ORTHODONTIC PRESCRIPTION FORM, TEMPLATES, AND TOOLBAR FOR DIGITAL ORTHODONTICS

Abstract

Computer-based techniques are described that use orthodontic prescription templates to assist an orthodontic practitioner in creating a patient-specific orthodontic prescription. In particular, an orthodontic practitioner may retrieve a stored electronic orthodontic prescription template. The practitioner may then generate an orthodontic prescription that is specific to a patient's teeth by modifying one or more bracket attributes of the template within orthodontic modeling software. Subsequently, the practitioner may communicate the patient-specific orthodontic prescription to a manufacturing facility that constructs an indirect bonding tray for use in physically placing brackets on the patient's teeth.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary digital orthodontics system in which a client computing device presents an environment for modeling a representation of a dental arch of patient.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example embodiment of the client computing device of FIG. 1 in further detail.

FIG. 3A is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary template editing form for defining and editing an orthodontic prescription template within modeling software.

FIG. 3B is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary bracket selection dialog form.

FIG. 4 is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary template editing form for creating and managing an orthodontic template that arranges orthodontic prescription template information in a stacked quadrant format with arch graphics and row-based bracket attributes.

FIG. 5A is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary view when a practitioner selects a tooth on the graphic or in the table of the template editing form of FIG. 4.

FIG. 5B is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary view that demonstrates how a practitioner edits bracket information in the template editing form of FIG. 4.

FIG. 5C is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary view detailing an arch graphic in the template editing form of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary template editing form that arranges orthodontic prescription template information in a graphical tooth chart.

FIG. 7A is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary view that demonstrates a tool-tip display of bracket information within the template editing form of FIG. 6.

FIG. 7B is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary view that demonstrates a combo-box to select bracket information within template editing form of FIG. 6.

FIG. 7C is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary view that demonstrates a pop-up box that behaves similarly to a tool-tip and also includes bracket attributes and other controls.

FIG. 8 is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary template selection view.

FIG. 9 is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary prescription form using a graphical tooth chart format similar to the template editing form of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10A is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary view displaying a missing tooth within the exemplary prescription form of FIG. 9.

FIG. 10B is a display diagram illustrating an alternate exemplary view displaying a missing tooth within the exemplary prescription form of FIG. 9.

FIG. 10C is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary view displaying a tooth to be extracted within the exemplary prescription form of FIG. 9.

FIG. 10D is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary view displaying a tooth on which no bracket is to be placed within the exemplary prescription form of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a display diagram in which an exemplary prescription form using a tooth chart with columnar bracket attributes similar to the template editing form of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 12 is a display diagram in which an exemplary prescription form using a stacked quadrant format with arch graphics and row-based bracket attributes similar to the template editing form of FIG. 4.

FIG. 13 is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary 3D dental model of the teeth of a patient with brackets that correspond to current bracket attribute values of an orthodontic prescription template.

FIG. 14 is a display diagram illustrating an exemplary 3D dental model with a graphical tooth chart that corresponds to the graphical tooth chart in the template editing format of FIG. 6.

Claims

1. A computer-based method comprising: retrieving data representing an electronic orthodontic prescription template, wherein the orthodontic prescription template defines one or more default orthodontic appliances associated with teeth of a generic dental arch;generating an orthodontic prescription that is specific to a patient's teeth by modifying the orthodontic prescription template with orthodontic modeling software to form the orthodontic prescription; anddisplaying the orthodontic prescription and a virtual representation of the patient's teeth within a three-dimensional (3D) environment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the patient-specific orthodontic prescription via a computer network to a manufacturing facility that constructs an indirect bonding tray for use in physically placing brackets on the patient's teeth.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the appliances comprise brackets,wherein the electronic orthodontic prescription template specifies default locations and orientations of the brackets, andwherein the electronic orthodontic prescription template is a custom template having at least one attribute specified as input from an orthodontic practitioner.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: importing to a computer system an electronic orthodontic prescription template provided by a vendor; andsaving the imported orthodontic prescription template to a database of orthodontic prescription templates.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising exporting the orthodontic prescription template from a first computer system to a second computer system providing a second 3D environment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the orthodontic prescription template using a graphical user interface.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising editing the orthodontic prescription template using the graphical user interface.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein displaying the orthodontic prescription comprises displaying a tooth chart with columnar bracket attributes using the graphical user interface.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein displaying the orthodontic prescription comprises displaying a three-dimensional (3D) model of the patient's teeth with brackets that correspond to current bracket attribute values of the orthodontic prescription template.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein displaying the orthodontic prescription comprises displaying arch graphics with row-based bracket attributes.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein displaying the orthodontic prescription comprises displaying a graphical tooth chart.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an orthodontic prescription comprises: using a graphical user interface to display the orthodontic prescription template; andmanipulating bracket attributes displayed through the graphical user interface.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the template has ownership attributes that allow the template to be associated with a user.

14. A computing device comprising: a database to store an electronic orthodontic prescription template;a modeling software module to facilitate generation of an orthodontic prescription that is specific to a patient's teeth by modifying the template in response to input from a user to form a patient-specific orthodontic prescription; anda user interface to display the patient-specific orthodontic prescription and a virtual representation of the patient's teeth within a three-dimensional (3D) environment.

15. The computing device of claim 14, further comprising a network interface to communicate the patient-specific orthodontic prescription to a manufacturing facility that constructs an indirect bonding tray for use in physically placing brackets on the patient's teeth.

16. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the template is a custom template.

17. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the orthodontic prescription template is imported into the database.

18. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the orthodontic prescription template is exportable.

19. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the modeling software module comprises a graphical user interface to display the orthodontic prescription template.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein a user edits the orthodontic prescription template using the graphical user interface.

21. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a tooth chart with columnar bracket attributes.

22. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a three-dimensional (3D) model of the patient's teeth with brackets that correspond to current bracket attribute values of the orthodontic prescription template.

23. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the graphical user interface comprises arch graphics with row-based bracket attributes.

24. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a graphical tooth chart.

25. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the template has ownership attributes that allow the template to be associated with a user.

26. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions, the instructions causing a processor to: retrieve a saved electronic orthodontic prescription template;generate an orthodontic prescription that is specific to a patient's teeth by modifying the template within orthodontic modeling software; andcommunicate the patient-specific orthodontic prescription to a manufacturing facility that constructs an indirect bonding tray for use in physically placing brackets on the patient's teeth.