US 12,440,311 B2
Dental appliance systems with eruption tabs
Jon F. Moss, Antioch, CA (US); and Rene M. Sterental, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Assigned to Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Align Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/331,918.
Application 18/331,918 is a continuation of application No. 16/186,123, filed on Nov. 9, 2018, granted, now 11,717,384.
Application 16/186,123 is a continuation of application No. 15/822,416, filed on Nov. 27, 2017, granted, now 10,123,853, issued on Nov. 13, 2018.
Application 15/822,416 is a continuation of application No. 14/686,369, filed on Apr. 14, 2015, granted, now 9,844,421, issued on Dec. 19, 2017.
Application 14/686,369 is a continuation of application No. 13/018,771, filed on Feb. 1, 2011, granted, now 9,004,915, issued on Apr. 14, 2015.
Application 13/018,771 is a continuation of application No. 11/807,367, filed on May 25, 2007, granted, now 7,878,805, issued on Feb. 1, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2023/0329841 A1, Oct. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. A61C 7/08 (2006.01); A61C 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61C 7/08 (2013.01) [A61C 7/002 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A dental appliance system comprising:
a first polymer shell having first tooth-receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a first jaw, the first polymer shell shaped to resiliently reposition at least a portion of the teeth of the first jaw from a first arrangement toward a second arrangement in accordance with a stage of an orthodontic treatment plan, the first polymer shell comprising a first tab that extends from a first posterior tooth-receiving cavity of the first tooth-receiving cavities; and
a second polymer shell that is separate from the first polymer shell and that has second tooth-receiving cavities shaped to receive teeth of a second jaw, the second polymer shell shaped to resiliently reposition at least a portion of the teeth of the second jaw from a third arrangement toward a fourth arrangement in accordance with the stage of the orthodontic treatment plan, the second polymer shell comprising a second tab that extends from a second posterior tooth-receiving cavity of the second tooth-receiving cavities,
wherein at least one of the first and second tabs is shaped to fit over an erupting posterior tooth of a patient and exert a force on the erupting posterior tooth to manage eruption of the erupting posterior tooth, and
wherein the first tab includes a first exterior surface having a first contoured shape that is configured to provide mating engagement with a second contoured shape of a second exterior surface of the second tab so as to support the force exerted on the erupting posterior tooth by the at least one of the first and second tabs when the patient is wearing the first and second polymer shells and the first and second exterior surfaces of the first and second tabs are in mating engagement with each other.