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

1. A method of manufacturing a customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket by digital light processing, 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 Digital Light Processing (DLP) machine; and

directly producing the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket in the DLP 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 DLP machine comprises an LED light source and a micromirror array for position-selective exposure of the photo-reactive slurry with an intensity pattern and a predetermined geometry to form a respective polymerized layer of a green bracket.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising manufacturing the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket with layers that comprise 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 manufacturing 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 2 , 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 in the DLP machine by layer manufacturing further comprises:

using the DLP 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 DLP machine comprises:

a vat with an at least partially transparent horizontal bottom, in which a photo-reactive slurry is contained;

a horizontal build platform adapted to be held at a settable height above the vat bottom;

an exposure unit comprising a light source adapted to be controlled for position-selective exposure of a surface on the build platform with an intensity pattern and a predetermined geometry; and

a control unit adapted for polymerizing, in successive exposure steps, layers of the photo-reactive slurry lying one above the other over the horizontal bottom and attached to the build platform;

wherein the method further comprises utilizing the DLP machine to directly produce the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket by layer manufacturing by:

controlling, by the control unit, the exposure unit so as to selectively expose the photo-reactive slurry in the vat with the intensity pattern and the predetermined geometry to form a respective polymerized layer of a green bracket;

adjusting, after each exposure for the respective polymerized layer of the green bracket, a relative position of the build platform to the vat bottom; and

building up the green bracket in successive layers to a desired form, based on the 3 D CAD bracket structure model.

14. 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 a bracket base morphology.

15. 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.

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 , wherein a light source of the DLP machine radiates a wavelength between 400 and 500 nm.

19. A customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket produced by digital light processing, the bracket comprising:

a plurality of layers directly produced in a Digital Light Processing (DLP) 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 into a photo-reactive slurry-based Digital Light Processing (DLP) machine; and

directly produce the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket in the DLP 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 μtm based on resolution requirements of the customized labial/lingual orthodontic bracket.