Ceramic processing for the direct manufacture of customized labial and lingual orthodontic brackets

1. A method of manufacturing a customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket comprising a ceramic material by stereolithographic additive manufacturing, said method comprising:

accessing data related to a 3D CAD bracket structure model for the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket into a photo-reactive slurry-based stereolithographic additive manufacturing machine; and

directly producing the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket comprising the ceramic material in the stereolithographic additive manufacturing machine by layer manufacturing, wherein a manufacturing accuracy is from 2 to about 60 micrometers (μm), and wherein a thickness of manufactured layers is from 5 to 100 μm based on resolution requirements of the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stereolithographic additive manufacturing machine comprises an exposure unit including a laser as a light source, a light beam of which successively scans an exposure area by way of a movable mirror controlled by a control unit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic material comprises a material selected from:

a compound with metal atoms; and

a mono- or polycrystalline filled ceramic.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the compound with metal atoms comprises:

Aluminum Oxide (Al 2 O 3 ); or

Zirconium Oxide (ZrO 2 ).

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising manufacturing the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket with a metal portion.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the metal portion is configured to contact an archwire.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising producing the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket as:

a colored customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket; or

a clear customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein producing the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket as the colored customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket comprises:

producing the colored customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket with a polycrystalline ceramic having a color that is matched to a color of a particular tooth to which the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket is to be attached.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein producing the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket as the clear customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket comprises:

producing the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket with a monocrystalline ceramic having a degree of translucence.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3D CAD bracket structure model includes data representing at least:

a) a bracket pad having recesses that are custom shaped to fit a negative of a tooth surface and to contact a particular area of the tooth surface;

b) at least one slot for positioning the bracket according to an orthodontia need of a patient;

c) a bracket material; and

d) error compensation data that predicts an amount of polymerization shrinkage.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photo-reactive slurry comprises a photoinitiator, a methacrylate binder, and a ceramic material.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein directly producing the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket further comprises:

using the stereolithographic additive manufacturing machine to form a green bracket comprising the ceramic material held by a binder formed by exposing the photoinitiator and the methacrylate to a light source; and

using at least one furnace to decompose the binder and sinter the ceramic material to form the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket from the green bracket.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the manufacturing accuracy is achieved by using a between layer additive error compensation method that predicts an amount of polymerization shrinkage, so as to avoid divergent or convergent slot walls, achieve a desired slot height, or avoid errors in the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket base morphology.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

accessing dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient for use in generating the 3D CAD bracket structure model; and

based on the dentition data, creating the 3D CAD bracket structure model of the patient's teeth using reverse engineering, and saving the 3D CAD bracket structure model on a computer, wherein the 3D CAD bracket structure model is saved as a 3D vector file format.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising printing the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket with a configuration that is adapted for placement via a tray that carries the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket to a target location on a particular tooth.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising printing the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket with a base having structural properties that are selectively weakened to facilitate debonding of the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket from a tooth.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising producing a bracket guide comprising a rigid ceramic rectangular archwire or other archform that dictates a position of the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket on a tooth with at least two occlusal/incisal supports adapted to help place the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket via an indirect bonding system.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising printing the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket with a custom-positioned slot for effecting a chosen treatment for a particular tooth to which the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket is to be connected, with custom-positioning of the slot being a function of at least one of a custom formation of a base surface of the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket and a custom formation of the slot.

19. A customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket comprising a ceramic material produced by stereolithographic additive manufacturing, the bracket comprising:

a plurality of layers directly produced in a stereolithographic additive manufacturing machine by layer manufacturing, a shape of each layer consistent with a 3D CAD bracket structure model for the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket;

wherein a manufacturing accuracy of the bracket is from 2 to about 60 micrometers (μm), and wherein a thickness of the manufactured layers is from 5 to 100 μm based on resolution requirements of the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors on a computing device, are operable to cause the one or more processors to:

access data related to a 3D CAD bracket structure model for a customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket comprising a ceramic material into a photo-reactive slurry-based stereolithographic additive manufacturing machine; and

directly produce the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket comprising the ceramic material in the stereolithographic additive manufacturing machine by layer manufacturing, wherein a manufacturing accuracy is from 2 to about 60 micrometers (μm), and wherein a thickness of manufactured layers is from 5 to 100 μm based on resolution requirements of the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket.