Granted Patent B2

US 12,414,841 · App. 18/146,348 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

Inventors: Rahul Khardekar (Sunnyvale, CA); Artem Borovinskih (San Jose, CA); Rene M. Sterental (Palo Alto, CA); Giovanny Garro Acevedo (La Union, CR); Jason Ramos (San Jose, CR); Mitra Derakhshan (Herndon, VA); Sergey Kurchatov (Troitsk, RU); Igor Kvasov (San Jose, CA)

Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.

A61C7/002G06F30/00

Abstract

Claims (45)

1. A method of interproximal reduction (IPR) treatment planning for a patient's dentition, the method comprising:

identifying an overlap between a first tooth and an adjacent second tooth in the patient's dentition at a target position of a treatment plan, wherein the treatment plan includes a plurality of stages for incrementally moving the patient's dentition, and wherein the target position corresponds to a desired position of the first tooth and the second tooth in accordance with the treatment plan;

identifying a first distance along a ridge endpoint reference lines between a ridge endpoint of the first tooth and a ridge endpoint of the second tooth at a provided position of the treatment plan, wherein the provided position corresponds to a position of the first tooth and the second tooth prior to treatment or at an intermediate stage of the treatment plan;

calculating, using a processor, a distance difference between the first distance and a second distance, wherein the second distance is along the ridge endpoint reference line between the ridge endpoint of the first tooth and the ridge endpoint of the second tooth at the target position;

determining that the distance difference is outside of a threshold difference indicating that the first tooth and the second tooth are misaligned for IPR in the provided position;

revising, using the processor, the treatment plan by adding one or more additional stages to the plurality of stages of the treatment plan, the one or more additional stages characterized in that the distance difference between the first and second distances is within the threshold difference;

prescribing IPR on one or both of the first tooth and the second tooth at the one or more additional stages of the treatment plan; and

outputting the revised treatment plan.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the overlap comprises disregarding a molar or a premolar overlap between a first molar and a second molar or between a premolar and a molar.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more additional stages of the treatment plan includes expanding an arch of the first tooth and the second tooth.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein expanding the arch includes digitally changing a mesial position or distal position of one or both of the first tooth and the second tooth.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein revising the treatment plan further comprises adding a second additional stage that includes aligning the first tooth and the second tooth for IPR.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein revising the treatment plan comprises removing the overlap by changing a mesial position of one or both of the first tooth and the second tooth.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein revising the treatment plan comprises removing the overlap by changing a distal position of one or both of the first tooth and the second tooth.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein revising the treatment plan comprises reclining one or both of the first tooth and the second tooth to a revised target position.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the distance difference is outside of the threshold difference comprises determining that the first tooth and the second tooth are misaligned vertically, laterally, or vertically and laterally such that IPR cannot be performed.

10. A system for interproximal reduction (IPR) treatment planning, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to direct the processor to:

identify an overlap between a first tooth and a second tooth in a patient's dentition at a target position of a treatment plan, wherein the treatment plan includes a plurality of stages for incrementally moving the patient's dentition, and wherein the target position corresponds to a desired position of the first tooth and the second tooth in accordance with the treatment plan;

identify a first distance along a ridge endpoint reference lines between a ridge endpoint of the first tooth and a ridge endpoint of the second tooth at a provided position of the treatment plan, wherein the provided position corresponds to a position of the first tooth and the second tooth prior to treatment or at an intermediate stage of the treatment plan;

calculate, using the processor, a distance difference between the first distance and a second distance, wherein the second distance is along the ridge endpoint reference line between the ridge endpoint of the first tooth and the ridge endpoint of the second tooth at the target position;

determine that the distance difference is outside of a threshold difference indicating that the first tooth and the second tooth are misaligned for IPR in the provided position;

revise, using the processor, the treatment plan by adding one or more additional stages to the plurality of stages of the treatment plan, the one or more additional stages characterized in that the distance difference between the first and second distances is within the threshold difference;

prescribe IPR on one or both of the first tooth and the second tooth at the one or more additional stages of the treatment plan;

output the revised treatment plan.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more additional stages of the treatment plan includes expanding an arch of the first tooth and the second tooth.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein expanding the arch includes digitally changing a mesial position or distal position of one or both of the first tooth and the second tooth.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining that the distance difference is outside of the threshold difference comprises determining that the first tooth and the second tooth are misaligned vertically, laterally, or vertically and laterally such that IPR cannot be performed.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein revising the treatment plan further comprises adding a second additional stage that includes aligning the first tooth and the second tooth for IPR.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein revising the treatment plan comprises removing the overlap by changing a mesial position of one or both of the first tooth and the second tooth.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein revising the treatment plan comprises removing the overlap by changing a distal position of one or both of the first tooth and the second tooth.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein revising the treatment plan comprises reclining one or both of the first tooth and the second tooth to a revised target position.

18. A method of interproximal reduction (IPR) treatment planning for a patient's dentition, the method comprising:

identifying an overlap between a first tooth and a second tooth in the patient's dentition at a target position of a treatment plan, wherein the treatment plan includes a plurality of stages for incrementally moving the patient's dentition, and wherein the target position corresponds to a desired position of the first tooth and the second tooth in accordance with the treatment plan;

identifying a first distance along a ridge endpoint reference lines between a ridge endpoint of the first tooth and a ridge endpoint of the second tooth at a provided position of the treatment plan, wherein the provided position corresponds to a position of the first tooth and the second tooth prior to treatment or at an intermediate stage of the treatment plan;

calculating, using a processor, a distance difference between the first distance and a second distance, wherein the second distance is along the ridge endpoint reference line between the ridge endpoint of the first tooth and the ridge endpoint of the second tooth at the target position, wherein the ridge endpoint reference line includes vertical and lateral dimensions;

determining that the distance difference is outside of a threshold difference indicating that the first tooth and the second tooth are misaligned for IPR in the provided position;

revising, using the processor, the treatment plan by adding one or more additional stages to the plurality of stages of the treatment plan, the one or more additional stages characterized in that the distance difference between the first and second distance is within the threshold difference;

prescribing IPR on one or both of the first tooth and the second tooth at the one or more additional stages of the treatment plan; and

outputting the revised treatment plan with the prescribed IPR.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ridge endpoint reference line includes vertical and lateral dimensions.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the second tooth and a third tooth, adjacent to the second tooth, is misaligned for IPR based on a second distance difference between ridge endpoints of the second and third tooth being outside the threshold difference; and

revising the treatment plan such that the second distance difference is within the threshold difference.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (204)