| abstract |
A custom orthodontic appliance, preferably including an archwire, is automatically formed into an arcuate shape optimized to the anatomy of the patient to move the teeth to desired finish positions on a desired dental archform. Data, digitized of anatomical shapes, preferably of individual teeth and the lower jaw bone, is processed with data of the desired tooth positions and archform, which are preferably calculated from the digitized anatomical shape data, to design an optimized arcuate appliance. Preferably, an archwire is automatically designed along with optimized custom brackets to minimize bracket profiles and the changes in curvature of the wire, which is preferably in the form of a series of circle segments, embodied in machine control instructions carried by a control signal to a numerically controlled wire feeding and bending machine. |