DE102022110539A1 - Method for producing a fastening aid for fastening a retainer to a patient's teeth - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application relates to a method for producing a fastening aid (1) for fastening a retainer (21) to the teeth (2) of a patient, comprising the following method steps: a) Starting from a three-dimensional digital model (3) that corresponds to the teeth (2) of the patient Virtual digital teeth (4) corresponding to patients are included, a virtual digital retainer (5) is modeled onto the digital teeth (4); b) The digital model (3) is supplemented by at least one virtual adhesive element (6) which interacts with the digital retainer (5), whereby the adhesive element (6) is modeled in such a way that, on the one hand, it encloses at least a section of the digital retainer (5) and, on the other hand, it rests at least partially on a virtual tooth surface (7) of at least one digital tooth (4); c) the fastening aid (1). produced with the aid of the supplemented digital model (3). Furthermore, the present application relates to a set comprising a fastening aid and a retainer, as well as a fastening aid for fastening a retainer.

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing a fastening aid for fastening a retainer to a patient's teeth according to the preamble of claim 1. Furthermore, the present application relates to a set according to claim 8 and a fastening aid according to the preamble of claim 10.

Retainers are devices designed to permanently stabilize a patient's teeth after active orthodontic treatment has been completed, particularly treatment of misaligned teeth. With the help of the retainer, a respective jawbone can fuse with the roots of the treated teeth in a newly orthodontically created position, so that the teeth remain permanently in the created position. The risk of a recurrence can be reduced in this way. Stabilizing the teeth preferably allows movements that arise from external forces, for example caused by chewing movements. Nevertheless, the retainer ensures that the teeth remain permanently in the newly created position.

State of the art

Correct positioning of a retainer in the patient's mouth is essential for the retainer to serve its intended purpose. Even a slight deviation of the retainer from the correct position in the patient's oral cavity can lead to recurrences.

To attach retainers to tooth surfaces, according to the prior art, they are held manually on the corresponding tooth surfaces, in particular on lingual surfaces of the teeth, and glued to the corresponding tooth surface. This approach has not only proven to be very time-consuming, but also error-prone. In particular, if a retainer is positioned by hand, it cannot be said with certainty whether the retainer was ultimately attached to the teeth in the intended position. This can result in the retainer exerting undesirable forces on the teeth and thereby becoming an active element that causes movement of the teeth. However, even if this is not the case, incorrect positioning of the retainer can cause the retainer to lose its passive, fixing effect and cause the teeth to move into undesirable positions, which in the worst case scenario may require re-treatment of the teeth.

As an alternative to manual positioning, so-called transfer caps are used. Such transfer caps are made on site from a hardening plasticine and have the task of fixing the retainer in the correct position using an adhesive while it is being fixed to the tooth surfaces. When the adhesive has dried out, it fixes the retainer to the teeth so that the transfer cap can be removed. Adhesive can now also be applied to the areas of the retainer that were previously covered by the transfer cap. This procedure is not only very time-consuming, but can also lead to the above-mentioned incorrect attachment and thus to recurrences.

Task

The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a method for producing a fastening aid by means of which a better fastening of a retainer to a patient's teeth is possible.

Solution

The underlying object is achieved according to the invention by a method with the features of claim 1. Advantageous refinements result from the associated subclaims.

The purpose of the fastening aid presented in the present application is to position the retainer relative to the teeth to which it is to be fastened, so that it can be fastened in a correct position. The fastening aid can remain in the mouth permanently, i.e. for the entire duration of the retainer, or can be removed again after the retainer has been fastened to the respective teeth. The retainer is typically glued to the tooth surfaces assigned to it in the intended position at least at points, preferably over its entire length. The retainer is preferably bonded to at least one tooth surface of a tooth in such a way that unintentional movement of the retainer relative to the patient's teeth is no longer possible. The bonding is preferably carried out using an adhesive, which can in particular be formed by a plastic adhesive. After the adhesive has hardened, it forms an adhesive element that remains in the patient's mouth together with the retainer.

In order to produce a fastening aid for fastening a retainer to the patient's teeth, various methods are used according to the invention steps are provided. In preparation for the process according to the invention, it is particularly advantageous if the following process steps are first carried out:

First, an impression of an actual state of at least part of the patient's oral cavity is created, with at least a plurality of the patient's teeth being recorded. The respective part of the oral cavity, in particular at least a plurality of teeth and at least part of the palate and/or the floor of the mouth (depending on whether the upper jaw or the lower jaw or both jaws are affected), can in particular be recorded by means of an impression. Such an impression can preferably be created digitally using an intraoral scanner or analogously using an impression material.

Traditionally, an impression is created using an impression material that is pressed onto the patient's bite and hardens there. The impression can then be digitized, for example using a 3D scanner. In this way, a three-dimensional digital model of at least the molded part of the patient's oral cavity is created. It is also conceivable that the impression, which represents a negative of the part of the oral cavity, is molded with a further mass, in particular plaster, so that an impression is created which reproduces a positive of at least the part of the oral cavity previously molded using the impression mass. Such an impression can also be digitized, resulting in a three-dimensional digital model of at least the molded part of the patient's oral cavity.

In a particularly advantageous manner, no analog intermediate step is carried out, but rather a digital impression of at least part of the oral cavity is created directly, for example using an intraoral scanner. The patient's oral cavity is scanned and data is collected from which a digital model of at least part of the oral cavity can be created. Such “digital impressions” are known in technology. A three-dimensional digital model created in one way or another can be used particularly easily in planning software that includes a graphical interface for further editing by a user.

A “three-dimensional digital model” is understood to mean a model that is in the form of data by means of which the positions of the teeth and the floor of the mouth and/or palate can be processed using appropriate software that is executed on a data processing system in such a way that the digital model can be displayed graphically on a display device connected to the data processing system.

According to the method according to the invention, the digital model is supplemented by a virtual digital retainer, which is modeled onto the digital teeth. This happens in such a way that the digital retainer is in contact with virtual tooth surfaces of the digital teeth. Preferably, the digital retainer forms a negative of a contour of the tooth surfaces of the digital teeth with which the digital retainer is in contact.

Furthermore, the digital model is supplemented by at least one virtual adhesive element that interacts with the digital retainer. The adhesive element is modeled in such a way that, on the one hand, it encloses at least a section of the digital retainer and, on the other hand, it rests on a virtual tooth surface of a digital tooth. The adhesive element thus forms a virtual, pre-modeled form of an adhesive element that is later located in the mouth and encloses the retainer, by means of which the retainer is attached to a respective tooth. In the prior art, such an adhesive element is applied manually by the treating orthodontist, with the disadvantages described above. With the digital shaping of the adhesive element, the attachment or bonding of the retainer is planned digitally according to the invention. In this way, the known disadvantages can be avoided with the later fastening aid.

For the purposes of the present application, the section of the digital retainer that is surrounded by the virtual adhesive element describes a section in which at least a region of the real retainer in its state attached to the patient's teeth is at least partially bonded to a tooth surface of a respective tooth by means of an adhesive should be connected as planned.

Finally, the attachment aid is manufactured with the help of the supplemented digital model, which includes the digital teeth, the digital retainer and the virtual adhesive element. Particularly advantageous variants for forming the fastening aid are listed separately below.

The method according to the invention has many advantages. In particular, a fastening aid produced using the method according to the invention is suitable for positioning a retainer very precisely on the patient's teeth. This is due to the fact that the retainer is taken into account in the course of digital planning by adding the digital retainer and is reproduced precisely in the fastening aid. The finished fastening aid therefore already specifies how the retainer is positioned relative to the teeth becomes. A related source of error in manual implementation on the patient is therefore avoided. In addition, the retainer can be held securely by means of the fastening aid during a fastening process in which the retainer is fastened to the patient's teeth.

A further advantage is that the exact position and shape of the at least one adhesive element located on the teeth is defined by means of the fastening aid. This results from supplementing the digital model with at least one virtual adhesive element, which digitally replicates or plans a real adhesive element. Preferably, several such adhesive elements are added, each of which corresponds in particular to a later real adhesive element which is intended for fastening the real retainer to the patient's teeth. This results in the advantage that the at least one adhesive element in the patient's mouth has a shape that is sufficient from a mechanical point of view to attach the retainer to the teeth, but at the same time is minimized in such a way that it does not have an excessively negative impact on the patient's mouthfeel. In particular, the thickness of the respective adhesive element can be reduced to the technically necessary minimum, so that the effect of chewing forces on the adhesive element is also minimized. This reduces the risk of an adhesive element accidentally tearing off and, in the worst case, the entire retainer. In the prior art, however, the adhesive is often applied too thickly, so that an adhesive element that is too large in volume is formed, which leads to an unpleasant feeling in the patient's mouth. Subsequent removal of the excess adhesive is very time-consuming and can possibly lead to damage to the retainer.

The method according to the invention also has the advantage that a fastening aid can be formed that is precisely adapted to at least part of the teeth and part of the retainer to be inserted. This exact shape is particularly desirable because it prevents incorrect attachment of the retainer to the patient's teeth. Damage to inserted retainers or recurrences can thus be reduced to a minimum.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the method, further method steps include producing a three-dimensional real model based on the supplemented digital model, the real model having model teeth representing the digital teeth, a model retainer representing the digital retainer and a solid body representing the at least one virtual adhesive element. The real model can, for example, be formed from plaster or originally formed using 3D printing. The latter method is particularly advantageous for achieving a high level of precision in the real model. The real model is preferably designed in one piece, with the individual model parts, i.e. the model teeth, the model retainer and the at least one solid body being connected to one another in a materially bonded manner. In this way, the real model forms a positive of the part of the patient's oral cavity captured in the digital model, which is equipped with positives of the retainer and the at least one solid body that represents the at least one virtual adhesive point.

A film is then deep-drawn over the real model, with the film being applied to the real model during the deep-drawing process in such a way that it forms a negative of the real model. This means that it forms negatives corresponding to the model teeth, the model retainer and the at least one solid body. Since the real model reflects an actual state of the previously molded part of the patient's oral cavity, the deep-drawn film correspondingly forms negatives of at least the patient's teeth, which were molded as part of the oral cavity and virtually represented in the digital model. The film is removed from the real model and then basically forms the fastening aid. If necessary, post-processing of the removed film can be carried out, for example cutting out a relevant area of the film, which then forms the finished fastening aid. The film can also be processed in such a way that the finished fastening aid no longer has any sharp edges or bones. Despite such post-processing, the shape of the fastening aid is preferably no longer changed, so that it has its final shape immediately after deep drawing.

Due to the design of the negative of the model retainer, the fastening aid is designed to accommodate a real retainer in a form-fitting or precisely fitting manner, which is designed in accordance with the digital retainer as recorded in the supplemented digital model. The fastening aid therefore includes a retainer holder for positively holding the real retainer. The fastening aid is then suitable for being placed over the patient's real teeth in the mouth and thereby positioning the real retainer previously inserted into the retainer holder at the predetermined, digitally planned position on the tooth surfaces of the teeth. Due to the at least one solid body of the real model, which is negatively depicted in the fastening aid in the form of a free volume, the bonding point to be produced is also in place as intended given. To attach the retainer to the patient's teeth, an adhesive is filled into the free volume, so that the retainer is surrounded by the adhesive in a section that corresponds to the respective free volume and is connected to the tooth surfaces under the action of the adhesive. After filling in the adhesive, the fastening aid is pulled over the patient's teeth in a similar way to an aligner, whereby the fastening aid fits precisely onto the teeth due to the described method for its production and accordingly leads to a positioning of the retainer on the teeth that corresponds to the digitally planned one position corresponds. The adhesive filled into the at least one free volume (typically a plurality of free volumes are present) hardens on the tooth surface of a respective tooth and in this way connects the retainer to the respective tooth at least at points. The hardened adhesive then forms an adhesive element. The shape and thickness of the adhesive element corresponds to the virtual adhesive element of the supplemented digital model and accordingly brings about the advantages mentioned above.

Based on the supplemented digital model, a fastening aid can then be created that not only positions the retainer in the desired position on the patient's teeth, but also helps to dose the amount of adhesive applied. This can prevent tension on the retainer and thus possible damage to the retainer and improve the feeling in the mouth. The durability of the attachment is also improved as the effect of chewing forces on the retainer is reduced.

Furthermore, it is advantageous that the fastening aid produced using the method according to the invention can be used at least temporarily as an aligner. The patient continues to wear the fastening aid for a while. This can be particularly desirable at the beginning of passive treatment using the retainer, as the teeth can exert large forces on the retainer under certain circumstances, which can cause it to break. The fastening aid that remains in engagement with the teeth even after the retainer has been connected would take on some of these forces and in this way protect the retainer from such fractures.

An advantageous embodiment of the method provides that the virtual adhesive element comprises a virtual digital channel section, wherein the solid body of the real model that reproduces the adhesive element has a model channel section that reproduces the digital channel section. The digital channel section represents a connection of the virtual adhesive element with an environment. When the real model is formed, the model channel section is formed as a fixed elevation that directly adjoins the solid body, so that when the film is deep-drawn, a channel section is created in the film, which is the negative of the respective associated solid body with an environment. Preferably, the channel section is aligned in an approximately perpendicular direction to the tooth surface to which the retainer is attached. The task of the canal section is to remove any excess adhesive from the free volume towards the oral cavity. It is therefore conceivable that the treating orthodontist accidentally fills too much adhesive into the free volume of the fastening aid. When the fastening aid is inserted into the patient's oral cavity, excess adhesive can then be displaced through the channel section that remains free, so that the excess adhesive can be drained away immediately. This in particular prevents excess adhesive from running towards the gingiva or along tooth surfaces from which the adhesive later has to be laboriously removed.

A further development of the method according to the invention provides that after the film has been removed from the real model, a protruding remaining section is separated, with a remaining good section of the film forming the fastening aid. The film typically has protrusions that extend over the real model. These supernatants form the remaining sections and are removed and disposed of. Advantageously, the film is deep-drawn over the entire real model, which typically depicts the entire upper or lower row of teeth of a patient. However, the fastening aid formed from the film advantageously only reproduces a part of the patient's teeth on which the retainer works and, if necessary, is to be fastened. It would also be conceivable that only part of the teeth to which the retainer is to be attached is covered by the attachment aid. The other areas of the deep-drawn film form the remaining sections and can be discarded.

It can advantageously further be provided that the real model is initially formed, preferably using means of 3D printing, the real model preferably being formed in one piece, more preferably having its final shape immediately after it has been formed. In particular, a real model produced using 3D printing provides a reliable and detailed representation of the arrangement of the teeth in a patient's oral cavity. The one-piece molding prevents the real model from being assembled incorrectly and thus resulting in a faulty fastening aid.

Instead of producing a real model in the manner described above, according to an alternative advantageous embodiment of the invention it can be provided that the fastening aid is produced by means of the original molding of at least one adhesive element. For example, 3D printing or a subtractive process, in particular milling or cutting out of a block of material, can be advantageous as primary shaping methods. The finished fastening aid has a retainer receptacle which is formed by a negative of at least the section of the digital retainer which is surrounded by the virtual adhesive element, on the basis of which the fastening aid is originally formed. Furthermore, the fastening aid has a tooth contact surface that corresponds to the virtual tooth surface of the digital tooth. This can preferably be provided with retentions. This is explained separately below.

In this embodiment, the fastening aid is preferably solid and made in one piece. Advantageously, at least two fastening aids, more preferably at least three fastening aids, are used for fastening a single retainer to a patient's teeth, which are intended to interact with different sections of the real retainer along its component axis. Accordingly, at least two virtual adhesive elements are advantageously added to the digital model and manufactured separately from each other using primary shaping. Advantageously, each adhesive element is assigned to a different digital tooth.

The fastening aid preferably forms, together with a respective adhesive, an adhesive element which surrounds the retainer at least in the area of the respective section of the retainer, which corresponds to the section of the digital retainer to which the virtual adhesive element was added. The fastening aid is therefore preferably designed to remain in the patient's mouth. It serves as a carrier for the adhesive and, due to its digitally planned shape, as a positioning aid for the retainer. In this embodiment, the finished adhesive element essentially corresponds to the shape of the virtual adhesive element. After the adhesive has been applied and hardened to the fastening aid, the fastening aid and the adhesive form a unit which represents the adhesive element. Advantageously, the retainer is inserted into the retainer receptacle of the fastening aid, the fastening aid is coated on its tooth contact surface with a respective adhesive and then brought into contact with the tooth surface of the respective tooth. After the adhesive has hardened, the fastening aid remains in the patient's mouth. It is therefore not necessary to remove the fastening aid later.

The advantage of this method can be seen in particular in the fact that there is no need to produce a real model, since the fastening aid is produced directly on the basis of the virtual adhesive element. In addition to material savings, this also leads to a reduction in production time.

The adhesive element advantageously comprises a virtual digital channel section, the digital channel section being reproduced by a channel section in the fastening aid as a result of the original shaping. The resulting advantage has already been explained above. In particular, too much applied adhesive can escape through the channel section. This makes it possible for the fastening aid to rest on the tooth surface as intended and not to be pushed away from the tooth surface by too much adhesive or the like. Furthermore, too much adhesive applied can flow off in a controlled manner and does not run undesirably along the tooth surfaces at the edge areas of the fastener.

A further advantageous embodiment of the method provides that before the fastening aid is produced, the virtual adhesive element is supplemented by digital retentions which are formed on a digital tooth contact surface of the adhesive element, with the digital tooth contact surface of the adhesive element adjoining the tooth surface of a respective digital tooth in the digital model. During the production of the fastening aid, real retentions corresponding to the digital retentions are formed. With the help of the digital retentions, the tooth contact surface of the fastening aid, on which a respective adhesive can act, is enlarged, so that the adhesion of the fastening aid to the respective tooth surface is improved. A digital design of the retentions has the advantage that the retentions are already formed when the fastening aid is originally formed and do not have to be reworked at a later point in time.

Advantageously, the fastening aid has its final shape immediately after its original formation. Further processing steps are then unnecessary, so that the fastening aid can be used immediately. This saves processing time and material costs, as used but technically unnecessary material does not have to be removed.

In a further alternative development of the invention it is provided that the supplemented Digital model that includes the digital teeth, the digital retainer and the at least one virtual adhesive element, which is further supplemented by a virtual digital cover. This is modeled onto the digital teeth, the digital retainer and the at least one virtual adhesive element using the principle of a virtual film drawn over the supplemented digital model. This is done in such a way that the digital coating fits snugly against the previous digital model, just as a film deep-drawn over a real model lies against the model teeth, the model retainer and the at least one solid body. The fastening aid is finally produced by primary shaping of the digital coating. This production can be carried out in particular by means of 3D printing or by means of a subtractive process, in particular by milling or cutting out the fastening aid from a block of material. The fastening aid preferably has its final shape immediately after its original formation. In the sense of the present application, this already exists even if cleaning work has to be carried out on the fastening aid after the original shaping, for example the removal of structurally necessary support aids or other impurities due to the manufacturing process, which may be present depending on the original shaping process used. The shape of the fastening aid is no longer changed by such rework.

This process combines the advantages of both alternatives mentioned above. For example, subsequent processing and removal of material from the fastening aid is no longer necessary. In addition, the fastening aid can be used as an aligner at least for a period of time after the retainer has been placed on the patient's teeth. However, there is no need to create a real model. The advantages regarding the precise positioning of the retainer and the advantageous design of the adhesive elements are also given without distinction.

The invention further relates to a set for attaching a retainer to a patient's teeth according to claim 8. The set includes the retainer and a fastening aid for positioning the retainer on the patient's teeth. The fastening aid is designed in the form of a negative of the patient's teeth, so that the fastening aid can be placed on the teeth in a clear position. Furthermore, in contrast to the negative of the teeth, the fastening aid has a retainer receptacle into which the retainer is inserted in a form-fitting manner at least in sections. The retainer receptacle can in particular comprise several sections, each of which represents a negative of the inserted retainer, in such a way that the retainer is inserted into the retainer receptacle with a precise fit. Furthermore, in contrast to the negative of the teeth, the fastening aid comprises at least one free volume which is formed between two sections of the retainer receptacle. The retainer accommodated in the retainer receptacle extends through the free volume in such a way that the retainer is surrounded by the adhesive when the free volume is filled with an adhesive, so that the adhesive forms an adhesive element after it has hardened in contact with a tooth surface of a respective tooth of the patient , which remains in the patient's mouth.

The set according to the invention has many advantages. The fastening aid included in the set enables the retainer to be positioned precisely on the patient's teeth. The positioning of the retainer is particularly important because it is intended to fix the teeth in the position they assume after active orthodontic treatment. An unintentional displacement of the retainer can lead to recurrences or other unwanted displacements of the teeth. An incorrectly positioned retainer can also cause damage to the retainer, as unforeseen forces can act on it that the retainer cannot withstand. According to the explanation above, the exact position of the retainer on the teeth is already determined when the fastening aid is manufactured. This prevents incorrect installation of the retainer. In addition, due to the at least one free volume, the adhesive element formed by adhesive is specified, which does not suffer from either too little or too much application of adhesive. The disadvantages caused by such incorrect application of adhesive, which occur again and again in practice and are explained above, are therefore avoided. The fastening aid preferably comprises a plurality of free volumes, with one free volume being arranged between two adjacent sections of the retainer receptacle.

Another advantage is that the fastening aid can be used like an aligner. This results in the advantage that the retainer, which may be under tension after it has been immediately inserted into the patient's mouth, can be relieved. The fastening aid could, for example, be worn at least temporarily, for example at night, at least in the initial period after the retainer has been inserted. This can prevent breakages of the retainer.

In an advantageous embodiment, the set further includes a real model, the model teeth represent at least part of the patient's teeth, and comprises a model retainer that represents the retainer. Furthermore, the real model comprises at least one solid body which is designed in the form of an adhesive element. The solid body encloses at least a section of the model retainer and rests on a tooth surface of at least one model tooth. The real model can, for example, be formed from plaster or produced using 3D printing. It is preferably formed in one piece. The real model is preferably manufactured according to the above explanation on the basis of a digital model and represents at least part of an oral cavity of the patient, which includes at least part of the teeth of a jaw of the patient.

In this embodiment, the fastening aid is formed by a film deep-drawn over the real model, so that the fastening aid forms negatives of the model teeth, the model retainer and the at least one solid body. Since the model teeth reflect the exact position of the real teeth in the patient's oral cavity, the negatives of the model teeth in the fastening aid also form negatives of the patient's real teeth.

Furthermore, the invention is achieved by means of a fastening aid with the features of claim 10. The fastening aid, which is preferably formed by a film deep-drawn over a real model, comprises a negative of the teeth to which the retainer is to be fastened, as well as a retainer holder, by means of which at least individual sections of a retainer can be received in a form-fitting manner. In other words, the retainer can be inserted into the retainer receptacle in such a way that at least individual sections of the retainer are held in the retainer receptacle in a form-fitting manner.

According to the invention, the fastening aid comprises at least one free volume which is arranged between adjacent sections of the retainer receptacle. The at least one free volume is intended to be filled with an adhesive after inserting a retainer into the retainer holder, which surrounds the inserted retainer in the area of the free volume. Such a fastening aid is particularly suitable for fastening a retainer to the tooth surfaces of a patient's teeth to be fixed, with the adhesive filled into the free volume hardening on the respective tooth and thereby creating an adhesive connection to the tooth. Since the retainer is surrounded by the adhesive, the retainer is thereby fixed to the respective tooth. By using several free volumes, a respective retainer can be connected to a corresponding number of teeth. The cured adhesive, which was filled into a free volume, then forms an adhesive element. The adhesive can in particular be formed from a liquid plastic that hardens.

In an advantageous embodiment, the fastening aid is formed by a film deep-drawn over a real model. This film accordingly comprises negatives of model teeth that correspond to the patient's teeth and an at least partial negative of a model retainer that corresponds to the retainer that is to be attached to the patient's teeth. The fastening aid is designed in such a way that the negative of the model retainer is interrupted at least at one point by a local free volume.

The fastening aid according to the invention can be produced particularly easily using the method according to the invention. The resulting advantages have already been explained above.

Examples of embodiments

• 1a: Schematische Ansicht eines dreidimensionalen Digitalmodells;
• 1b: Querschnitt durch einen Digitalzahn des Digitalmodells gemäß 1a;
• 2a: Wie 1a, jedoch ergänzt durch einen Digitalretainer;
• 2b: Wie 1b, jedoch ergänzt durch den Digitalretainer;
• 2c: Ein um einen Digitalretainer ergänztes Digitalmodell;
• 3a: Wie 2a, jedoch ergänzt durch eine Mehrzahl von virtuellen Klebeelementen;
• 3b: Wie 2b, jedoch ergänzt durch ein virtuelles Klebeelement;
• 3c: Ein ergänztes Digitalmodell mit Digitalzähnen, einem Digitalretainer und einer Mehrzahl von virtuellen Klebeelementen;
• 3d: Detail des Digitalmodells gemäß 3c mit einem Querschnitt durch einen Digitalzahn;
• 3e: Der Querschnitt durch den Digitalzahn gemäß 3d, jedoch in einer Frontalansicht;
• Fig- 4a: Aus dem ergänzten Digitalmodell gemäß 3a hergestelltes Echtmodell;
• 4b: Querschnitt durch einen Modellzahn des Echtmodells gemäß 3a an der Stelle eines Volumenkörpers;
• 4c: Wie 4b, jedoch an der Stelle einer Retaineraufnahme;
• 5: Befestigungselement;
• 6: Set umfassend ein Befestigungselement und einen Retainer;
• 7: Befestigungselement gemäß 5, wobei Freivolumina mit Klebemittel gefüllt sind;
• 8: Mittels Klebeelementen an Zähnen befestigter Retainer,
• 9: Perspektivische Ansicht eines Digitalüberzugs,
• 10: Der Digitalüberzug gemäß 9 mit einem virtuell eingesetzten Digitalretainer,
• 11: Ein virtuelles Klebelement, das mit Digitalretentionen ergänzt ist.

The invention is explained in more detail below using three exemplary embodiments which are shown in the figures. It shows:

• 1a : Schematic view of a three-dimensional digital model;
• 1b : Cross section through a digital tooth according to the digital model 1a ;
• 2a : How 1a , but supplemented by a digital retainer;
• 2 B : How 1b , but supplemented by the digital retainer;
• 2c : A digital model supplemented with a digital retainer;
• 3a : How 2a , but supplemented by a plurality of virtual adhesive elements;
• 3b : How 2 B , but supplemented by a virtual adhesive element;
• 3c : A supplemented digital model with digital teeth, a digital retainer and a plurality of virtual adhesive elements;
• 3d : Detail of the digital model according to 3c with a cross section through a digital tooth;
• 3e : The cross section through the digital tooth according to 3d , but in a frontal view;
• Fig- 4a: From the supplemented digital model according to 3a manufactured real model;
• 4b : Cross section through a model tooth according to the real model 3a at the location of a solid body;
• 4c : How 4b , but at the location of a retainer;
• 5 : fastener;
• 6 : Set comprising a fastener and a retainer;
• 7 : Fastener according to 5 , whereby free volumes are filled with adhesive;
• 8th : Retainer attached to teeth using adhesive elements,
• 9 : Perspective view of a digital overlay,
• 10 : The digital coating according to 9 with a virtually inserted digital retainer,
• 11 : A virtual adhesive element supplemented with digital retentions.

An embodiment that is in the 1 until 8th is shown illustrates the method according to the invention for producing a fastening aid 1 for fastening a retainer 21 to teeth 2 of a patient. In the example shown, the fastening aid 1 is produced by deep-drawing a film 12 over a real model 8. For this purpose, the real model 8 is first produced, which is done in the following way:

First, a three-dimensional digital model 3 of the teeth 2 that are to be treated using the retainer 21 is created. The digital model 3 can be created in different ways. In a particularly efficient embodiment, at least part of an oral cavity of the respective patient is scanned using an intraoral scanner and the digital model 3 is created based on the data acquired using this process. The latter includes a plurality of digital teeth 4, which digitally reproduce the patient's real teeth 2. If necessary, the digital model 3 can also include a virtual gingiva, which was captured as part of the patient's oral cavity using the intraoral scanner. However, it is initially only essential to record at least a majority of the patient's teeth 2, which are then represented by the digital teeth 4 in the digital model 3. Such a digital model 3 results particularly well from the 1a and 1 b , where 1a a schematic view of a digitally represented lower jaw and 1b a cross section through one of the digital teeth 4.

The digital model 3 is supplemented by a digital retainer 5 in a further process step. This is individually modeled onto a majority of the digital teeth 4. The digital retainer 5 is modeled in particular in such a way that it exerts the desired fixing effect on the teeth 2 in an accurate reproduction and positioning in the form of a real retainer 21 on the patient's teeth 2. In particular, the digital retainer 5 can be modeled onto the digital teeth 4 in such a way that it has a two-dimensional or three-dimensional shape and is preferably placed directly on the respective tooth surfaces 7 of the digital teeth 4. This type of design of retainers 21 is known in the prior art. The supplemented digital model 3, which also includes the digital retainer 5 in addition to the digital teeth 4, is illustrated using a schematic representation, which can be found in the 2a and 2 B results. A further representation of a digital model 3, which is supplemented by a digital retainer 5, results from 2c , which reproduces an image from a graphical interface of a planning program in which the digital model 3 is processed.

The digital model 3 is then further supplemented here with a plurality of virtual adhesive elements 6. Each of the adhesive elements 6 interacts with a section of the digital retainer 5, the adhesive elements 6 each enclosing the section of the digital retainer 5 associated with them and are also applied to a tooth surface 7 of a respective associated digital tooth 4. This is particularly clear from the schematic representations according to 3a and 3b . The virtual adhesive elements 6 are modeled on real adhesive elements 14, which serve to attach a respective real retainer 21 to the tooth surfaces of teeth 2. According to the invention, these adhesive elements 14 are planned virtually in the digital model 3, in that the fastening aid 1 produced on the basis of the digital model 3 supplemented in this way takes the adhesive elements 6 into account. In the example shown, each of the digital teeth 4, which interact with the digital retainer 5, is assigned a virtual adhesive element 6. In this case, a section of the digital retainer 5 remains free between adjacent adhesive elements 6, that is, it is not surrounded by the virtual adhesive elements 6. The virtual adhesive elements 6 also result particularly well from the 3c until 3e , which reproduce images from a graphical interface of a planning program. Here is in particular 3e It can be seen that the digital retainer 5 is locally enclosed in a section along its component axis by means of the virtual adhesive element 6 and that the adhesive element 6 at the same time rests on the tooth surface 7 of a respective digital tooth 4. The adhesive element 6 is therefore suitable, when reproduced accordingly in the form of a real adhesive element 14, for fixing a retainer 21 to a tooth surface of a tooth 2.

The digital model 3, which has been supplemented so far, is used in a further process in the example shown step into the real model 8. This is done here using 3D printing, whereby the real model 8 is originally formed. The real model 8 created in this way, which is immediately in its final form at the end of the original shaping, includes model teeth 9 corresponding to the digital teeth 4, a model retainer 10 corresponding to the digital retainer 5 and a number of solid bodies 11 corresponding to the number of virtual adhesive elements 6. Since this Real model 8 is printed out uniformly based on the data of the supplemented digital model 3, the individual components of the real model 8, ie the model teeth 9, the model retainer 10 and the solid bodies 11, are designed as a coherent, monolithic component. There are therefore no material boundaries between the individual components of the real model 8.

In a further process step, a film 12 is now deep-drawn over the real model 8, so that the film 12 fits precisely onto a surface of the real model 8. After the film 12 has hardened, it can be removed from the real model 8 and then forms an exact negative of the real model 8. The deep-drawn film 12 thus contains a corresponding molding of the model teeth 9, the model retainer 10 and the solid body 11. The sections of the model retainer 10 that extend between the virtual adhesive elements 6 are in shape as a result of the molding of the real model 8 in the deep-drawn film 12 a retainer holder 15 is formed, which is suitable for receiving the real retainer 21, which is manufactured separately based on the model retainer 5, in a form-fitting or precisely fitting manner. In this way, the film 12 is suitable for the real retainer 21 to be stored and attached to the film 12 in a unique position. The film 12 therefore forms the fastening aid 1 after it has been removed from the real model 8. The film 12 deep-drawn over the real model 8 is based on the 4a until 4c illustrated.

After being removed from the real model 8, the film 12 has at least essentially its final shape. This means in particular that a subsequent deformation of the fastening aid 1 is not necessary in order to establish its function. Nevertheless, it is conceivable that the film 12 is reworked until the finished fastening aid 1 results. Such post-processing can, for example, consist of cutting off and removing protruding remaining sections of the film 12, which do not fulfill a technical function but may nevertheless be present due to manufacturing reasons. It is also conceivable that edges of the fastening aid 1 are ground and thereby rounded off in order to avoid a risk of injury to the patient's gingiva or the like. As stated, the shape of the fastening aid 1 remains unchanged after the film 12 has been removed from the real model 8. A perspective view of a finished fastening aid 1 can be seen particularly well using 5 .

Between the sections of the retainer holder 15 in which the deep-drawn film 12 negatively depicts the solid bodies 11 of the real model 8, the finished fastening aid 1 has corresponding free volumes 17. The retainer 21 inserted into the retainer receptacle 15 extends freely between the individual sections of the retainer receptacle 15 through these free volumes 17 and therefore does not lie directly on a surface of the fastening aid 1. This is particularly good using 6 recognizable. The retainer 21 here has positive locking means 19 in the area of the free volumes 17, which improves the connection with an adhesive 13 with which the free volumes 17 are filled. In particular, relative movements of the retainer 21 to the adhesive elements formed by the adhesive 13 are prevented.

To attach a real retainer 21 to the teeth 2 of a patient, the free volumes 17 are now filled with an adhesive 13, which is formed here from a liquid plastic. For this purpose, it is possible to remove the retainer 21 from the retainer holder 15 beforehand. The free volumes 17 filled with the adhesive 13 are particularly good based on 7 recognizable. The fastening aid 1, which is loaded in this way with the adhesive 13 and the retainer 21, can now be placed precisely onto the patient's teeth 2, with the fastening aid 1 due to the negative image of the model teeth 9, which in turn are the patient's teeth 2 represent, can be positioned in a unique position relative to the teeth 2. This results in the retainer 21 resting exactly in the planned position on the teeth 2 in the desired manner, which corresponds to the position of the model retainer 5 in the digital model 3. Furthermore, the digital planning of the virtual adhesive elements 6 ensures that the adhesive 13 is formed in exactly such a way or is formed in cooperation with the teeth 2 of the patient that, as a result of the hardening of the adhesive 13, real adhesive elements 14 are formed, which are in their shape and characteristics correspond exactly to the virtual adhesive elements 6 of the digital model 3. As a result, the design of adhesive elements 14, which is carried out manually in the prior art, can be planned and precise, so that an unnecessarily weak or, conversely, oversized design of adhesive elements 14 is avoided. Instead, the adhesives can now be used Elements 14 are planned using the digital model 3 in such a way that they reliably fulfill their mechanically necessary function, but at the same time their thickness is minimized so that they impair the patient's mouth feeling as little as possible and also provide a small attack surface for the entry of chewing forces.

As an alternative to the production of the fastening aid 1 shown here by deep drawing a film 12 over a real model 8, it is also conceivable to virtually “cover” the digital model 3 with a digital coating 20. This is modeled onto the supplemented digital model 3 in such a way that it fits snugly over the digital teeth 4, the digital retainer 5 and the virtual adhesive elements 6 in the manner of a deep-drawn film. The digital coating 20 designed in this way can then be originally formed, in particular using 3D printing means. The digital coating 20 results particularly well based on the 9 and 10 , where in 10 the digital retainer 5 is virtually inserted into the retainer receptacle 15 of the digital cover 20. The described free volumes 17, which are “kept free” or “blocked out” by means of the virtual adhesive elements 6 and are therefore imaged as a negative in the digital coating 20, are particularly clearly visible.

It is also conceivable that the virtual adhesive elements 6 are directly formed and each form a fastening aid 1. A correspondingly modeled virtual adhesive element 6 results particularly well using 11 . Such a fastening aid 1 correspondingly has a retainer receptacle 15, which results from the negative of the model retainer 5, via which the respective virtual adhesive element 6 is modeled in a section of the model retainer 5. It is only important to ensure that the retainer receptacle 15 of the real fastening aid 1, which is originally formed on the basis of the virtual adhesive element 6, in particular using 3D printing means, is set up so that the retainer 21 can actually be used. This is not crucial for the virtual adhesive elements 6 of the digital model 3 if the digital model is only used to form a real model 8. When initially shaping the fastening aid 1 based on the adhesive element 6, however, attention must be paid to practical applicability, so that the retainer receptacle 15 must be modeled in a modified manner so that the real retainer 21 can ultimately be inserted into the real retainer receptacle 15.

If a fastening aid 1 is designed in this way, it can be particularly advantageous if the virtual adhesive element 6 is modeled in the digital model 3 with digital retentions 18 which are formed on a tooth contact surface 16 of the adhesive element 6. Such digital retentions 18 increase a virtual surface of the adhesive element 6 on the tooth contact surface 16. When the adhesive element 6 modeled in this way is initially formed, the finished fastening aid 1 has corresponding real retentions. These then help, in cooperation with an adhesive 13, which is applied to the real tooth contact surface of the fastening aid 1, to achieve a better adhesive effect on a tooth surface of a respective real tooth 2 of the patient.

Reference symbol list

1

Fastening aid

2

Tooth

3

Digital model

4

Digital tooth

5

Digital retainer

6

virtual adhesive element

7

tooth surface

8th

Real model

9

Model tooth

10

Model retainer

11

Solids

12

foil

13

Adhesives

14

real adhesive element

15

Retainer recording

16

Tooth contact surface

17

Free volume

18

Digital retention

19

Positive locking means

20

Digital overlay

21

Retainers

Claims (11)

Method for producing a fastening aid (1) for fastening a retainer (21) to a patient's teeth (2), comprising the following method steps: a) Starting from a three-dimensional digital model (3), which corresponds to the patient's teeth (2) virtual digital teeth ( 4), a virtual digital retainer (5) is modeled onto the digital teeth (4); b) The digital model (3) is supplemented by at least one virtual adhesive element (6) that interacts with the digital retainer (5), the adhesive element (6) being modeled in such a way that, on the one hand surrounds at least one section of the digital retainer (5) and, on the other hand, rests at least partially on a virtual tooth surface (7) of at least one digital tooth (4); c) The fastening aid (1) is manufactured using the supplemented digital model (3). Procedure according to Claim 1 , comprising the following method steps: d) Based on the supplemented digital model (3), a three-dimensional real model (8) is produced based on the supplemented digital model (3), the real model (8) representing the digital teeth (4) model teeth (9), has a model retainer (10) that represents the digital retainer (5) and a solid body (11) that represents the virtual adhesive element (6); e) A film (12) is deep-drawn over the real model (8), the film (12) being placed against the real model (8) in the course of the deep-drawing in such a way that it corresponds to the negatives of the model teeth (8) of the real model (8). , the model retainer (10) and the solid body (11); f) The film (12) is removed from the real model (8), at least part of the removed film (12) forming the fastening aid (1). Procedure according to Claim 2 , characterized in that the real model (8) is initially formed, preferably using means of 3D printing, wherein preferably the real model (8) is formed in one piece, with further preferably the real model (8) having its final shape immediately after its initial formation. Procedure according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the fastening aid (1) is produced by primary shaping of the at least one virtual adhesive element (6), the finished fastening aid (1) having a retainer receptacle (15) and one corresponding to the virtual tooth surface (7) of the digital tooth (4). Has tooth contact surface (16), wherein the retainer receptacle (15) is formed by a negative of at least the section of the digital retainer (5) which the adhesive element (6) surrounds. Procedure according to Claim 4 , characterized in that before the fastening aid (1) is produced, the virtual adhesive element (6) is supplemented by digital retentions (18), which are in a digital tooth contact area of the adhesive element (6) on the tooth surface (7) of a digital tooth associated with the adhesive element (6). (4) are formed, with real retentions corresponding to the digital retentions (18) being formed in the course of producing the fastening aid (1). Procedure according to Claim 4 or 5 , characterized in that the fastening aid (1) has its final shape immediately after its original formation. Procedure according to Claim 1 , wherein the digital model (3) is supplemented by a virtual digital cover (20), the digital cover (20) being attached to the digital teeth (4), the digital retainer (5) and the at least one adhesive element (6) is modeled, the fastening aid (1) then being produced by primary shaping of the digital coating (20), preferably in such a way that the fastening aid (1) immediately has its final shape. Set, comprehensive - a fastening aid (1) for positioning a retainer (21) on the patient's teeth (2) and - a retainer (21) inserted into the fastening aid (1), the fastening aid (1) being designed in the form of a negative of the patient's teeth (2), so that the fastening aid (1) rests on the teeth (2) in a clear position. can be placed, wherein the fastening aid (1), deviating from the negative of the teeth (2), has a retainer receptacle (15) into which the retainer (21) is inserted in a form-fitting manner at least in sections, wherein the fastening aid (1), deviating from the negative of the teeth (2), comprises at least one free volume (17) which is formed between two sections of the retainer receptacle (15), wherein the retainer (21) accommodated in the retainer receptacle (15) extends through the free volume (17) in such a way that the retainer (21) is surrounded by the adhesive when the free volume (17) is filled with an adhesive, so that the adhesive forms an adhesive element (23) after it has hardened. Set after Claim 8 , characterized by a real model (8), the model teeth (9), which represent at least part of the patient's teeth (2), a model retainer (10) representing the retainer (21) and at least one solid body (23) representing an adhesive element (21). 11), which encloses at least a section of the model retainer (10) and rests on a tooth surface of at least one model tooth (9), the fastening aid (1) being formed by a film (12) deep-drawn over the real model (8), so that the Fastening aid (1) forms negatives of the model teeth (9), the model retainer (10) and the solid body (11), the retainer (21) being inserted in sections in a form-fitting manner into a retainer receptacle (15) which is supported by at least sections of the negative of the model retainer ( 10) is formed, the retainer (21) passing between two sections of the retainer holder (15). at least one free volume (17) is guided, which corresponds to the negative of the solid body (11), so that the fastening aid (1) is set up to be filled with adhesive in the free volume (17), which covers the respective section of the retainer (21). encompasses. Fastening aid (1) for fastening a retainer to the teeth (2) of a patient, comprising - negatives of the teeth (2) and - a retainer holder (15) into which the retainer (21) can be inserted at least in sections, characterized by at least one free volume (17), which is arranged between adjacent sections of the retainer receptacle (15), the free volume (17) being designed to be filled with an adhesive after a retainer (21) has been inserted into the retainer receptacle (15). Retainer (21) in the area of the free volume (17). Fastening aid (1). Claim 10 , characterized in that the fastening aid (1) is formed by a film (12) deep-drawn over a real model (8), the film (12) containing negatives of model teeth (8) which correspond to the patient's teeth (2), as well an at least partial negative of a model retainer (10) which corresponds to the retainer (21) which is to be attached to the teeth (2) of the patient, wherein the at least one free volume (17) has the negative of the model retainer (10) on at least one position interrupts.

Images