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  Dental appliance sequence ordering system and methodRelated Patent Categories: Dentistry, Orthodontics, Method Of Positioning Or Aligning TeethDental appliance sequence ordering system and method description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060073437, Dental appliance sequence ordering system and method. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/612,239 (Attorney Docket No. 018563-006700US/AT-000122), filed Jul. 1, 2003, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention is related generally to the field of orthodontics. More particularly, the present invention is related to methods and systems for dispensing a series of orthodontic appliances in a sequence to a patient. [0004] Repositioning teeth for aesthetic or other reasons is accomplished conventionally by wearing what are commonly referred to as "braces." Braces comprise a variety of appliances such as brackets, archwires, ligatures, and O-rings. Attaching the appliances to a patient's teeth is a tedious and time consuming enterprise requiring many meetings with the treating orthodontist. Consequently, conventional orthodontic treatment limits an orthodontist's patient capacity and makes orthodontic treatment quite expensive. Moreover, from the patient's perspective, the use of braces is unsightly, uncomfortable, presents a risk of infection, and makes brushing, flossing, and other dental hygiene procedures difficult. [0005] As a result, alternative methods and systems for repositioning teeth have been developed. For example, repositioning may be accomplished with a system comprising a series of appliances configured to receive the teeth in a cavity and incrementally reposition individual teeth in a series of at least three successive steps. Most often, the methods and systems reposition teeth in from ten to twenty-five successive steps, although complex cases involving many of the patient's teeth may take forty or more steps. The individual appliances are typically comprised of a polymeric shell having the teeth-receiving cavity formed therein, typically by molding. The successive use of a number of such appliances permits each appliance to be configured to move individual teeth in small increments. [0006] Typically the systems are planned and all individual appliances are fabricated at the outset of treatment. Thus, the appliances may be provided to the patient as a single package or system. The order in which the appliances are to be used can be marked by sequential numbering directly on the appliances or on tags, pouches or other items which are affixed to or which enclose each appliance so that the patient can place the appliances over his or her teeth in an order and at a frequency prescribed by the orthodontist or other treating professional. Successive appliances will be replaced when the teeth either approach (within a preselected tolerance) or have reached the target end arrangement for that stage of treatment, typically being replaced at an interval in the range from 2 days to 20 days, usually at an interval in the range from 5 days to 10 days. [0007] In general, it is preferable to simplify procedures for the patient to increase patient compliance and reduce patient errors in carrying out the treatment protocol. Therefore, it is desirable to utilize a packaging or ordering system which will provide appliances to a patient in a manner which is clearly discernable to the patient the order of the appliances. In addition, such packaging or ordering system should be amenable to mid-treatment changes to the treatment protocol, possibly adding or eliminating appliances after the initial set of appliances has been produced and packaged. At least some of these objectives will be met by the methods and systems of the present invention described hereinafter. [0008] 2. Description of the Background Art [0009] Tooth positioners for finishing orthodontic treatment are described by Kesling in the Am. J. Orthod. Oral. Surg. 31:297-304 (1945) and 32:285-293 (1946). The use of silicone positioners for the comprehensive orthodontic realignment of a patient's teeth is described in Warunek et al. (1989) J. Clin. Orthod. 23:694-700. Clear plastic retainers for finishing and maintaining tooth positions are commercially available from RAINTREE ESSIX, INC., New Orleans, La. 70125, and TRU-TAIN PLASTICS, Rochester, Minn. 55902. The manufacture of orthodontic positioners is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,186,623; 5,059,118; 5,055,039; 5,035,613; 4,856,991; 4,798,534; and 4,755,139. [0010] Other publications describing the fabrication and use of dental positioners include Kleemann and Janssen (1996) J. Clin. Orthodon. 30:673-680; Cureton (1996) J. Clin. Orthodon. 30:390-395; Chiappone (1980) J. Clin. Orthodon. 14:121-133; Shilliday (1971) Am. J. Orthodontics 59:596-599; Wells (1970) Am. J. Orthodontics 58:351-366; and Cottingham (1969) Am. J. Orthodontics 55:23-31. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] The present invention provides systems and methods for providing dental appliances, particularly orthodontic appliances, to a patient wherein the patient is easily able to determine the order or sequence in which the appliances should be worn. Typically the appliances are to be worn in a particular sequence to provide desired treatment, such as a progressive movement of teeth through a variety of arrangements to a final desired arrangement. [0012] In a first aspect of the present invention, a system of dental appliances is provided comprising a plurality of dental appliances wherein at least some of the plurality include a non-numeric indicia designating an order in which each of the at least some of the plurality are to be worn by a patient to provide dental treatment. Typically, each of the plurality of dental appliances comprise a polymeric shell having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth from one arrangement to a successive arrangement. Exemplary embodiments of such dental appliances are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,893, incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. In some embodiments, each of the polymeric shells has at least one terminal tooth cavity and the indicia comprises a terminal tooth cavity of differing length in each of the polymeric shells. In other embodiments, each of the polymeric shell has a height and the indicia comprises a different height in each of the polymeric shells. [0013] In still other embodiments, the indicia comprises one or more cutouts so that each polymeric shell has a different cutout pattern. Sometimes the cutout comprises a notch in an edge of the appliance. [0014] In yet other embodiments, the indicia comprises a color wherein each appliance has different color. The color of the appliances may have the same hue and vary by intensity, for example. The color may comprise a dissolvable dye. Or, the system may further comprise a wrapper removably attachable to each of the appliances, wherein each wrapper has the color. [0015] In another aspect of the present invention, a system of packaged dental appliances is provided comprising a plurality of packages each containing a dental appliance, wherein the plurality of packages are joined in a continuous chain designating an order in which each of the dental appliances are to be worn by a patient to provide dental treatment. In some instances, the packages are each joined by a perforation wherein the packages can be separated by breaking the perforation. In other instances, the packages are joined by, for example, a heat seal. Further, the system may include a marking on a package at an end of the chain indicating the dental appliance to be worn first. Again, each of the plurality of dental appliances may comprise a polymeric shell having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth from one arrangement to a successive arrangement. [0016] In a further aspect of the present invention, a system of dental appliances is provided comprising a plurality of dental appliances to be worn by a patient to provide dental treatment, and a framework, wherein each of the plurality of dental appliances are removably attached to a portion of the framework. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of dental appliances comprise a polymeric shell having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth from one arrangement to a successive arrangement. Further, the system may comprise at least one marking on the framework indicating the order in which the appliances are to be worn by a patient. [0017] In still another aspect of the present invention, method of dispensing dental appliances to a patient is provided. The method including the step of providing a plurality of packages wherein each of the packages includes a polymeric shell having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth from one arrangement to a successive arrangement, the plurality of package including a first package containing a first shell to be worn by the patient to reposition the teeth from the one arrangement to the successive arrangement and a second package containing a second shell to be worn by the patient to reposition the teeth from the successive arrangement to another successive arrangement. The method further including the steps of delivering the first package to the patient at a designated time through a remote delivery system, and delivering the second package to the patient at a later designated time through the remote delivery system. In most embodiments, the remote delivery system comprises a mail delivery system. [0018] In another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided of dispensing dental appliances to a patient including providing a dispenser including a plurality of dental appliances, wherein each of the appliances comprises a polymeric shell having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth from one arrangement to a successive arrangement, the plurality of appliances including a first shell to be worn by the patient to reposition the teeth from the one arrangement to the successive arrangement and a second shell to be worn by the patient to reposition the teeth from the successive arrangement to another successive arrangement, and removing the first shell from the dispenser wherein removal of the first shell dispenses the second shell. [0019] In a further aspect of the present invention, a method of dispensing dental appliances to a patient is provided including providing a dispenser including a plurality of dental appliances, wherein each of the appliances comprises a polymeric shell having cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition teeth from one arrangement to a successive arrangement, the plurality of appliances including a first shell to be worn by the patient to reposition the teeth from the one arrangement to the successive arrangement and a second shell to be worn by the patient to reposition the teeth from the successive arrangement to another successive arrangement. The method further includes removing the first shell from the dispenser, and actuating an actuator that subsequently dispenses the second shell. In most embodiments, the actuator comprises a lever, knob, or button. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a series of appliances dispensed in a chain. Continue reading about Dental appliance sequence ordering system and method... Full patent description for Dental appliance sequence ordering system and method Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Dental appliance sequence ordering system and method patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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