MOLD INCLUDING SECTIONS JOINED BY A WEAKENED REGION
A mold is for thermoforming a dental appliance. The mold includes a first section of the mold and a second section of the mold. The second section includes a feature having a complex shape, an undercut, or a bite edge. The mold further includes a weakened region that joins the first section to the second section. The weakened region is at least one of breakable, deflectable, or deformable in response to a first threshold force to enable the first section and the second section to be removed from the dental appliance after a shell is formed over the mold to form the dental appliance. The first threshold force is less than a second threshold force that would damage or permanently deform the dental appliance.
1 . A mold for thermoforming a dental appliance, the mold comprising:
a first section of the mold;
a second section of the mold, the second section comprising a feature having a complex shape, an undercut, or a bite edge; and
a weakened region that joins the first section to the second section, wherein the weakened region is breakable in response to a first threshold force to enable the first section and the second section to be removed from the dental appliance after a shell is formed over the mold to form the dental appliance, the first threshold force being less than a second threshold force that would damage or permanently deform the dental appliance.
2 . The mold of claim 1 , wherein the dental appliance is configured to be worn in a mouth of a patient to alter, while the dental appliance is worn in the mouth, contact points between an upper portion and a lower portion of a dental arch of the patient.
3 . The mold of claim 1 , the first section being of at least a portion of one or more first teeth of a dental arch of a patient, and the second section being of at least a portion of one or more second teeth of the dental arch of the patient.
4 . The mold of claim 1 , wherein the feature corresponds to one or more of:
crowded teeth;
a proclined tooth;
a retroclined tooth;
an ectopic tooth; or
an out-of-arch tooth.
5 . The mold of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
the first section is a first three-dimensional (3D) printed mold; or
the second section is a second 3D printed mold.
6 . The mold of claim 1 , wherein the dental appliance comprises at least one of an orthodontic aligner, an orthodontic retainer, or an orthodontic splint to be used for at least one of aligning, retaining, or positioning one or more teeth of a patient.
7 . The mold of claim 1 , wherein the feature comprises one or more attachments.
8 . The mold of claim 1 , wherein the weakened region is achieved based on at least one of:
a weakening geometry;
weakening build parameters;
a series of perforations between the first and the second section;
one or more deflectable or deformable support structures that join the first section to the second section;
a void or a cut at a cross section between the first section and the second section in the mold; or
materials that introduce weakening.
9 . The mold of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third section; and
one or more additional weakened regions that separate the third section from at least one of the first section or the second section.
10 . The mold of claim 1 , wherein the mold is to be broken at the weakened region to enable the first section of the mold to at least partially move relative to the second section of the mold.
11 . The mold of claim 1 , wherein the first section of the mold and the second section of the mold are to be separately removed from the dental appliance.
12 . The mold of claim 1 , wherein the weakened region is breakable in response to the first threshold force to enable the first section to be removed from the shell independently of the second section after the shell is formed over the mold.
13 . The mold of claim 1 , wherein the weakened region is located relative to or around the feature.
14 . The mold of claim 1 , wherein the feature has an amount of undercut that exceeds an undercut threshold of about 0.2 mm to about 1.0 mm.
15 . A mold for thermoforming a dental appliance, the mold comprising:
a first section of the mold;
a second section of the mold, the second section comprising a feature having a complex shape, an undercut, or a bite edge; and
a weakened region that joins the first section to the second section, wherein the weakened region is deflectable in response to a first threshold force to enable the first section and the second section to be removed from the dental appliance after a shell is formed over the mold to form the dental appliance, the first threshold force being less than a second threshold force that would damage or permanently deform the dental appliance.
16 . The mold of claim 15 , wherein the mold is to be deflected at the weakened region to enable the first section of the mold to at least partially move relative to the second section of the mold.
17 . The mold of claim 15 , wherein at least one of:
the weakened region is located relative to or around the feature; or
the feature has an amount of undercut that exceeds an undercut threshold of about 0.2 mm to about 1.0 mm.
18 . A mold for thermoforming a dental appliance, the mold comprising:
a first section of the mold;
a second section of the mold, the second section comprising a feature having a complex shape, an undercut, or a bite edge; and
a weakened region that joins the first section to the second section, wherein the weakened region is deformable in response to a first threshold force to enable the first section and the second section to be removed from the dental appliance after a shell is formed over the mold to form the dental appliance, the first threshold force being less than a second threshold force that would damage or permanently deform the dental appliance.
19 . The mold of claim 18 , wherein the mold is to be deformed at the weakened region to enable the first section of the mold to at least partially move relative to the second section of the mold.
20 . The mold of claim 18 , wherein at least one of:
the weakened region is located relative to or around the feature; or
the feature has an amount of undercut that exceeds an undercut threshold of about 0.2 mm to about 1.0 mm.