Dental Clamping System and Methods
A tooth clamp for mounting on, and rigidly clamping to, a plurality of teeth. The tooth clamp includes a buccal side portion, a lingual side portion, at least one tightening mechanism, and a coupling portion. The buccal side portion is disposed on a buccal side, and the lingual side portion is disposed on a lingual side, of the plurality of teeth, when the tooth clamp is mounted thereon. The at least one tightening mechanism is configured to allow a user to progressively bring the buccal and lingual side portions closer together, to thereby engage the plurality of teeth with a desired amount of clamping force. The coupling portion is configured to rigidly couple the clamp to a robotic dental system. Inwardly-facing sides of the buccal and lingual side portions include impression portions, which are shaped as impressions of the buccal side and the lingual side, respectively, of the subject's teeth.
1 . A tooth clamp for mounting on, and rigidly clamping to, a plurality of teeth of a subject, the tooth clamp comprising:
a buccal side portion, which is disposed on the buccal side of the plurality of teeth, when the tooth clamp is mounted thereon;
a lingual side portion, which is disposed on the lingual side of the plurality of teeth, when the tooth clamp is mounted thereon;
at least one tightening mechanism, which allows a user to progressively bring the buccal and lingual side portions closer together, to thereby engage the plurality of teeth with a desired amount of clamping force; and
a coupling portion, configured to rigidly couple the clamp to a robotic dental system,
wherein an inwardly-facing side of each of the buccal and lingual side portions comprises an impression portion, which is shaped as an impression of the buccal side and the lingual side, respectively, of the plurality of teeth of the particular subject.
2 . The tooth clamp of claim 1 , at least part of each impression portion is shaped as an impression of surfaces of the plurality of teeth that are disposed on a gingival side of a height of contour of the plurality of teeth.
3 . The tooth clamp of claim 1 , wherein the coupling portion is elongate in a length direction that meets the outward-facing surface of the buccal side portion at an oblique or perpendicular angle.
4 . The tooth clamp of claim 3 , wherein the length direction has a component directed towards the apical direction.
5 . The tooth clamp of claim 1 , wherein each of the buccal and lingual side portions comprises a frame portion, which holds the impression portion.
6 . The tooth clamp of claim 5 , wherein each of the buccal and lingual side portions is formed of a first material and each of the impression portions is formed of a second, different material.
7 . The tooth clamp of claim 6 , wherein the first material is metallic and the second material is polymeric.
8 . The tooth clamp of claim 1 , wherein at least a majority of an apical side of each of the impression portions is exposed to an exterior of the clamp.
9 . The tooth clamp of claim 1 , wherein the impression portions are transparent to at least one of: visible light, infrared, or ultraviolet.
10 . The tooth clamp of claim 1 , further comprising at least one opening, which exposes, to an exterior of the clamp, at least an occlusal surface of at least one tooth of the plurality of teeth.
11 . The tooth clamp of claim 1 , further comprising a first bridge portion, which connects together the buccal and lingual side portions at either: respective distal ends thereof, or respective mesial ends thereof,
wherein the first bridge portion is generally offset from the buccal and lingual side portions in a coronal direction so that, when the clamp is mounted on the plurality of teeth, the first bridge portion passes over the plurality of teeth.
12 . The tooth clamp of claim 11 , further comprising a second bridge portion, which connects together the buccal and lingual side portions at respective opposite ends of the buccal and lingual side portions to those connected by the first bridge portion,
wherein the second bridge portion is generally offset from the buccal and lingual side portions in a coronal direction so that, when the clamp is mounted on the plurality of teeth, the second bridge portion passes over the plurality of teeth,
wherein the first bridge portion connects together the buccal and lingual side portions at respective mesial ends thereof, and the second bridge portion connects together the buccal and lingual side portions at respective distal ends thereof, and
wherein a height of the first bridge portion in the coronal direction is less than a height of the second bridge portion in the coronal direction.
13 . A robotic dental system, comprising:
the tooth clamp of claim 1 ;
a robotic arm, a distal end of which is configured to manipulate an end effector; and
a platform, to which a proximal end of the robotic arm is fixed, and to which the tooth clamp is releasably coupled, wherein the coupling of the tooth clamp to the platform maintains the tooth clamp in a fixed position and orientation relative to the platform, and thereby the proximal end of the robotic arm.
14 . A method of preparing a plurality of teeth of a subject for a robotic dental procedure, comprising:
providing a tooth clamp for mounting on, and rigidly clamping to, a plurality of teeth of the subject, the tooth clamp comprising:
a buccal side portion, which is disposed on the buccal side of the plurality of teeth, when the tooth clamp is mounted thereon;
a lingual side portion, which is disposed on the lingual side of the plurality of teeth, when the tooth clamp is mounted thereon;
at least one tightening mechanism, which allows a user to progressively bring the buccal and lingual side portions closer together, so that the buccal and lingual side portions thereby engage the plurality of teeth with a desired amount of clamping force; and
a coupling portion, configured to rigidly couple the clamp to a robotic dental system,
wherein an inwardly-facing side of each of the buccal and lingual side portions comprises an impression portion, which is shaped as an impression of the buccal side and the lingual side, respectively, of the plurality of teeth of the particular subject;
mounting the tooth clamp on the plurality of teeth, so that the buccal and lingual side portions are disposed on, respectively, the buccal and lingual sides of the plurality of teeth; and
progressively tightening the tooth clamp, using the at least one tightening mechanism, so that the buccal and lingual side portions thereby engage the plurality of teeth with the desired amount of clamping force.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
applying a hardening filler material, in an unhardened state, to at least one of the buccal or lingual side impression portions;
contacting the plurality of teeth with the hardening filler material in the unhardened state; and
causing the hardening filler material to transition to a hardened state, while the hardening filler material is in contact with the least one of the buccal or lingual side impression portions, and the plurality of teeth.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein said causing of the hardening filler material to transition to a hardened state is prior to said progressive tightening of the tooth clamp.
17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising coupling the coupling portion to the robotic dental system.
18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising, subsequent to said coupling of the coupling portion to the robotic dental system, registering a dental arch of the subject that comprises the plurality of teeth, with a treatment system of the robotic dental system.
19 . A method for carrying out a robotic dental procedure on a subject, comprising:
carrying out the method of preparing a plurality of teeth of a subject for a robotic dental procedure of 17 ; and
using the robotic dental system to carry out a dental procedure on a target tooth of the subject.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of teeth comprises the target tooth.