change of the height 319-3H with respect to the length of the first passage portion 319-3. The second passage portion 319-4 has a second rate of change of the height 319-4H with respect to the length of the second passage portion 319-4. The first rate of change of the height 319-3H is different from the second rate of change of the height 319-4H. Specifically, the first rate of change of the height 319-3H is greater than the second rate of change of the height 319-4H.
In some embodiments, the orthodontic system 10 (shown in
The orthodontic appliance 400 includes a body 402. The body 402 defines a first portion 402a and a second portion 402b. The first portion 402a defines a slot 404 for receiving the archwire 70 (shown in
The second portion 402b defines a cavity 414a at least partially surrounded by the bottom surface 406. The cavity 414a at least partially extends along a length of the second portion 402b from the bottom surface 406. Furthermore, the cavity 414a is substantially T-shaped in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 4-4. The plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 4-4 may be the X-Z plane. The cavity 414a includes a reservoir 416a and at least one passage 418a disposed in fluid communication with the reservoir 416a. The at least one passage 418a extends from the reservoir 416a to the lateral surface 408.
In some embodiments, the at least one passage 418a includes a plurality of passages 418a spaced apart from each other. Each passage 418a from the plurality of passages 418a extends from the reservoir 416a to the lateral surface 408. In the illustrated embodiment of
In some embodiments, the second portion 402b further defines a cavity 414b at least partially surrounded by the bottom surface 406. The cavity 414b at least partially extends along the length of the second portion 402b from the bottom surface 406. Furthermore, the cavity 414b is substantially T-shaped in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 4-4. The plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 4-4 may be the X-Z plane. The cavity 414b includes a reservoir 416b and at least one passage 418b disposed in fluid communication with the reservoir 416b. The at least one passage 418b extends from the reservoir 416b to the lateral surface 408.
In the illustrated embodiment of
In some embodiments, the orthodontic system 10 (shown in
In some embodiments, the orthodontic appliance 400 further includes the dental composition 150 (shown in
At step 502, the method 500 includes providing an orthodontic appliance. The orthodontic appliance includes a body. The body includes a first portion defining a slot. The body further includes a second portion extending from the first portion along a longitudinal axis. The second portion includes a bottom surface opposite to the first portion. The second portion further includes a lateral surface extending from the bottom surface towards the first portion along the longitudinal axis. The bottom surface and the lateral surface at least partially form an external surface of the body. The second portion defines a cavity at least partially surrounded by the bottom surface. The cavity extends at least partially along a length of the second portion from the bottom surface. The cavity includes a reservoir and at least one passage disposed in fluid communication with the reservoir. The at least one passage extends from the reservoir to the lateral surface.
For example, the method 500 may include providing the orthodontic appliances 100, 200, 300, 400 including the bodies 102, 302, 302, 402, respectively. The bodies 102, 202, 302, 402 include the first portions 102a, 202a, 302a, 402a defining the slots 104, 204, 304, 404, respectively. The second portions 102b, 202b, 302b, 402b extend from the first portions 102a, 202a, 302a, 402a along the longitudinal axes 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, respectively. The second portions 102b, 202b, 302b, 402b include the bottom surfaces 106, 206, 306, 406 opposite to the first portions 102a, 202a, 302a, 402a, respectively. The second portions 102b, 202b, 302b, 402b further include the lateral surfaces 108, 208, 308, 408 extending from the bottom surfaces 106, 206, 306, 406 towards the first portions 102a, 202a, 302a, 402a along the longitudinal axes 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, respectively. The bottom surfaces 106, 206, 306, 406 and the lateral surfaces 108, 208, 308, 408 at least partially form the external surfaces 110, 210, 310, 410 of the bodies 102, 202, 302, 402, respectively.
The second portions 102b, 202b, 302b define the cavities 114, 214, 314 at least partially surrounded by the bottom surfaces 106, 206, 306, respectively. Further, the second portion 402b defines the cavities 414a, 414b at least partially surrounded by the bottom surface 406.
The cavities 114, 214, 314 extend at least partially along the lengths of the second portions 102b, 202b, 302b from the bottom surfaces 106, 206, 306, respectively. Further, the cavities 414a, 414b extend at least partially along the length of the second portion 402b from the bottom surface 406.
The cavities 114, 214, 314 include the reservoirs 116, 216, 316 and the at least one passages 118, 218, 318 disposed in fluid communication with the reservoirs 116, 216, 316, respectively. Further, the cavities 414a, 414b include the reservoirs 416a, 416b and the at least one passages 418a, 418b disposed in fluid communication with the reservoirs 416a, 416b, respectively.
The at least one passages 118, 218, 318 extend from the reservoirs 116, 216, 316, to the lateral surfaces 108, 208, 308, respectively. Further, the at least one passages 418a, 418b extend from the reservoirs 416a, 416b to the lateral surface 408, respectively.
At step 504, the method 500 includes depositing a dental composition within the reservoir of the cavity. For example, the method 500 may include depositing the dental composition 150 within the reservoirs 116, 216, 316 of the cavities 114, 214, 314, respectively. Further, the method 500 may include depositing the dental composition 150 within the reservoirs 416a, 416b of the cavities 414a, 414b, respectively.
In some embodiments, the dental composition 150 is at least one of the fluoride-releasing composition, the calcium-releasing composition, the strontium-releasing composition, and the phosphate-releasing composition. The dental composition 150 may be deposited within the reservoirs 116, 216, 316, 416a, 416b by various methods. In some embodiments, the dental composition 150 may be directly injected into the reservoirs 116, 216, 316, 416a, 416b. In some embodiments, the dental composition 150 may include a self-cure glass ionomer and/or a resin modified glass ionomer (RMGI). The self-cure glass ionomer and the RMGI may cure itself after injection into the reservoirs 116, 216, 316, 416a, 416b and may be secured within the cavities 114, 214, 314, 414a, 414b, respectively. Examples of self-cure glass ionomer and RMGI include, but are not limited to, RelyX™ Luting plus, Ketac™ Cem, Fujicem®, Fuji IX, and the like.
Some RMGI products, such as Ketac™ Nano, Varnish™ XT, and Fuji LC, may need to be cured by light. The resin in such products may be cured with redox curing agents, such as tertial amine and benzyl peroxide. In some embodiments, the resin in such products may alternatively be cured with thermal initiators at an elevated temperature (for example, 70° C.). Examples of the thermal initiators include, but are not limited to, benzyl peroxide, potassium persulfate, and the like. However, due to shelf-life concern, a paste of the product with the redox curing agents and the thermal initiators may need to be compounded and used within several days. The paste with the redox curing agents and the thermal initiators may be injected into the cavities 114, 214, 314, of the orthodontic appliances 100, 200, 300, respectively. Further, the paste with the redox curing agents and the thermal initiators may be injected into the cavities 414a, 414b of the orthodontic appliance 400.
The RMGI products, such as Ketac™ Nano, Varnish™ XT, and Fuji LC, may also be cured in molds similar in shape to the cavities 114, 214, 314 outside of the orthodontic appliances 100, 200, 300 and then transferred into the cavities 114, 214, 314 of the orthodontic appliances 100, 200, 300, respectively. Further, the RMGI products, such as Ketac™ Nano, Varnish™ XT, and Fuji LC, may also be cured in molds similar in shape to the cavities 414a, 414b outside of the orthodontic appliance 400 and then transferred into the cavities 414a, 414b of the orthodontic appliance 400.
The glass ionomers and resin modified glass ionomers curable compositions according to the present disclosure may include one or more additional components, such as, for example, solvent, antioxidants, flavorants, fluoridating agents, buffering agents, numbing agents, remineralization agents, basic fillers, desensitization agents, colorants, indicator(s), viscosity modifiers, surfactants, stabilizers, preservative agents (e.g., benzoic acid), or a combination thereof. The buffering agents can be selected from phosphate buffer, citrate buffer, and carboxylate buffer. The remineralization agents can be selected from calcium salts, such as calcium phosphate, calcium hydrogen phosphate, calcium dihydrogen phosphate, calcium chloride, calcium nitrite, calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, and strontium salts, such as strontium chloride, strontium nitrite, strontium lactate, etc. The fluoridating agents can be selected from sodium fluoride, ammonium fluoride, potassium fluoride, zinc fluoride, silver diamine fluoride, and fluosilane. The basic fillers may be selected from Portland cement and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA).
In some embodiments, the dental composition 150 may include fluoride varnish. In such embodiments, a fluoride coating may be injected into the cavities 114, 214, 314, 414a, 414b, and then dried under various conditions to remove solvents and form solids with active ingredients in the solids. This process may be repeated to completely fill the cavities 114, 214, 314, 414a, 414b. Such dental compositions may be additionally coated over the bodies 102, 202, 302, 402 of the orthodontic appliances 100, 200, 300, 400, respectively.
These compositions from fluoride varnishes and other coating material that can be dried in the structure according to the present disclosure may include one or more additional components such as, for example, solvent, antioxidants, flavorants, fluoridating agents, buffering agents, numbing agents, remineralization agents, basic fillers, desensitization agents, colorants, indicator(s), viscosity modifiers, surfactants, stabilizers, preservative agents (e.g., benzoic acid), or a combination thereof. The buffering agents can be selected from phosphate buffer, citrate buffer, and carboxylate buffer. The remineralization agents can be selected from calcium salts, such as calcium phosphate, calcium hydrogen phosphate, calcium dihydrogen phosphate, calcium chloride, calcium nitrite, calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, and strontium salts, such as strontium chloride, strontium nitrite, strontium lactate, etc. The fluoridating agents can be selected from sodium fluoride, ammonium fluoride, potassium fluoride, zinc fluoride, silver diamine fluoride, and fluosilane. The basic fillers may be selected from Portland cement and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA).
In some embodiments, the dental composition 150 may be inserted/injected into the cavities 114, 214, 314, 414a, 414b before different parts of the orthodontic appliances 100, 200, 300, 400 are assembled together by a suitable process (e.g., laser welding). Specifically, in some embodiments, the method 500 further includes engaging a base with the bottom surface of the second portion of the body, and attaching the base to a tooth. For example, the method 500 may further include engaging the base 112 with the bottom surfaces 106, 206, 306, 406 of the second portions 102b, 202b, 302b, 402b of the bodies 102, 202, 302, 402, respectively, and attaching the base 112 to the tooth 50.
In some embodiments, the method 500 further includes at least partially receiving an archwire within the slot of the first portion of the body. For example, the method 500 may further include at least partially receiving the archwire 70 within the slots 104, 204, 304, 404 of the first portions 102a, 202a, 302a, 402a of the bodies 102, 202, 302, 402, respectively.
Particularly, the fluoride-releasing composition was:
The cumulative fluoride release from the fluoride-releasing composition provided on the different regions of the orthodontic appliance 100 was observed for 180 days, and the experiment was repeated three times for each of the different coating regions.
An average cumulative fluoride release (in ppm) for each of the different coating regions is depicted in the graph 600. Specifically, in the graph 600, an average cumulative fluoride release from the fluoride-releasing composition coated on the top of the orthodontic appliance 100 is depicted by triangles and by a curve 610. Furthermore, an average cumulative fluoride release from the fluoride-releasing composition coated on the edges of the orthodontic appliance 100 is depicted by squares and by a curve 620. Moreover, an average cumulative fluoride release from the fluoride release composition injected within the reservoir 116 of the orthodontic appliance 100 is depicted by circles and by a curve 630.
The average cumulative fluoride release along with a standard deviation (in brackets in Table 1) for each of the different coating regions of the cumulative fluoride release is provided in Table 1 below.
Referring to
Furthermore, as shown by the curve 620, the average cumulative fluoride release from the fluoride-releasing composition coated on the edges of the orthodontic appliance 100 was observed to be less than the average cumulative fluoride release from the fluoride-releasing composition coated on the top of the orthodontic appliance 100 (shown by the curve 610). Particularly, coating the fluoride-releasing composition on the edges of the orthodontic appliance 100 may result in a longer application life of the fluoride-releasing composition. However, the cumulative fluoride release from the fluoride-releasing composition coated on the edges of the orthodontic appliance 100 may be difficult to control. Specifically, a volume of the fluoride-releasing composition coated on the orthodontic appliance 100 may be limited by a size of the orthodontic appliance 100. Therefore, the volume of the fluoride-releasing composition may not be selected as per desired application attributes. In other words, a desired volume of the fluoride-releasing composition may not correspond to an available area on the edges of the orthodontic appliance 100.
As shown by the curve 630, the average cumulative fluoride release from the fluoride-releasing composition injected within the reservoir 116 of the orthodontic appliance 100 was observed to be sustained and continuous throughout the experiment. Furthermore, coating the fluoride-releasing composition within the reservoir 116 of the orthodontic appliance 100 may result in a long application life of the fluoride-releasing composition. A volume of the fluoride-releasing composition may be selected as per desired application attributes. Further, the volume of the fluoride-releasing composition may be reliably injected within the reservoir 116. Moreover, a risk of fluoride toxicity may be substantially reduced. These findings were further verified with another experiment.
Referring to
Another experiment was performed to verify whether the fluoride released from the fluoride-releasing composition (RelyX™ Luting Plus cement) injected within the reservoir 116 of the orthodontic appliance 100 interacted with an enamel of a tooth. In a first sample, an enamel was submerged in an artificial saliva. In a second sample, an identical enamel was submerged in water along with four of the orthodontic appliances 100 with the fluoride-releasing composition injected within the reservoirs 116 placed near the enamel. The experiment was conducted three times, and an average fluoride uptake along with a standard deviation of the fluoride uptake by the enamel was calculated.
Referring to
In the orthodontic system 10 (shown in
It will be appreciated that the arrangements presented herein may be varied in any number of aspects while still remaining within the scope of the disclosures herein.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing feature sizes, amounts, and physical properties used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified by the term “about”. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the foregoing specification and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by those skilled in the art utilizing the teachings disclosed herein.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations can be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this disclosure be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/IB2022/050994 | 2/4/2022 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63199989 | Feb 2021 | US |